Land use and biodiversity relationships

Abstract

The relationships between land use and biodiversity are fundamental to understanding the links between people and their environment. Biodiversity can be measured in many ways. The concept covers not only the overall richness of species present in a particular area but also the diversity of genotypes, functional groups, communities, habitats and ecosystems there. As a result, the relationships between biodiversity in its broadest sense and land use can be complex and highly context dependent. Moreover, the relationships between them are often two-way, so that simple relationships between cause and effect can be difficult to identify. In some places, specific land uses or land management practices may be important in sustaining particular patterns of biodiversity. Elsewhere, the uses to which land can be put are highly dependent on the biodiversity resources present. The review will consider how changes in the quantity, quality and spatial configuration of different aspects of land use can impact on different components of biodiversity, and what direct and indirect factors might drive these changes. The need to distinguish between land cover and land use will be discussed in relation to the economic and social drivers of land use change. The review will also consider whether framing biodiversity objectives involves society in placing constraints upon the types of land use and management practice that are possible, and will consider such arguments in relation to assessments of the costs of biodiversity loss. It would seem that while considerable progress has been made in mapping out plausible futures for land use and biodiversity at global and regional scales, closer integration of modelling, scenario and field-based monitoring is needed to strengthen the evidence base available to decision makers. Challenges that face us include how we take account of the qualitative changes in land cover, and the impacts of such modifications on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Broader perspectives on the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services are also needed as the basis for developing adaptive and flexible approaches to policy and management.