Biocapacity

Biocapacity

Biocapacity (biological capacity) is a term used to describe the total usable biological production capacity in a given year of a biologically productive area, such as within a country. The criterion for what can be considered biologically productive is based upon the following:

1. The biologically productive area of land and sea area with significant photosynthetic activity and production of biomass.
2. Marginal areas with patchy vegetation and non-productive areas are not included.

Earth and the size of biologically productive land

• There are 11.3 billion global hectares of biologically productive land and sea area on the planet.
• The remaining three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, including deserts, ice caps, and deep oceans, support comparatively low levels of bio-productivity that are too dispersed to be harvested

See Earth System Science