http://faculty.wwu.edu/shulld/esci%20101/Cole2011Plastics.pdf

Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: a review.

We conducted an analysis of global forest cover to reveal that 70% of remaining forest is within 1 km of the forest’s edge, subject to the degrading effects of fragmentation. A synthesis of fragmentation experiments spanning multiple biomes and scales, five continents, and 35 year sd emonstrates that habitatfragmentation reduces biodiversity by 13 to 75% and impairs key ecosystem functions by decreasing biomass and altering nutrient cycles. Effects are greatest in the smallest and most isolated fragments, and they magnify with the passage of time. These findings indicate an urgent need for conservation and restoration measures to improve landscape connectivity, which will reduce extinction rates and help maintain ecosystem services.

/pdf/habitat-fragmentation-and-its-lasting-impact-on-earth-s-25cwkisryd.pdf

Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth’s ecosystems

Urgent need for conservation and restoration measures to improve landscape connectivity. We conducted an analysis of global forest cover to reveal that 70% of remaining forest is within 1 km of the forest’s edge, subject to the degrading effects of fragmentation. A synthesis of fragmentation experiments spanning multiple biomes and scales, five continents, and 35 years demonstrates that habitat fragmentation reduces biodiversity by 13 to 75% and impairs key ecosystem functions by decreasing biomass and altering nutrient cycles. Effects are greatest in the smallest and most isolated fragments, and they magnify with the passage of time. These findings indicate an urgent need for conservation and restoration measures to improve landscape connectivity, which will reduce extinction rates and help maintain ecosystem services.

Supplementary Materials for Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth's ecosystems

The relationship between biodiversity and the rapidly expanding research and policy field of ecosystem services is confused and is damaging efforts to create coherent policy. Using the widely accepted Convention on Biological Diversity definition of biodiversity and work for the UK National Ecosystem Assessment we show that biodiversity has key roles at all levels of the ecosystem service hierarchy: as a regulator of underpinning ecosystem processes, as a final ecosystem service and as a good that is subject to valuation, whether economic or otherwise. Ecosystem science and practice has not yet absorbed the lessons of this complex relationship, which suggests an urgent need to develop the interdisciplinary science of ecosystem management bringing together ecologists, conservation biologists, resource economists and others.

http://max2.ese.u-psud.fr/epc/conservation/PDFs/HIPE/Mace2012.pdf

Biodiversity and ecosystem services: a multilayered relationship

The theory of environmental policy

The continued growth of human populations and of per capita consumption have resulted in unsustainable exploitation of Earth’s biological diversity, exacerbated by climate change, ocean acidification, and other anthropogenic environmental impacts. We argue that effective conservation of biodiversity is essential for human survival and the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Despite some conservation successes (especially at local scales) and increasing public and government interest in living sustainably, biodiversity continues to decline. Moving beyond 2010, successful conservation approaches need to be reinforced and adequately financed. In addition, however, more radical changes are required that recognize biodiversity as a global public good, that integrate biodiversity conservation into policies and decision frameworks for resource production and consumption, and that focus on wider institutional and societal changes to enable more effective implementation of policy.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/329/5997/1298.full.pdf

Biodiversity conservation: challenges beyond 2010.

We completely agree with Wu and Petriello that a connection exists between the biodiversity crisis and threats to indigenous communities. Indeed, there are remarkable parallels between the geographic pattern of threats to biodiversity and threats to indigenous languages ([ 1 ][1]). Although this geographic congruence was not the subject of our Review, we did touch on the argument that indigenous knowledge, action, and involvement can help conservation.

The world's governments have also recognized this link through the newly adopted Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity ([ 2 ][2]). Target 18 of the plan specifies that by 2020, “the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and their customary use of biological resources, are respected,” in ways that have “the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, at all relevant levels.” We support this objective but note that this target presents a considerable practical and political challenge, given the marginalized status and impoverishment of indigenous and local communities. Greater involvement of local communities will be essential if conservation efforts are to succeed in making substantial and sustainable progress in tackling biodiversity loss.

1. [↵][3] 1. W. J. Sutherland
 , Nature 423, 276 (2003).
 [OpenUrl][4][CrossRef][5][PubMed][6][Web of Science][7]

2. [↵][8] Convention on Biological Diversity, Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 ([www.cbd.int/nagoya/outcomes][9]).

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 [9]: http://www.cbd.int/nagoya/outcomes

Andrew Clements

Papers

Biodiversity conservation: challenges beyond 2010.

Culture and Biodiversity Losses Linked—Response