natural capital
Those things of value that humanity has simply found (not made), including other living things, air, water and soils, land productive for agriculture and forestry, fisheries, fossil fuels and minerals, and the ecosystem services associated with them. Traditionally they have all been valued at zero, even materials (at the point of harvest) such mineral oil, natural gas, wild fish and timber from natural forest.
This definition is abridged from A – Z of tree terms: A companion to British arboriculture.
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