Natural capital
Natural Capital
Natural capital (/ˈnætʃərəl ˈkæpɪtəl/) is the world's stock of natural resources, which includes geology, soils, air, water and all living organisms. Some natural capital assets provide people with free goods and services, often called ecosystem services. Two of these (clean water and fertile soil) underpin our economy and society, and make human life possible.
The term 'Natural capital' is derived from the economic metaphor, where capital represents assets used to produce a flow of benefits. In this context, 'natural' signifies the fact that the 'capital' in question is obtained from nature.
Related Terms
- Ecosystem Services: The benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services, such as nutrient cycling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.
- Natural Resource: Materials or substances occurring in nature which can be exploited for economic gain.
- Sustainability: The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. In the context of natural capital, it refers to the practice of using natural resources responsibly, so they can support both present and future generations.
- Biodiversity: The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.
See Also
References
- Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., de Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., ... & Raskin, R. G. (1997). The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. nature, 387(6630), 253-260.
- Daily, G. C. (1997). Nature's services: societal dependence on natural ecosystems. Island Press, Washington, DC.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Natural capital
- Wikipedia's article - Natural capital
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