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TL;DR: A consistent temperature-related shift is revealed in species ranging from molluscs to mammals and from grasses to trees, suggesting that a significant impact of global warming is already discernible in animal and plant populations.
Abstract: Over the past 100 years, the global average temperature has increased by approximately 0.6 °C and is projected to continue to rise at a rapid rate1. Although species have responded to climatic changes throughout their evolutionary history2, a primary concern for wild species and their ecosystems is this rapid rate of change3. We gathered information on species and global warming from 143 studies for our meta-analyses. These analyses reveal a consistent temperature-related shift, or ‘fingerprint’, in species ranging from molluscs to mammals and from grasses to trees. Indeed, more than 80% of the species that show changes are shifting in the direction expected on the basis of known physiological constraints of species. Consequently, the balance of evidence from these studies strongly suggests that a significant impact of global warming is already discernible in animal and plant populations. The synergism of rapid temperature rise and other stresses, in particular habitat destruction, could easily disrupt the connectedness among species and lead to a reformulation of species communities, reflecting differential changes in species, and to numerous extirpations and possibly extinctions.
4,532 citations
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United Nations Environment Programme1, BirdLife International2, Zoological Society of London3, Statistics Netherlands4, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill5, Old Dominion University6, Conservation International7, Food and Agriculture Organization8, University of Virginia9, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds10, University of Queensland11, University of Cambridge12, National Center for Atmospheric Research13, World Wide Fund for Nature14, South African National Parks15, UNESCO16, University of British Columbia17, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research18, The Nature Conservancy19, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center20, American Bird Conservancy21, Stellenbosch University22, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources23
TL;DR: Most indicators of the state of biodiversity showed declines, with no significant recent reductions in rate, whereas indicators of pressures on biodiversity showed increases, indicating that the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 2010 targets have not been met.
Abstract: In 2002, world leaders committed, through the Convention on Biological Diversity, to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. We compiled 31 indicators to report on progress toward this target. Most indicators of the state of biodiversity (covering species' population trends, extinction risk, habitat extent and condition, and community composition) showed declines, with no significant recent reductions in rate, whereas indicators of pressures on biodiversity (including resource consumption, invasive alien species, nitrogen pollution, overexploitation, and climate change impacts) showed increases. Despite some local successes and increasing responses (including extent and biodiversity coverage of protected areas, sustainable forest management, policy responses to invasive alien species, and biodiversity-related aid), the rate of biodiversity loss does not appear to be slowing.
3,993 citations
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TL;DR: Using multiple and independent monitoring networks, population losses across much of the North American avifauna over 48 years are reported, including once-common species and from most biomes, demonstrating a continuing avifaunal crisis.
Abstract: Species extinctions have defined the global biodiversity crisis, but extinction begins with loss in abundance of individuals that can result in compositional and functional changes of ecosystems. Using multiple and independent monitoring networks, we report population losses across much of the North American avifauna over 48 years, including once-common species and from most biomes. Integration of range-wide population trajectories and size estimates indicates a net loss approaching 3 billion birds, or 29% of 1970 abundance. A continent-wide weather radar network also reveals a similarly steep decline in biomass passage of migrating birds over a recent 10-year period. This loss of bird abundance signals an urgent need to address threats to avert future avifaunal collapse and associated loss of ecosystem integrity, function, and services.
950 citations
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United Nations Environment Programme1, BirdLife International2, National Centre for Biological Sciences3, UNESCO4, The Nature Conservancy5, University of Tasmania6, NatureServe7, University of the Philippines Los Baños8, World Wide Fund for Nature9, University of Copenhagen10, Conservation International11, University of Queensland12, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources13, University of Pennsylvania14, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds15, American Bird Conservancy16, University of Vermont17, Parks Canada18
TL;DR: While appropriately located PAs may slow the rate at which species are driven towards extinction, recent PA network expansion has under-represented important sites, and better targeted expansion of PA networks would help to improve biodiversity trends.
Abstract: Protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone of conservation efforts and now cover nearly 13% of the world’s land surface, with the world’s governments committed to expand this to 17%. However, as biodiversity continues to decline, the effectiveness of PAs in reducing the extinction risk of species remains largely untested. We analyzed PA coverage and trends in species’ extinction risk at globally significant sites for conserving birds (10,993 Important Bird Areas, IBAs) and highly threatened vertebrates and conifers (588 Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, AZEs) (referred to collectively hereafter as ‘important sites’). Species occurring in important sites with greater PA coverage experienced smaller increases in extinction risk over recent decades: the increase was half as large for bird species with.50% of the IBAs at which they occur completely covered by PAs, and a third lower for birds, mammals and amphibians restricted to protected AZEs (compared with unprotected or partially protected sites). Globally, half of the important sites for biodiversity conservation remain unprotected (49% of IBAs, 51% of AZEs). While PA coverage of important sites has increased over time, the proportion of PA area covering important sites, as opposed to less important land, has declined (by 0.45–1.14% annually since 1950 for IBAs and 0.79–1.49% annually for AZEs). Thus, while appropriately located PAs may slow the rate at which species are driven towards extinction, recent PA network expansion has under-represented important sites. We conclude that better targeted expansion of PA networks would help to improve biodiversity trends.
398 citations
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BirdLife International1, University of Kent2, University of Sussex3, Microsoft4, United Nations Environment Programme5, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds6, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources7, University of Cambridge8, University of Tasmania9, University of the Philippines Los Baños10, Old Dominion University11, University of Grenoble12, University of Queensland13, University of Copenhagen14, Christopher Newport University15, Arizona State University16, Zoological Society of London17, Sapienza University of Rome18, Wildlife Conservation Society19, American Bird Conservancy20
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors estimate that PAs currently cover 14.6% of terrestrial and 2.8% of marine extent, but 59-68% of ecoregions, 77-78% of important sites for biodiversity, and 57% of 25,380 species have inadequate coverage.
Abstract: Governments have committed to conserving 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine environments globally, especially “areas of particular importance for biodiversity” through “ecologically representative” Protected Area (PA) systems or other “area-based conservation measures”, while individual countries have committed to conserve 3–50% of their land area. We estimate that PAs currently cover 14.6% of terrestrial and 2.8% of marine extent, but 59–68% of ecoregions, 77–78% of important sites for biodiversity, and 57% of 25,380 species have inadequate coverage. The existing 19.7 million km 2 terrestrial PA network needs only 3.3 million km 2 to be added to achieve 17% terrestrial coverage. However, it would require nearly doubling to achieve, costefficiently, coverage targets for all countries, ecoregions, important sites, and species. Poorer countries have the largest relative shortfalls. Such extensive and rapid expansion of formal PAs is unlikely to be achievable. Greater focus is therefore needed on alternative approaches, including community- and privately managed sites and other effective area-based conservation measures.
367 citations
Authors
Showing all 50 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
Kenneth V. Rosenberg | 31 | 74 | 5273 |
Jeff Price | 22 | 37 | 7086 |
Jeffery L. Larkin | 19 | 87 | 1145 |
Clark S. Rushing | 11 | 23 | 484 |
Kevin Ellison | 10 | 24 | 283 |
Robert S. Ridgely | 9 | 12 | 2862 |
David A. Wiedenfeld | 9 | 15 | 917 |
Michael J. Parr | 9 | 14 | 1611 |
John C. Mittermeier | 7 | 14 | 294 |
Edward J. Laurent | 7 | 9 | 442 |
Jane A. Fitzgerald | 7 | 11 | 134 |
Paul Salaman | 6 | 10 | 84 |
Bob Altman | 6 | 7 | 108 |
David N. Pashley | 5 | 5 | 413 |
Grant C. Sizemore | 5 | 6 | 106 |