Editing Ecological yield (section)

{{short description|Harvestable population growth in an ecosystem}}
'''Ecological yield''' is the harvestable [[population growth]] of an [[ecosystem]].  It is most commonly measured in [[forestry]]: [[sustainable forestry]] is defined as that which does not [[logging|harvest]] more wood in a year than has grown in that year, within a given patch of [[forest]].

However, the concept is also applicable to [[water]], [[soil]], and any other aspect of an ecosystem which can be both harvested and renewed—called [[renewable resource]]s.  The [[carrying capacity]] of an ecosystem is reduced over time if more than the amount which is "renewed" (refreshed or regrown or rebuilt) is consumed.

[[Ecosystem services]] analysis calculates the global yield of the [[Earth]]'s [[biosphere]] to humans as a whole.  This is said to be greater in size than the entire human economy.  However, it is more than just yield, but also the natural processes that increase biodiversity and [[conserve habitat]] which result in the total value of these services.  "Yield" of [[Forest product|ecological commodities]] like wood or water, useful to humans, is only a part of it.

Very often an ecological yield in one place offsets an [[ecological load]] in another.  [[Greenhouse gas]] released in one place, for instance, is fairly evenly distributed in the [[earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]], and so [[greenhouse gas control]] can be achieved by creating a [[carbon sink]] literally anywhere else.