Economic benefits under alternate management practices

In each case, the net benefits from the more sustainably managed ecosystem are greater than those from the converted ecosystem, even though the private…

Growth in number of marine species introductions

Number of new records of established non-native invertebrate and algal species reported in marine waters of North America, shown by date of first record,…

Trend in mean depth of catch since 1950

Fisheries catches increasingly originate from deep areas. Over the years due to depletion in fish stocks the fishing industry has resorted to fishing at…

Conversion of terrestrial biomes

It is not possible to estimate accurately the extent of different biomes prior to significant human impact, but it is possible to determine the…

Net change in components of human well-being between 2000 and 2050

Order from Strength, which focuses on reactive policies in a regionalized world, has the least favorable outcomes for human well-being, as the global distribution…

Comparison of global river nitrogen export from natural ecosystems, agricultural systems, and sewage effluents, 1975 and 1990

Nutrient loading is projected to become an increasingly severe problem, particularly in developing countries. Nutrient loading already has major adverse effects on freshwater ecosystems…

Contrast between contemporary and pre-disturbance transports of total nitrogen through inland aquatic systems resulting from anthropogenic acceleration of this nutrient cycle

While the peculiarities of individual pollutants, rivers, and governance define the specific character of water pollution, the general patterns observed for nitrogen are representative…

Decline in trophic level of fisheries catch since 1950

A trophic level of an organism is its position in a food chain. Levels are numbered according to how far particular organisms are along…

Species extinction rates

Comparisons with the rate at which species have disappeared from the planet over a long period of Earth’s history indicate that humans have already…

Unsustainable water withdrawals for irrigation

The imbalance in long-term water budgets necessitates diversion of surface water or the tapping of groundwater resources. The areas shown with moderate-to-high levels of…

Number of major wild fires by continent and decade since 1950

Within industrial countries, the area burned by fires is declining but the number of major fires is increasing. In the United States, for example,…

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) average annual growth, 1990–2003

Average annual percentage growth rate of GDP at market prices based on constant local currency. Dollar figures for GDP are converted from domestic currencies…