Cited by 1,617Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesSustainability and Ecological Systems AnalysisEnvironmental Changes in China

Quantifying and mapping the human appropriation of net primary production in Earth׳s terrestrial ecosystems

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Haberl, Helmut, Erb, K. Heinz, Krausmann, Fridolin, Gaube, Veronika, Bondeau, Alberte, Plutzar, Christoph, Gingrich, Simone, Lucht, Wolfgang +1 more·2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP), the aggregate impact of land use on biomass available each year in ecosystems, is a prominent measure of the human domination of the biosphere. We present a comprehensive assessment of global HANPP based on vegetation modeling, agricultural and forestry statistics, and geographical information systems data on land use, land cover, and soil degradation that localizes human impact on ecosystems. We found an aggregate global HANPP value of 15.6 Pg C/yr or 23.8% of potential net primary productivity, of which 53% was contributed by harvest, 40% by land-use-induced productivity changes, and 7% by human-induced fires. This is a remarkable impact on the biosphere caused by just one species. We present maps quantifying human-induced changes in trophic energy flows in ecosystems that illustrate spatial patterns in the human domination of ecosystems, thus emphasizing land use as a pervasive factor of global importance. Land use transforms earth's terrestrial surface, resulting in changes in biogeochemical cycles and in the ability of ecosystems to deliver services critical to human well being. The results suggest that large-scale schemes to substitute biomass for fossil fuels should be viewed cautiously because massive additional pressures on ecosystems might result from increased biomass harvest.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.0704243104

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  • Total annual aboveground net primary production on Earth's terrestrial surface is estimated to be about 35 Gt carbon, or 1260 EJ/year.

    “The total annual aboveground net primary production (the net amount of carbon assimilated in a time period by vegetation) on the Earth's terrestrial surface is estimated to be about 35 Gt carbon, or 1260 EJ/year assuming an average carbon content of”

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Authors
Haberl, H., Erb, K. H., Krausmann, F., Gaube, V., Bondeau, A., Plutzar, C., Gingrich, S., Lucht, W., & Fischer-Kowalski, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Klagenfurt (AT)
  • Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (DE)
  • Vienna Institute for Nature Conservation & Analyses (AT)
  • *Institute of Social Ecology, Klagenfurt University, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Vienna, Austria;
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2007-07-31
Volume
104
Issue
31
Pages
12942-12947
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2052479643
Cited by
1,617
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 51 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 71 · 2023: 69 · 2022: 137 · 2021: 103 · 2020: 93 · 2019: 105 · 2018: 110 · 2017: 86 · 2016: 94 · 2015: 117 · 2014: 106 · 2013: 87 · 2012: 79
FWCI
48.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • Publication Database PIK (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Land Use and Ecosystem Services
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Sustainability and Ecological Systems Analysis
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Environmental Changes in China
Keywords
human appropriation of net primary production, land use, terrestrial ecosystems, biomass harvesting, human-induced fire, soil degradation, land use change, ecosystem services, global carbon budget
MeSH terms
Agriculture, Fires, Human Activities, Time Factors, Ecosystem, Biomass, Earth, Planet

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