Biodiversity Impact Assessment Research Articles

Bio‐ORACLE v3.0. Pushing marine data layers to the CMIP6 Earth System Models of climate change research

AbstractMotivationImpacts of climate change on marine biodiversity are often projected with species distribution modelling using standardized data layers representing physical, chemical and biological conditions of the global ocean. Yet, the available data layers (1) have not been updated to incorporate data of the Sixth Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), which comprise the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios; (2) consider a limited number of Earth System Models (ESMs), and (3) miss important variables expected to influence future biodiversity distributions. These limitations might undermine biodiversity impact assessments, by failing to integrate them within the context of the most up‐to‐date climate change projections, raising the uncertainty in estimates and misinterpreting the exposure of biodiversity to extreme conditions. Here, we provide a significant update of Bio‐ORACLE, extending biologically relevant data layers from present‐day conditions to the end of the 21st century Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios based on a multi‐model ensemble with data from CMIP6. Alongside, we provide R and Python packages for seamless integration in modelling workflows. The data layers aim to enhance the understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity and to support well‐informed research, conservation and management.Main Types of Variable ContainedSurface and benthic layers for, chlorophyll‐a, diffuse attenuation coefficient, dissolved iron, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ocean temperature, pH, phosphate, photosynthetic active radiation, total phytoplankton, total cloud fraction, salinity, silicate, sea‐water direction, sea‐water velocity, topographic slope, topographic aspect, terrain ruggedness index, topographic position index and bathymetry, and surface layers for air temperature, mixed layer depth, sea‐ice cover and sea‐ice thickness.Spatial Location and GrainGlobal at 0.05° resolution.Time Period and GrainDecadal from present‐day to the end of the 21st century (2000–2100).Major Taxa and Level of MeasurementMarine biodiversity associated with surface and epibenthic habitats.Software FormatA package of functions developed for Python and R software.

Biodiversity Impact Assessment Considering Land Use Intensities and Fragmentation.

Land use is a major threat to terrestrial biodiversity. Life cycle assessment is a tool that can assess such threats and thereby support environmental decision-making. Within the Global Guidance for Life Cycle Impact Assessment (GLAM) project, the Life Cycle Initiative hosted by UN Environment aims to create a life cycle impact assessment method across multiple impact categories, including land use impacts on ecosystem quality represented by regional and global species richness. A working group of the GLAM project focused on such land use impacts and developed new characterization factors to combine the strengths of two separate recent advancements in the field: the consideration of land use intensities and land fragmentation. The data sets to parametrize the underlying model are also updated from previous models. The new characterization factors cover five species groups (plants, amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles) and five broad land use types (cropland, pasture, plantations, managed forests, and urban land) at three intensity levels (minimal, light, and intense). They are available at the level of terrestrial ecoregions and countries. This paper documents the development of the characterization factors, provides practical guidance for their use, and critically assesses the strengths and remaining shortcomings.

Company level biodiversity impact assessment: An application to the aquaculture industry in Norway

This paper proposes a company-level biodiversity impact assessment framework tailored to the aquaculture industry. Using publicly available data from Norway, we analyze the relative biodiversity performance of companies based on the following impact variables: sea lice, escapes, diseases, bottom conditions, and lice treatments. We apply an unsupervised clustering methodology to classify and rank companies based on their aggregated biodiversity impact over time. Our findings suggest that companies operating in the northern production areas of Norway have a geographical advantage due to lower sea temperature and lower density of localities, resulting in higher biodiversity rankings. When considering the biodiversity ranking within regions with comparable biological conditions, we find that larger and publicly traded salmon farming companies perform better than smaller privately owned ones, potentially indicating better managerial practices related to biodiversity issues.

Land-use-driven biodiversity impacts of diets—a comparison of two assessment methods in a Finnish case study

PurposeAgricultural land use and land-use change, especially from forests to agricultural land, to satisfy growing demand for food and feed, is a major cause of global biodiversity loss. International trade connects food consumption to land use across the world, leading consumption in one area to affect ecosystems elsewhere. However, methods for evaluating the effects of food consumption on biodiversity are still under development. Here, we evaluate two recent land-use-based biodiversity life cycle impact assessment methods, using the Finnish diet as a case study.MethodsTwo different land-use-based biodiversity impact assessment methods (Chaudhary and Books 2018; Kuipers et al. 2021) were used to evaluate the biodiversity impacts of five dietary scenarios: the current Finnish diet and four alternative scenarios that involve a gradual reduction in the intake of foods of animal origin. The assessment was conducted using the previously developed FoodMin model. The model assesses the climate impact and nutritional quality of diets based on 90 food product groups. The countries of origin for each product group, as well as the land occupation and land-use change associated with the products, were determined using five-year averages from national import and international yield and land-use change statistics.Results and discussionThe results showed that the biodiversity impacts vary depending on the assessment method used, with the difference in the dietary impacts being 60-fold in magnitude depending on the method. Most of the impacts were related to land-use change, which was linked especially to production of feeds, leading to the dietary impacts being reduced with intake of foods of animal origin. The occupation impacts were associated with different food groups than those of land-use change and were higher than the land-use change impacts for beverages, and sugars and sweets. Trade played a significant role in biodiversity impacts of diets, with over 85% of impacts being linked to imported foods and feeds.Conclusions and recommendationsA comparison of the two assessment methods for the biodiversity impact of diet scenarios showed that results obtained with these methods should not be compared in absolute terms. Also, on a product-level basis, the methods lead to different relative results, and the choice of method can affect which products appear the most burdensome. The assessment also showed that land-use change had a greater impact than land occupation. Thus, ignoring the impacts of land-use change, particularly in feed production, might underestimate the contribution of animal-source foods. Hence, both factors should be considered in future LCAs. Further research is also needed to develop and unify the biodiversity impact assessment methods, including the clarification of units, improving the accuracy of land-use change methodology, and analyzing the impacts of various agricultural management practices.

Critical review of methods and models for biodiversity impact assessment and their applicability in the LCA context

Global biodiversity is in rapid decline and halting biodiversity loss is one of the most important challenges humanity must tackle now and in the immediate future. The five main direct drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, pollution, land use, overexploitation of resources and the spread of invasive species, which result from indirect drivers such as unsustainable production and consumption. It is therefore of paramount importance that scientifically robust methods are developed to capture impacts on biodiversity from a value-chain perspective. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology allows to quantify the impact of products and organisations throughout their whole life cycle. In the LCA framework, several methods for biodiversity impact assessment have been developed. Building on previous reviews, this article aims to critically analyse methods and models for biodiversity impact assessment in LCA and beyond as comprehensively as possible, and to select those that may be most suitable for application in an LCA context. 64 methods were reviewed and 23 were selected for a detailed analysis based on availability of documentation, domain of application, geographical scope, potential to be used in LCA, and added value. The analysis addressed their goal and scope, data use and needs, and impact assessment characteristics, revealing strengths and weaknesses of the methods. There is currently no method that takes well into account at the same time the variety of pressures on biodiversity, ecosystems, taxonomic groups, essential biodiversity variables classes, and the fundamental aspects to consider in biodiversity impact assessments – but for each of these five criteria, we show which methods perform best. For the future development of biodiversity impact assessment, it is required to improve the coverage of drivers of biodiversity loss, increase ecosystem and taxonomic coverage, include the assessment of ecosystem services, and develop robust indicators that allow for complementary analysis of more essential biodiversity aspects.

Physicochemical Variables And Fish Diversity In Hizlamehendiganj Hilsa Sanctuary In Bangladesh

Out of six hilsa sanctuaries in Bangladesh, the newly established Hizla- Mehendiganj sanctuary is significantly lacking in data in terms of fish diversity and physicochemical properties. Therefore, the present study aims to assess water quality variables and fish biodiversity of the Hizla-Mehendiganj hilsa sanctuary. Water and fish samples were collected from different sites within and outside the sanctuary. Physicochemical variables such as dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and transparency were measured and fish biodiversity was estimated using different richness and evenness indices. The mean DO, temperature, pH and transparency inside the sanctuary were 5.6 ± 0.1 mg/l, 29.1 ± 0.7°C, 8.3 ± 0.05 and 20.5 ± 2.3 cm, respectively which were nearly similar to the estimated values of those variables of the outside sanctuary. This study found a total of 374 individuals of 21 fish species under 6 orders and 14 families. According to the IUCN report 2015, this study found that 76.19, 9.52 and 4.76% of these species are listed in the Least Concern, Endangered and Vulnerable category, respectively. Within the sanctuary, 76 individuals of 13 fish species under 4 orders were recorded which was lower than the recorded number of total individuals and number of species outside the sanctuary sites. Within the sanctuary, estimated Shannon’s, Simpson’s, Margalef’s and Buzas and Gibson’s indices were 1.881, 0.214, 1.881 and 1.156, respectively which indicated comparatively moderate diversity. The highest biodiversity was found in the Ilisha river near Rukundi, outside the sampling site of the sanctuary. The findings of this study can be used for future biodiversity assessments, conservation and impact assessments of the Hizla- Mehendiganj hilsa sanctuary. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 31(2): 289-301, 2022 (July)

The Effects of Pitfall Trap Spacing on Ant Richness (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Abundance, and Composition in Dinder National Park, Sudan

Ants play an important role in Sudanese biodiversity and environmental impact assessments, Although baiting is easy and cheap to implement, several considerations, such as the spacing among bait, can affect the estimation of the abundance and richness of ants species. In this study, we evaluated the effects of bait spacing on abundance and the number of ant species. We also demonstrate which distance between baits showed the best relationship between costs and the number of ant species sampled. We sampled 30 transects of 100 m with bait spacing ranging (2.5; 3.3; 5; 6.7; 10 and 20 m), spread over 1 km² into three different type of ecosystems (Wooded grass land, Riverine ecosystem and Maya ecosystem), at DNP located in Sudan. The bait spacing did not affect the ant diversity estimative. Regardless bait spacing, the number of species collected every five baits was around 8, and the average abundance was approximately 50 individuals. However, the number of species per bait was higher in transects with a larger gap between baits. Transects with bait spans of 20 and 10 m captured 50% more species per bait than transects with baits 2.5 and 3.4 m apart. Our study suggest that the most efficient sampling design using only baits in the park would be, to place 450 baits every 10 m and 20 m.

Analysis of biodiversity impacts in mining environmental impact assessments before and after 2013 from Mpumalanga province, South Africa.

In South Africa, the relevant authorities use environmental impact assessments (EIAs) to achieve sustainable development. Biodiversity impact assessment (BIA) studies are part of EIAs to ensure that biodiversity issues are considered. In 2013, the mining industry published the Mining and biodiversity guideline to improve the integration of biodiversity into their activities. This research analysed the inclusion of biodiversity impacts in mining EIAs before and after the publication of the guideline. A customised mining BIA report-review package was developed and used to review 46 mining BIAs produced before and after 2013. Secondary data were collected using questionnaires on the inclusion of biodiversity impacts in mining EIAs. The results showed that most BIAs failed to properly consider biodiversity issues, with an overall satisfactory score of 43% before and 57% after 2013. Areas of weakness included project description, sensitivity mapping, stakeholder consultation, consideration of alternatives, and monitoring. The extent to which biodiversity specialist inputs were included in the main mining EIA reports showed an improvement after 2013, with an overall satisfactory score of 78%, compared to the 52% before 2013. The majority of the BIAs complied with the minimum requirements for specialist studies stipulated by the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA). The analysis of the questionnaires revealed inadequacies regarding the inclusion of biodiversity impacts. These included poor consideration of indirect and cumulative impacts, failure to incorporate environmental thresholds, and use of the ecosystem approach.

European Hophornbeam Biomass for Energy Application: Influence of Different Production Processes and Heating Devices on Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability has recently shifted towards biodiversity protection via governmental and intergovernmental initiatives (e.g., the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, MA). The life cycle assessment, the widespread method for assessing environmental sustainability, was not created to evaluate impacts on biodiversity. However, several authors recognize its ability to estimate biodiversity loss drivers (impact indices on land use change and ecosystem). The study aims to apply LCA to the forest sector, precisely to the wood–energy chain of Hophornbeam, to cover suggestions of the MA for the biodiversity impact assessment. Six different scenarios for stove (3) and fireplace (3) wood production were analyzed, evaluating two baselines and four alternative scenarios, including sensitivity analyses related to transport distances for the raw materials. The functional unit is 1 MJ of energy. The fireplace combustion scenarios are relatively more sustainable than the stove ones are (2.95–3.21% less). The global warming potential (around 3 g CO2 eq/MJ) is consistent with current European directives on the sustainability of biofuels and scientific literature. The scenarios showed similarities regarding the impact of the categories related to MA drivers. Although biodiversity is protected by limiting forest management, some authors argue that for some species (e.g., Hophornbeam), a rational tree felling could produce biofuels, increasing biodiversity.

Biodiversity Impact Assessment of Land Using Processes in the Supply Chain of Passenger Cars

Biodiversity loss has been recognized as one of the major global challenges of current and future society. Land-using processes have been found to be among the most important direct drivers for biodiversity loss. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has established itself as a standardized tool for measuring environmental impacts of products and processes. However, there is no clear consensus on the integration of land-use related impacts on biodiversity in LCA-frameworks due to a lack of methodological guidance, suitable datasets and experience in real-world applications. Closing these gaps could enable political institutions and companies to determine the effects of their products on biodiversity over the entire life cycle. In this study, a method, aiming to integrate the biodiversity impact in LCA, is successfully applied on a product with a complex supply chain. A suitable dataset of the material composition of a modern electric vehicle adapted to match the specifications of the Volkswagen ID.3 is developed. To estimate land use requirements of five important metals a GIS-based approach is elaborated. 164 mines covering an area of 4,123 km2 in eight different countries are inspected by means of satellite imagery and enhanced with data from industrial reports to build suitable datasets for the impact assessment. Based on these datasets, five unit processes are developed and applied to the VW ID.3 model. The results indicate that cobalt, lithium and copper account for the major biodiversity impact among the assessed metals. A scenario analysis reveals a biodiversity impact reduction potential of at least 23%. To the best knowledge of the authors, this study presents the first biodiversity impact assessment in the supply chain of a modern vehicle. The datasets, the application example and the workflow developed and applied in this study can serve as methodological guidance to support LCA-practitioners and researchers in the integration and application of biodiversity impacts in LCA-frameworks and LCA-studies. Thus, it supplements existing indicators in a meaningful way and makes them usable for future LCA studies.

Critical Review of Methods and Models for Biodiversity Impact Assessment and Their Applicability in the Lca Context

Critical Review of Methods and Models for Biodiversity Impact Assessment and Their Applicability in the Lca Context

Critical Review of Methods and Models for Biodiversity Impact Assessment and Their Applicability in the Lca Context

Critical Review of Methods and Models for Biodiversity Impact Assessment and Their Applicability in the Lca Context

Linking land use inventories to biodiversity impact assessment methods

There is generally a mismatch in the land use classification of life cycle inventory (LCI) databases and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. This mismatch can hinder the proper assessment of land use impacts on biodiversity. To facilitate such assessments, we matched the land use classes of two global LCIA methods to five widely used LCI databases, one LCI nomenclature, and one multi-regional input–output database. In unclear cases, we assumed the worst case. Assumptions were especially necessary for unspecified land use intensity classes. We conclude with recommendations for LCI database and LCIA method developers.

Biologically meaningful distribution models highlight the benefits of the Paris Agreement for demersal fishing targets in the North Atlantic Ocean

AbstractAimWith climate change challenging marine biodiversity and resource management, it is crucial to anticipate future latitudinal and depth shifts under contrasting global change scenarios to support policy‐relevant biodiversity impact assessments [e.g., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)]. We aim to demonstrate the benefits of complying with the Paris Agreement (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and limiting environmental changes, by assessing future distributional shifts of 10 commercially important demersal fish species.LocationNorthern Atlantic Ocean.Time periodAnalyses of distributional shifts compared near present‐day conditions (2000–2017) with two Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios of future climate changes (2090–2100): one following the Paris Agreement climate forcing (RCP2.6) and another without stringent mitigation measures (RCP8.5).Major taxa studiedDemersal fish.MethodsWe use machine learning distribution models coupled with biologically meaningful predictors to project future latitudinal and depth shifts. Structuring projections with information beyond temperature‐based predictors allowed us to encompass the physiological limitations of species better.ResultsOur models highlighted the additional roles of temperature, primary productivity and dissolved oxygen in shaping fish distributions (average relative contribution to the models of 32.12 ± 10.24, 15.6 ± 7.5 and 12.1 ± 6.1%, respectively). We anticipated a generalized trend of poleward shifts in both future scenarios, with aggravated changes in suitable area with RCP8.5 (average area loss with RCP2.6 = 13.3 ± 4.1%; RCP8.5 = 40.9 ± 13.3%). Shifts to deeper waters were also predicted to be of greater magnitude with RCP8.5 (average depth gain = 25.4 ± 21.5 m) than with RCP2.6 (average depth gain = 10.4 ± 7.9 m). Habitat losses were projected mostly in the Mediterranean, Celtic and Irish Seas, the southern areas of the North Sea and along the NE coast of North America.Main conclusionsInclusion of biologically meaningful predictors beyond temperature in species distribution modelling can improve predictive performances. Limiting future climate changes by complying with the Paris Agreement can translate into reduced distributional shifts, supporting biodiversity conservation and resource management.

Public Participation in Biodiversity Impact Assessment in the State of West Bengal, India: Present Status and Finding Ways for Improvement

The present status of public participation in EIA particularly concerning biodiversity in West Bengal, India was studied. The issues raised in 50 public hearings were analyzed and chapters on biodiversity in 20 EIA reports were studied. Areas needing improvement were identified. Scientific literature was studied to gather best practices/concepts. It was observed that, despite all enabling legal provisions, public participation in EIA has not grown to its full potential. The discussion was mostly on jobs and benefits (and little on biodiversity impact). EIA reports did not provide any spatial information on biodiversity-rich/sensitive areas or impact on bio-resources that are used by people. We identified four pillars of effective public participation in EIA as: (i) institutional opportunity and conducive environment for participation; (ii) interest of local people to participate; (iii) capacity building of local people; and, (iv) support of clearance process. Specific recommendations under each are provided. A simple matrix for Biodiversity Impact Assessment and a list of components for the improvement of biodiversity, for use of local people, have been developed.

Biodiversity impact assessment of two large dam projects in India under long term multi-scenarios simulation

ABSTRACT As global biodiversity is facing an existential threat, integration of biodiversity concerns into decision-making tools like EIA is more urgent now. Biodiversity impact assessment of Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar dams on the river Narmada that were conducted during 1990–94 is retrospectively analyzed to demonstrate the utility of the Habitat Evaluation Procedure as a quantitative method and its capability to predict long-term trends in habitat quality. Results of a multiple scenario simulation on habitat quality change over thirty years (1991–2020) indicate that there still exists an opportunity to conserve the biodiversity in the region by enhancing the protection status of the forests surrounding the dam reservoirs and proper resettlement and rehabilitation of project affected population. Further, limitations of Indian EIA with reference to biodiversity integration into Mitigation Hierarchy, Cumulative Impacts Assessment, Governance, SEA and post-audit are addressed. Indian policy needs to integrate biodiversity into earlier stages of decision making, not only to achieve its 2030 SDG targets, but also to ensure ecological security which is essential for the long-term socio-economic development of the nation.

Diversity and Habitat Use of Terrestrial Mammals in the Area Proposed for Water Resource Development in Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand

The Khlong Ta Liu dam construction plan was re-proposed to be constructed in the forest area of Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary in the Ta-riu tributary without a biodiversity impact assessment. Five camera traps were mounted at the hotspot points for terrestrial mammals next to the main trail for 376 trap nights from the forest edge to the forest interior. Fifteen species of terrestrial mammals were found. Two species found were categorized as having endangered status, while seven have vulnerable status. Grazers and browsers, i.e., Sambar, Gaur, Northern Red Muntjac, and Asian Elephant were mostlydetected at the forest edge, while omnivores and frugivores, i.e., Wild Boar,Greater Hog Badger, and Northern Pig-tailed Macaque were largely detected inthe forest interior. Dhole should be a carnivore species specific to the forestedge while Clouded Leopard should be in the forest interior. The NormalizedDifference Vegetation Index (NDVI) may relate to species of terrestrialmammals detected at each habitat. Among the five habitats, three would bedestroyed upon construction of the dam, including the habitat with the highestdiversity of terrestrial mammals. The habitat that would likely be least impactedhad the lowest species richness of terrestrial mammals.

Biodiversity and bird surveys in Finnish environmental impact assessments and follow-up monitoring

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) that are applied in the planning phases of large land-use and construction projects are aimed at aiding decision-making and mitigating significant environmental impacts. In light of the global biodiversity crisis, conducting high-quality biodiversity impact assessments is important, as biodiversity information, among other factors, has the potential to influence how projects will be implemented in the end. We investigated the biodiversity and bird surveys conducted and the number of bird species of conservation concern in peat extraction and wind farm projects to which an EIA was applied to in 1995–2016 in Finland and compared whether these factors differed between the project types and between implemented and unimplemented projects. We also studied the availability of follow-up monitoring data of biodiversity impacts within the two project types. The number of nationally threatened breeding birds was significantly lower in implemented than in unimplemented peat extraction projects. The overall probability of being implemented was significantly negatively associated with the year the EIA began for both project types. All permitted peat extraction projects and 22% of wind farm projects conducted post-construction biodiversity monitoring; however, only some projects enabled before-after comparisons. Our results are in line with earlier findings that demonstrate the difficulty of showing the direct impacts of biodiversity information on EIA decision-making and to what extent it is related to project approval or rejection. The role of follow-up monitoring in the EIA and project development could also be strengthened.

Biodiversity Assessment of Value Chains: State of the Art and Emerging Challenges.

The consumption of materials and products is one of the drivers of biodiversity loss, which in turn affects ecosystem functioning and has socio-economic consequences worldwide. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a reference methodology for appraising the environmental impacts of products along their value chains. Currently, a generally accepted life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) framework for assessing biodiversity impacts is lacking. The existing LCIA models present weaknesses in terms of the impact drivers considered, geographical coverage, as well as the indicators and metrics adopted. Sound ecological indicators and metrics need to be integrated in order to better assess the impacts of value chains on biodiversity on a global, regional, and local scale. This review analyses studies which, using a life cycle perspective, assess the impacts of products' and services' value chains on biodiversity. We identify and discuss promising synergies between the studies which look beyond the life cycle context, and apply other biodiversity metrics. Our results highlight that the existing metrics of biodiversity impact assessment in LCA are poor at capturing the complexities of biodiversity. There are operational models at the midpoint level that expand on the assessed dimensions of biodiversity (e.g., ecosystem structure), and the drivers of biodiversity loss (e.g., assessment of species exploitation), but efforts are required to fully include these models in the LCA framework. In the business domain, many initiatives are developing frameworks to assess impacts on biodiversity. Many approaches make use of LCIA methods and input-output databases. However, these are generally coupled with other biodiversity metrics. This shows that the current LCA framework is not yet sufficient to support decision-making based on different sets of biodiversity indicators. Ecosystem accounting may provide important ecological information for both the inventory and the impact assessment stages of LCA, helping to disentangle the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services. Looking beyond the LCA domain can lead us to new ways of advancing the coverage of biodiversity impacts, in a way that increases the relevance of LCA across a wider range of areas. Future work should assess the indicators provided in various policy contexts.

Characterizing Land Use Impacts on Functional Plant Diversity for Life Cycle Assessments.

Decision support tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) increasingly aim to account for impacts on biodiversity. While taxonomic measures like species richness have been implemented, they do not fully grasp the impacts on ecosystem functioning. Functional diversity, derived from the species’ traits, is more representative of ecosystem processes. This study provides a framework for developing characterization factors for functional diversity as affected by land use. It exploits the large databases on plant traits and species composition that have recently become available and allow bringing biodiversity impact assessment to the next level. Three functional diversity indices therein describe different aspects of functional diversity, namely richness, evenness, and divergence. Applying our framework to Germany as a proof of concept, we show significant losses in functional plant diversity when converting natural forests to agricultural land use. Consistently across different forests and agricultural systems, functional richness decreases steeply and functional divergence moderately upon occupation. In contrast, functional evenness exhibits opposite trends. The resulting characterization factors are likely to be representative of temperate regions. The framework is flexible and applicable to larger scales and other impact categories. As such, it facilitates harmonizing biodiversity impact assessments and better represents ecosystem functioning by incorporating functional diversity.