[Background] Ecosystem service function is formed by ecosystem, ecological process,environment condition and utility to maintain the survival of humans, benefits that human beings can obtain from the ecological system, and the well-being they enjoy. Based on the domestic and international systematic analysis of ecosystem services foundation assessment researches, we analyzed the hot and difficult problems of it, introduced the latest research achievements in the field of the study. This paper pointed out that current international ecosystem services function research has been relatively well developed, but there is still a lack of system regarding forest ecosystem service function evaluation. Quantitative gain of evaluation indexes is always a main factor of perplexing the evaluation work. Creating and perfecting the technology of continuous observation and periodical inventory of complete index system of forest ecosystem services, filled the gap of this issue. [Methods] This system will be able to be a combination of national forest resources inventory and Chinese forest ecosystem research network (CFERN). By achieving forest resource information through forest resource inventory and mechanisms as well as parameters of ecosystem processes from research stations of CFERN, the system realized scientific evaluation of forest ecosystem service function. By means of correcting ecological parameters during the continuous observation in forest research stations, the ecological parameters in each evaluation indicator are updated, and thus the system of forest ecological continuous inventory has the function of continuous monitoring in the evaluation of forest ecosystem service function. The standardized construction of approach of achieving, methods and process of the parameters realizes comparability of the benefit of forest ecosystem service function evaluation and the possibility of multi scale transformation. Thetechnology of continuous observation and inventory of complete index system of forest ecosystem services consists of two subsystems: continuous investigation of field observation and distributed measurement evaluation. The former ensures the data of ecology continuous investigation system, and its basic requirement is unified measure and metering describing; the latter is precision guarantee system, and is the key of solving the assessment and scale transformation of forest ecosystem diversity. Comprehensive formulated positioning observation and evaluation criteria of the forest ecology continuous investigation evaluation system, revision and consummation of the evaluation model, and rectification of ecological parameters through the forest ecological station continuous observation, make the real-time updating of the index process ecological parameters feasible, and realize continuous monitoring and evaluation of the forest ecosystem service function. [Results & conculsions ] Currently this system has been widely applied at national, provincial and regional scales as well as in forestry key projects and promoted the researches on forest ecosystem service function evaluation. More importantly, the system will also provide data supports for forest management and conservation, forest water and soil conservation evaluation and ecological restoration. By the end of the article, respectively the future development of ecosystem services from four aspects are pointed out: the research of mechanism and the application of data management, valued scientific implementation, transformation from ecosystem function to ecosystem services and the application of evaluation results in the national policy.