Net primary productivity (NPP), the net amount of solar energy converted to plant organic matter through photosynthesis, can be measured in units of elemental carbon and represents the primary food energy source for the
world's ecosystems. Human appropriation of net primary productivity (HANPP), through the consumption of food, paper, wood and fiber, alters the composition of the atmosphere, levels of biodiversity, energy flows within food webs and the provision of important ecosystem services. This dataset represents a digital map of HANPP measured in units of elemental carbon on a one-quarter degree global grid. The data set was then used in conjunction with a data set of NPP to identify regions in which human consumption of NPP is greatly in excess of local production. The dataset is distributed by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).
