Ecological Footprints

Argentina:
o Per capita food consumption: 600 kg yr
-1

o Per capita carbon dioxide emission: 800 kg C yr
-1

o Mean food production of local arable land: 2000 kg ha
-1
yr
-1

o Net carbon fixation of local natural vegetation: 9000 kg C ha
-1
yr
-1

California:
o Per capita food consumption: 650 kg yr
-1

o Per capita carbon dioxide emission: 3000 kg C yr
-1

o Mean food production of local arable land: 50 kg ha
-1
yr
-1

o Net carbon fixation of local natural vegetation: 200 kg C ha
-1
yr
-1

Ecological footprint of a person:
o EF = (per capita food consumption/mean food production of local arable land)
+ (per capita carbon dioxide emission/net carbon fixation of local natural
vegetation)
o EF Argentina = (600/2000) + (800/9000) = 0.3 + 0.0889 = 0.3889
o EF California = (650/50) + (3000/200) = 13 + 15 = 28
Ecological footprint of a population:
o EF of a person = (per capita food consumption/mean food production of local
arable land) + (per capita carbon dioxide emission/net carbon fixation of local
natural vegetation)
o EF of a population = EF of a person x total population
A population will be sustainable if its ecological footprint is less than the amount of
land available.