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Research gaps in knowledge of the impact of urban growth on biodiversity

Author

Listed:
  • Robert I. McDonald

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Andressa V. Mansur

    (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig)

  • Fernando Ascensão

    (CIBIO/InBio, Universidade do Porto
    Estación Biológica de Doñana)

  • M’lisa Colbert

    (The Nature of Cities)

  • Katie Crossman

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Thomas Elmqvist

    (Stockholm University)

  • Andrew Gonzalez

    (McGill University)

  • Burak Güneralp

    (Texas A&M University)

  • Dagmar Haase

    (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
    Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • Maike Hamann

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Oliver Hillel

    (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity)

  • Kangning Huang

    (Yale University)

  • Belinda Kahnt

    (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • David Maddox

    (The Nature of Cities)

  • Andrea Pacheco

    (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig)

  • Henrique M. Pereira

    (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig
    CIBIO/InBio, Universidade do Porto
    Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Karen C. Seto

    (Yale University)

  • Rohan Simkin

    (Yale University)

  • Brenna Walsh

    (Future Earth)

  • Alexandra S. Werner

    (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig)

  • Carly Ziter

    (Concordia University)

Abstract

By 2030, an additional 1.2 billion people are forecast in urban areas globally. We review the scientific literature (n = 922 studies) to assess direct and indirect impacts of urban growth on habitat and biodiversity. Direct impacts are cumulatively substantial, with 290,000 km2 of natural habitat forecast to be converted to urban land uses between 2000 and 2030. Studies of direct impact are disproportionately from high-income countries. Indirect urban impacts on biodiversity, such as food consumption, affect a greater area than direct impacts, but comparatively few studies (34%) have quantified urban indirect impacts on biodiversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert I. McDonald & Andressa V. Mansur & Fernando Ascensão & M’lisa Colbert & Katie Crossman & Thomas Elmqvist & Andrew Gonzalez & Burak Güneralp & Dagmar Haase & Maike Hamann & Oliver Hillel & Kangn, 2020. "Research gaps in knowledge of the impact of urban growth on biodiversity," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 16-24, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:3:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41893-019-0436-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0436-6
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Bo & Liang, Youjia & Peng, Shouzhang, 2022. "Harnessing the indirect effect of urban expansion for mitigating agriculture-environment trade-offs in the Loess Plateau," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    2. Roshan Bhandari & Wenchao Xue & Salvatore G. P. Virdis & Ekbordin Winijkul & Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen & Suraj Joshi, 2023. "Monitoring and Assessing Urbanization Progress in Thailand between 2000 and 2020 Using SDG Indicator 11.3.1," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-13, June.
    3. Martin Hartigan & James Fitzsimons & Maree Grenfell & Toby Kent, 2021. "Developing a Metropolitan-Wide Urban Forest Strategy for a Large, Expanding and Densifying Capital City: Lessons from Melbourne, Australia," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-23, August.
    4. Koen De Vos & Charlotte Janssens & Liesbet Jacobs & Benjamin Campforts & Esther Boere & Marta Kozicka & David Leclère & Petr Havlík & Lisa-Marie Hemerijckx & Anton Van Rompaey & Miet Maertens & Gerard, 2024. "African food system and biodiversity mainly affected by urbanization via dietary shifts," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 7(7), pages 869-878, July.
    5. John B. Vogler & Jelena Vukomanovic, 2021. "Trends in United States Human Footprint Revealed by New Spatial Metrics of Urbanization and Per Capita Land Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-22, November.
    6. Yong Zhang & Chao Jiang & Sheng Chen & Yuanyuan Zhang & Hui Shi & Bin Chen & Lingfeng Mao, 2021. "Effects of Landscape Attributes on Campuses Bird Species Richness and Diversity, Implications for Eco-Friendly Urban Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-11, May.
    7. Song, Weize & Yang, Wenqing & Wang, Na & Wang, Can & Li, Zheng & Ou, Yifu & Zhang, Xiaoling, 2024. "How does industrial transformative process shape the spatial dynamics of urban development?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    8. Beaudet, Chloé & Tardieu, Léa & David, Maia, 2022. "Are citizens willing to accept changes in public lighting for biodiversity conservation?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    9. Strong, Michael & Silva, Julie A., 2021. "‘We would like this place to be a town’: The benefits and challenges of rural development near protected areas," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    10. Defne Sunguroğlu Hensel, 2020. "Ecological Prototypes: Initiating Design Innovation in Green Construction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-17, July.
    11. Margaret Yejide Onanuga & Adebayo Oluwole Eludoyin & Ifeanyi Emmanuel Ofoezie, 2022. "Urbanization and its effects on land and water resources in Ijebuland, southwestern Nigeria," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 592-616, January.
    12. Amy K. Hahs & Bertrand Fournier & Myla F. J. Aronson & Charles H. Nilon & Adriana Herrera-Montes & Allyson B. Salisbury & Caragh G. Threlfall & Christine C. Rega-Brodsky & Christopher A. Lepczyk & Fra, 2023. "Urbanisation generates multiple trait syndromes for terrestrial animal taxa worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Ratzke, Leonie, 2023. "Revealing preferences for urban biodiversity as an environmental good," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).

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