Biocapacité

Biocapacité refers to the regenerative capacity of the planet's ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and absorb waste generated by human activities. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area available to provide the resources that humans consume and to assimilate the waste that humans produce. This includes land for food and fiber production, timber and grazing, and carbon sequestration.

Biocapacity is measured in global hectares (gha), which are hectares that have the world-average productivity. Different land and sea types have different biocapacities. For example, cropland generally has a higher biocapacity than forest land, and forests have a higher biocapacity than grasslands.

The concept of biocapacity is often contrasted with the ecological footprint, which measures the demand placed on nature by humans. The ecological footprint represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area required to regenerate the resources a population consumes and to absorb the waste it generates. When a population's ecological footprint exceeds the biocapacity of its region or the planet, it signifies an ecological deficit.

A global biocapacity deficit means that humanity is using more resources and producing more waste than the Earth can regenerate and absorb. This can lead to resource depletion, environmental degradation, and climate change. Conversely, a biocapacity reserve indicates that humanity is living within the planet's means. Understanding biocapacity is crucial for sustainable development and for managing the Earth's resources effectively.