What is an Ecological Footprint?

Grade Level: 
12

An ecological footprint is how much land and water area a human population uses to provide all it takes from nature. This includes the areas for producing the resource it consumes, the space for accommodating its buildings and roads, and the ecosystems for absorbing its waste emissions such as carbon dioxide. By measuring the Footprint of a population—an individual, city, business, nation, or all of humanity—we can assess our pressure on the planet, which helps us manage our ecological assets more wisely and take personal and collective action in support of a world where humanity lives within the Earth’s bounds.


Learn more about ecological footprints and find your ecological footprint at the Global Footprint Network

Cut logs image by author BriYYZ via Wikimedia Commons.

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Bibliographic details:

  • Article: What is an Ecological Footprint?
  • Author(s): Dr. Biology
  • Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
  • Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
  • Date published: May 16, 2017
  • Date accessed: March 7, 2024
  • Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/questions/what-ecological-footprint

APA Style

Dr. Biology. (2017, May 16). What is an Ecological Footprint?. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved March 7, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/questions/what-ecological-footprint

American Psychological Association. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Chicago Manual of Style

Dr. Biology. "What is an Ecological Footprint?". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 16 May, 2017. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/questions/what-ecological-footprint

MLA 2017 Style

Dr. Biology. "What is an Ecological Footprint?". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 16 May 2017. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 7 Mar 2024. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/questions/what-ecological-footprint

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/

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