An intrinsically renewed renewable resource can be harvested to provide a product to its users.  The harvesting can be either  sustainable or unsustainable, depending upon the rate at which is is taken.

Because the resource is intrinsically renewed it grows, increasing in size. This growth of the original resource (the stock resource) can be harvested as a product of the resource without affecting it, because what is taken will regrow. This is shown in the diagram below; click on the diagram to find out more about it.

The growth of the resource can be harvested continually as a product of the resource; however, if the product is taken faster than the stock resource can regrow it, some of the the stock resource will be consumed as well, and it will be reduced. Because the product comes from the growth of the stock resource, the amout of product that can be taken sustainably will also be reduced.

If the users of the resource continue to take its product at this unsustainable rate the resource will be depleted.  This is shown in the diagram below; click on the diagram to find out more about it.

This page is linked from:

The Tragedy of the Commons

Intrinsically and extrinsically renewed resources 

Carrying capacity of an ecosystem

limits to the use of resources

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