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Has land use pushed terrestrial biodiversity beyond the planetary boundary? A global assessment

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 02:12 authored by Tim Newbold, Lawrence N Hudson, Andrew P Arnell, Sara Contu, Adriana De Palma, Simon Ferrier, Samantha L L Hill, Andrew J Hoskins, Igor Lysenko, Helen R P Phillips, Victoria J Burton, Charlotte W T Chng, Susan Emerson, Di Gao, Gwilym Pask-Hale, Jon Hutton, Martin Jung, Katia Sanchez-Ortiz, Benno I Simmons, Sarah Whitmee, Hanbin Zhang, Jörn P W Scharlemann, Andy Purvis
Land use and related pressures have reduced local terrestrial biodiversity, but it is unclear how the magnitude of change relates to the recently proposed planetary boundary (“safe limit”). We estimate that land use and related pressures have already reduced local biodiversity intactness—the average proportion of natural biodiversity remaining in local ecosystems—beyond its recently proposed planetary boundary across 58.1% of the world’s land surface, where 71.4% of the human population live. Biodiversity intactness within most biomes (especially grassland biomes), most biodiversity hotspots, and even some wilderness areas is inferred to be beyond the boundary. Such widespread transgression of safe limits suggests that biodiversity loss, if unchecked, will undermine efforts toward long-term sustainable development.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Science

ISSN

0036-8075

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Issue

6296

Volume

353

Page range

288-291

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Sussex Sustainability Research Programme Publications

Notes

This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science, 353 (6296) on 15 July 2016, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf2201

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-07-21

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-07-21

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-07-20

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