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Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion

Author

Listed:
  • David R. Williams

    (University of Leeds
    University of California Santa Barbara)

  • Michael Clark

    (University of Oxford)

  • Graeme M. Buchanan

    (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)

  • G. Francesco Ficetola

    (Università degli Studi di Milano
    University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS)

  • Carlo Rondinini

    (Sapienza Università di Roma)

  • David Tilman

    (University of California Santa Barbara
    University of Minnesota Twin Cities)

Abstract

The projected loss of millions of square kilometres of natural ecosystems to meet future demand for food, animal feed, fibre and bioenergy crops is likely to massively escalate threats to biodiversity. Reducing these threats requires a detailed knowledge of how and where they are likely to be most severe. We developed a geographically explicit model of future agricultural land clearance based on observed historical changes, and combined the outputs with species-specific habitat preferences for 19,859 species of terrestrial vertebrates. We project that 87.7% of these species will lose habitat to agricultural expansion by 2050, with 1,280 species projected to lose ≥25% of their habitat. Proactive policies targeting how, where, and what food is produced could reduce these threats, with a combination of approaches potentially preventing almost all these losses while contributing to healthier human diets. As international biodiversity targets are set to be updated in 2021, these results highlight the importance of proactive efforts to safeguard biodiversity by reducing demand for agricultural land.

Suggested Citation

  • David R. Williams & Michael Clark & Graeme M. Buchanan & G. Francesco Ficetola & Carlo Rondinini & David Tilman, 2021. "Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(4), pages 314-322, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:4:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1038_s41893-020-00656-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-00656-5
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Hang & Meng, Fei & Yu, Zhenning & Tan, Yongzhong, 2022. "Spatial–temporal characteristics and influencing factors of farmland expansion in different agricultural regions of Heilongjiang Province, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    2. Casati, Mirta & Soregaroli, Claudio & Rommel, Jens & Luzzani, Gloria & Stranieri, Stefanella, 2023. "Please keep ordering! A natural field experiment assessing a carbon label introduction," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    3. Maurer, Rainer, 2023. "Comparing the effect of different agricultural land-use systems on biodiversity," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    4. Ziqi Meng & Jinwei Dong & Erle C. Ellis & Graciela Metternicht & Yuanwei Qin & Xiao-Peng Song & Sara Löfqvist & Rachael D. Garrett & Xiaopeng Jia & Xiangming Xiao, 2023. "Post-2020 biodiversity framework challenged by cropland expansion in protected areas," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(7), pages 758-768, July.
    5. Chiarella, Cristina & Meyfroidt, Patrick & Abeygunawardane, Dilini & Conforti, Piero, 2023. "Balancing the trade-offs between land productivity, labor productivity and labor intensity," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 52(10), pages 1618-1634.
    6. Martin C. Parlasca & Matin Qaim, 2022. "Meat Consumption and Sustainability," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 14(1), pages 17-41, October.

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