Cambridge O Level Biology · Syllabus 5090 · Relationships of Organisms with One Another and with the Environment
Sustainable Resource
What is Sustainable Resource?
A resource that is produced or replaced as rapidly as it is removed from the environment, so that it does not run out. Sustainability is a relationship between two rates rather than a property of the material itself: while the rate of replacement matches or exceeds the rate of removal the resource is maintained, and when removal exceeds replacement it declines however renewable the resource is in principle. Judging sustainability therefore requires monitoring of both rates over an appropriate timescale, and consideration of any environmental damage caused by the harvesting itself.
This definition is part of the Relationships of Organisms with One Another and with the Environment chapter in Cambridge O Level Biology.
Common mistakes with Sustainable Resource
- “Replanting restores the forest, and sustainable means never using it.” Why it is wrong: a single-species plantation restores tree cover but not the original biodiversity; and a sustainable resource is one that is used, at a rate it can be replaced. Exam-safe: replanting restores tree cover and some habitat, but monitoring of biodiversity is needed to judge recovery. A sustainable resource is produced or replaced as rapidly as it is removed, so it does not run out.
Questions students ask about Sustainable Resource
What makes a resource sustainable?
A sustainable resource is one that is produced or replaced as rapidly as it is removed from the environment, so that it does not run out. Sustainability describes a relationship between two rates, not a property of the material — which is why a renewable resource such as timber or fish can still be used unsustainably.