Quantification of human extraction, harvesting, consumption, and production from natural systems. This is where human activity physically takes from nature — measured volumes of water, harvested biomass, extracted minerals, caught fish, felled timber.
Scope
- Water abstraction: Measured volumes of groundwater and surface water extracted for human use
- Agriculture and aquaculture: Crop yields, livestock production, fish catches, timber harvests
- Mining and quarrying: Mineral extraction quantities, gravel/sand extraction, fossil fuel production
- Energy production: Renewable energy generation from natural sources (hydropower, wind, solar, biomass)
- Fishing: Catch volumes, landing statistics, quota utilisation
Key Distinction: Resource vs Utilisation
The natural resource itself sits in the physical sphere — mineral deposits in Lithosphere Resources, fish stocks in Biosphere Fauna, timber in Biosphere Vegetation. This twig records how much humans take — the utilisation volume that connects human activity to natural stock.
Classical Theme Mappings
| Standard | Theme | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 19115 | Farming | |Farming |
| INSPIRE | Agricultural and Aquaculture Facilities | |Agricultural Facilities |