Erosion Of Biodiversity Research Articles

Impact of land-use land cover dynamics on runoff in Panchnoi River basin, North East India

Abstract Alteration of land-use land cover pattern causes severe consequences on the hydrological system by modifying the rainfall-runoff pattern in a region. The study aimed to investigate the impact of land-use land-cover dynamics on runoff generation in different geomorphic divisions of Panchnoi River basin. The study used the Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number method to estimate runoff generation in the Panchnoi River basin in a GIS platform. This study observed that the conversion of the land-use pattern in the geomorphic zones significantly enhances runoff. The Piedmont experience highest land-use change, where 64.17 km2 forest cover lost to cropland and built-up lands, leads to a notable increase in runoff generation, i.e. from 1 076 mm (52.82% of rainfall) in 1990 to 1 467 mm (70.46% of rainfall) in 2015. The Flood plain and New alluvial plain generates high runoff in the basin as it mostly occupied by human-induced land-uses, i.e. 1 444 mm (72.72% of rainfall) and 1 360 mm (71.70% of rainfall) respectively in 1990, which increase to 1588 mm (79.20%) and 1507 mm (78.69%) runoff respectively in 2015, due to alteration of cropland to built-up lands. In the Old alluvial plain, a marginal land-use change observed resulted in moderate growth in runoff from 1 272 mm (62.35%) to 1 404 mm (66.79%). The study indicates land-use land-cover change invokes to increase runoff generation can give rise severe environmental and economic problems in the river basin, through the occurrence of flashflood and soil erosion. Highlights for public administration, management and planning: • Evaluation of the impact of land-use land cover dynamics on runoff is essential for containing flash flood and water resource management on a basin scale. • Alteration of natural land covers has severe implications in the form of flood, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity. • Enhanced runoff due to land-use dynamics reduces groundwater recharge rate that may cause drinking water scarcity in the dry season shortly.

Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation

Soil degradation is one of the most topical environmental threats. A number of processes causing soil degradation, specifically erosion, compaction, salinization, pollution, and loss of both organic matter and soil biodiversity, are also strictly connected to agricultural activity and its intensification. The development and adoption of sustainable agronomic practices able to preserve and enhance the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils and improve agroecosystem functions is a challenge for both scientists and farmers. This Special Issue collects 12 original contributions addressing the state of the art of sustainable agriculture and soil conservation. The papers cover a wide range of topics, including organic agriculture, soil amendment and soil organic carbon (SOC) management, the impact of SOC on soil water repellency, the effects of soil tillage on the quantity of SOC associated with several fractions of soil particles and depth, and SOC prediction, using visible and near-infrared spectra and multivariate modeling. Moreover, the effects of some soil contaminants (e.g., crude oil, tungsten, copper, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are discussed or reviewed in light of the recent literature. The collection of the manuscripts presented in this Special Issue provides a relevant knowledge contribution for improving our understanding on sustainable agriculture and soil conservation, thus stimulating new views on this main topic.

Could more efficient utilization of ecosystem services improve soil quality indicators to allow sustainable intensification of Amazonian family farming?

In the Amazonian periphery, there are sources of numerous disservices, including deforestation, loss of wildlife habitat and biodiversity erosion. However, there are great opportunities to adopt appropriate agricultural management practices to take advantage of the benefits of ecosystem services for sustainable agricultural intensification. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of certain ecosystem services provided by combined use of legumes with residue of low- and high-quality on soil quality indicators, nitrogen use efficiency and sustainability of maize grain yield in infertile tropical soil. The overarching objective is to determine how ecosystem services can contribute to the improvement of land-use policy to ensure the sustainability of cultivated lands, in such a way that forest can be preserved by avoiding deforestation of other new areas through shifting cultivation systems. Four leguminous tree species were used, two with high-quality residues Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena) and Gliricidia sepium (gliricidia) and two with low-quality residues Clitoria fairchildiana (clitoria) and Acacia mangium (acacia). Maize grain yield was evaluated between 2011 and 2017 in these treatments. In 2018, to assess how ecosystem services affect crop performance, the treatmentswere divided into ten treatments with and without urea.We conclude that increased uptake of inorganic and organic N by maize resulting from improvement of the soil quality indicators may allow agricultural intensification. This improvement can help meet the challenges of sustainability and feasibility of agroecosystems of the Amazonian periphery by making the agroecosystem more productive year by year. Therefore, our results confirm that the utilization of an ecosystem services style approach can help meet the challenges of sustainability and feasibility in agrosystems of the Amazonian periphery. In addition, these results can contribute to the development of land-use policy in the Amazonian periphery, aiming for the intensification of agriculture in cropped areas to avoid deforestation of new areas from shifting cultivation systems.

Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) on touristic trails of the native forests of the Azores (Portugal).

BackgroundThe sharp increase in tourist visitation of the Azores Archipelago from 2015 onwards raised concerns about the impacts of recreational tourism on native habitats. In response, a project was financed by the Azorean Government to investigate the drivers of biodiversity erosion associated with recreational tourism. Here, we present the data on spider biodiversity found on trails located within the native Azorean forests as they are home to several endemic species of great conservation value. We applied an optimised and standardised sampling protocol (COBRA) in twenty-three plots located in five trails on Terceira and São Miguel Islands and assessed diversity and abundance of spider species at different distances from the trail head and the trail itself.New informationOf the 45 species (12435 specimens) collected, 13 were endemic to the Azores (9690 specimens), 10 native non-endemic (2047 specimens) and 22 introduced (698 specimens). This database will be the baseline of a long-term monitoring project for the assessment of touristic impacts on native forest trails. This methodology can also be used on other habitats and biogeograhical regions.

The Assessment of China’s Scramble for Natural Resources Extraction in Africa

Recent narratives in various areas of Africa reveals the growing influence of China in many facets of the economy with a hold on the control of the continent’s natural resources based on invitation. Just as every nation has a right to trade with others, commerce remains the life blood of many African countries where natural resources commodity flow stands as the economic engine driving the generation of revenues. While African countries rely on the ensuing bilateral deals often tagged as resources for infrastructure swaps. The lust for foreign assisted programs in economic development in exchange for natural resources access among African countries over the years provided an opening for China’s presence in the spirit of global commerce in the continent. While China’s robust investments in physical development, renewable and non-renewable resources can no longer be dismissed as solely a pretense to aid African development in exchange for something given some of the upsides. The scale of these activities continues to have profound effects on the ecology of the countries in the continent in the form of degradation of natural areas, deforestation, and erosion of biodiversity. Yet very little exists in current studies to assess the ecological risks from the growing presence of China and the scramble for Africa’s natural resources. For that, this enquiry will fill that void by using mix-scale methods of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and descriptive statistics in assessing China’s presence and the quest for natural resources in the continent. Emphasis are on the issues, trends, factors, impacts and efforts. The results reveal vast exploitative activities directed at renewable and nonrenewable assets involving mineral ores, oil and gas, lumber, and fishery with notable impacts on the ecosystem. With the effects manifested in the form of environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and resource depletion and fiscal burdens on African nations. The problems come from a whole range of socio-economic, policy, and environmental factors located in the larger global system. As a remedy, the paper suggests the need for ethics and transparency, tight fiscal policy, ecological monitoring, enlightenment campaigns, public input in bilateral deals and the design of an interactive natural resource information system for Africa.

Investigating farmers’ decision-making in adoption of conservation agriculture in the Northwestern uplands of Cambodia

In the Northwestern uplands of Cambodia, the commodification of agriculture in the 2000 s substituted the traditional rotational and diversified cropping systems with monocropping of commercial crops such as maize and cassava. Driven by high market demand, this transition was associated with deforestation, erosion of soils and biodiversity as well as pollution from increased use of chemical inputs. Land degradation observed after a few years of intensive monocropping undermined the sustainability of the overall agricultural system. However, lessons learned from previous failures of crop boom-bust cycles did not materialize as an incentive to adopt alternative sustainable practices.Along with local villagers we developed a role-play game to investigate farmers’ decision-making in relation to land-use transitions and their participation in a Conservation Agriculture (CA) initiative aimed at mitigating land degradation. The game revealed that farmers were still trapped in the boom-bust cycle with commercial crops. Market opportunities and high, short-term economic returns are key parameters in the decision-making process, which mostly overrides environmental aspects. This study shows the importance of opportunity windows for development interventions, the crucial role of farming communities in co-designing alternative cropping systems and the potential of social learning devices to bring CA to scale.

High-quality carnivoran genomes from roadkill samples enable comparative species delineation in aardwolf and bat-eared fox.

In a context of ongoing biodiversity erosion, obtaining genomic resources from wildlife is essential for conservation. The thousands of yearly mammalian roadkill provide a useful source material for genomic surveys. To illustrate the potential of this underexploited resource, we used roadkill samples to study the genomic diversity of the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus), both having subspecies with similar disjunct distributions in Eastern and Southern Africa. First, we obtained reference genomes with high contiguity and gene completeness by combining Nanopore long reads and Illumina short reads. Then, we showed that the two subspecies of aardwolf might warrant species status (P. cristatus and P. septentrionalis) by comparing their genome-wide genetic differentiation to pairs of well-defined species across Carnivora with a new Genetic Differentiation index (GDI) based on only a few resequenced individuals. Finally, we obtained a genome-scale Carnivora phylogeny including the new aardwolf species.

Survey on the Industrial Logging Activities in the Businga Territory (Nord-Ubangi Province) in Democratic Republic of the Congo)

The aim of this study was to investigate industrial logging in Businga Territory. The survey was carried out by means of a questionnaire addressed to 235 people including 150 men (64%) and 85 women (36%) between 31 and 100 years of age, on the basis of free and informed consent. It emerged from this study that 110 subjects out of the 235 (46.8%) were from SICOTRA company and its surroundings and 125 respondents (53.2%) belonged to from KKF company and its surroundings. Of the 235 people surveyed, only 104 (or 44.3%) were workers from two companies, the rest were heads of groups, capitas, local notables and those who had not worked in either company. 44.6% of the respondents had a primary level followed by 31.9% (or 75 people) with a secondary level. There are 55 illiterate people (23.4%). No university executives were met in the area during the survey. The logging by these two companies (KKF: from 1949 to 1998 (49 years of exploitation) and SICOTRA: from 1980 to 1998 (18 years)) has caused enormous destruction of the ecosystem and the population is today confronted with multiple difficulties and problems of supply of Non Timber Forest Products (caterpillars, snails, mushrooms, Cola acuminata, etc.) and the erosion of biodiversity. Of the 17 forest species exploited in this Sector, 03 have totally disappeared: Diospyros crassiflora Hiern, Nauclea diderrichii (De Wild.) Merr. and Prioria balsaminfera (Vermoesen) Breteler. The majority contacted had no notion of protecting the forest (67.2% vs. 32.8%); the population had no notion of drawing up specifications (95 vs. 5%). The results revealed that the indigenous population did not benefit from their forest, nor did they benefit from basic social infrastructures of community interest. In order to remedy this situation, a good regulation of the forestry exploitation code, the popularization of the new forestry code and the elaboration of specifications in collaboration with local communities are necessary to correct this situation in the future.

Effects of Vegetation Destruction on the Socio-Economic Well-being of Households within the Soapstone Quarrying Areas of Gucha South Sub-County, Kenya

Soapstone quarrying and carving has taken place at the Tabaka region of Gucha South Sub-County for many decades. The activities associated with soapstone quarrying include clearing of vegetation, removal of top soil, earth moving, excavation of the stones and chopping off the unwanted parts of the soapstone. These activities have caused serious environmental impacts in the quarrying areas. This study focused on the effects of vegetation destruction as a result of soapstone quarrying on the socio-economic well-being of households within the quarrying areas of Gucha South Sub-County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of vegetation destruction (loss of cover and biodiversity erosion) by quarrying on the socio-economic well-being of households within the quarry areas. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. Purposive sampling procedure was utilized where 102 households were purposively selected based on their nearness to the soapstone quarries. Data collection was done using a questionnaire, recording observations and taking photographs. Descriptive (Frequency distribution, percentages, means, median and mode) and Inferential (Regression, Chi-square and ANOVA) statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings of this study indicate that vegetation destruction as a result of soapstone quarrying activities has negative effects on the socio-economic wellbeing of the households found within the soapstone quarrying areas. Thus, there is need to regulate the soapstone quarrying activities. There is also an urgent need for an Environmental Impact Assessment and audit to be carried out to determine the state of the environment in the soapstone quarrying areas.

Vineyards, but not cities, are associated with lower presence of a generalist bird, the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula), in Western France

BackgroundLand-use change is one of the main drivers of the global erosion of biodiversity. In that context, it is crucial to understand how landscape characteristics drive the presence of rare endangered species. Nevertheless, it is also important to study common species in multiple habitats, because they represent a large proportion of biodiversity and are essential to maintain ecological functions. Interestingly, some habitats, as farmlands with permanent crops (e.g. vineyards), have been overlooked in the literature.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the distribution of a widespread and common bird species, the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula), within and between the three main habitats of our study area (rural Western France). We specifically focused on (1) woodlands, (2) farmlands with a high vineyard coverage, and (3) moderately urbanized areas. Specifically, we aimed to assess the beneficial and detrimental effects of these habitats and their fine-scale composition on the presence of a common bird species, relying on a survey by point counts (nearly 100 locations). We studied the effects of habitats and gradients of fine-scale habitat composition on blackbird presence using logistic regression analyses.ResultsBlackbirds were present in all studied habitats. However, their presence varied between habitats, being lower in vineyards than in woodlands and cities. In woodlands and cities, fine-scale analyses did not reveal any component driving the species’ presence. However, we found that shrub and tree vegetation cover had a significant positive effect on blackbird presence in vineyards.ConclusionsOur results are in agreement with the definition of a generalist species. Interestingly, species distribution varied between habitats. The high presence of blackbirds in urban areas suggests that medium-sized cities, despite their artificialization, do not constrain the settlement of this former forest specialist and that green spaces may allow blackbirds to thrive in medium-sized cities. On the contrary, we found an impoverished presence of blackbirds in vineyards and a positive effect of vegetation on their presence in these landscapes. This suggests that permanent crops, and more generally farmlands, may impose important constraints to common species. Future studies should examine how to enhance biodiversity through agricultural management policies, especially in vineyards.

The Land Ethic and the Earth Ethic(s)

ABSTRACT The Anthropocene and the Holocene are coeval. Preserving the Holocene/Anthropocene climate is the overarching concern of twenty-first-century environmental philosophy and ethics. The second wave of the environmental crisis—ozone thinning, biodiversity erosion, and climate change—crested in the mid-1980s and is global in scale. The land ethic is local in scale. Therefore, an earth ethic is needed. Leopold sketched several in 1923: a three-pronged virtue ethic, a care ethic for posterity, an ethic of respect for the living planet. An individualistic ethic for distant future generations falls afoul of the non-identity paradox. Fiduciary care for global civilization can serve as a surrogate.

Comparison between WEAP and SWAT models in a basin at Oaxaca, Mexico

La cuenca del río Sordo, localizada al oeste de Oaxaca, México, presenta problemas de erosión hídrica y pérdida de biodiversidad. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo comparar los escurrimientos aforados en la estación Ixtayutla (20021) con valores simulados de los modelos WEAP (Water Evaluation And Planning System) y SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). Se procuró que WEAP, a través del método de la humedad del suelo, utilizara los mismos datos climáticos, de vegetación y suelos que SWAT; reportados para esta misma cuenca por Sánchez-Galindo et al. (2017). La comparación se basó en la eficiencia estadística de ambos modelos para simular los escurrimientos mensuales y anuales ocurridos durante el periodo 1975-1985. Se calcularon tres índices de eficiencia: el coeficiente de determinación (r2), Nash-Sutcliffe (NSE) y el sesgo porcentual (PBIAS). Con respecto a los escurrimientos mensuales aforados WEAP presentó un NSE = 0.73 (Bueno), un PBIAS = -16.05 (Satisfactorio) y una r2 = 0.84 mientras que SWAT, para ese mismo periodo, mostró un NSE = 0.82 (Muy bueno), un PBIAS = -15.92 (Satisfactorio) y una r2 = 0.85. Para los escurrimientos anuales SWAT y WEAP obtuvieron un NSE de 0.73 y 0.3, un r2 de 0.76 y 0.63 y un PBIAS de -4.65 y -16.23, respectivamente. Los dos modelos resultaron satisfactorios para simular escurrimientos mensuales por lo que la elección de uno u otro modelo dependerá de la problemática de la cuenca, los datos con que se cuente y los objetivos por cumplir.

The ValPar.CH project – Assessing the added value of ecological infrastructure in Swiss Parks

Ecological infrastructure (EI), which is a planned network of high-quality natural and semi-natural elements designed and managed to provide ecosystem services, has the potential to ensure rich and resilient biodiversity. Within the Action Plan for the Swiss Biodiversity Strategy of the Swiss Confederation, the pilot project known as “ValPar.CH – Values of the ecological infrastructure in Swiss parks” aims to analyse the values and benefits of EI at two levels: across Switzerland, and in four parks of national importance (Jurapark Aargau, and Gruyère Pays-d’Enhaut, Pfyn-Finges and Beverin nature parks). The aim is to contribute to reducing biodiversity erosion as currently observed. This objective is met by developing outputs for different stakeholders (scientific papers, recommendations, data, policy tools).

The ValPar.CH project – Assessing the added value of ecological infrastructure in Swiss Parks

Ecological infrastructure (EI), which is a planned network of high-quality natural and semi-natural elements designed and managed to provide ecosystem services, has the potential to ensure rich and resilient biodiversity. Within the Action Plan for the Swiss Biodiversity Strategy of the Swiss Confederation, the pilot project known as “ValPar.CH – Values of the ecological infrastructure in Swiss parks” aims to analyse the values and benefits of EI at two levels: across Switzerland, and in four parks of national importance (Jurapark Aargau, and Gruyère Pays-d’Enhaut, Pfyn-Finges and Beverin nature parks). The aim is to contribute to reducing biodiversity erosion as currently observed. This objective is met by developing outputs for different stakeholders (scientific papers, recommendations, data, policy tools).

Optimization of restoration techniques: In-situ transplantation experiment of an endangered clonal plant species (Typha minima Hoppe)

In the current context of biodiversity erosion, ecological restoration is sometimes the only way to reinforce plant population and preserve them from the deterioration of their natural habitat. Dwarf bulrush (Typha minima Hoppe) is an endangered pioneer clonal plant, which grows in frequently disturbed habitats along Eurasian temperate piedmont rivers. In the Alps, its population has decreased by 85% over the last century and numerous pressures (e.g. river works) continue to threaten its remnants. The main objective of this study is to identify an adapted ecological engineering protocol for field transplantation of T. minima in order to maximize restoration success. Several transplantation experiments were implemented between 2013 and 2016 along a French alpine river, the Isère. Five distinct transplantation protocols were tested by individually varying the following parameters: bank type (redesigned bank and embankment protection), transplantation height above water level (5 levels between +0.45 m and + 1.55 m above the average water level), initial biomass transplanted (high, medium and low), initial plot shape (linear strip or square plots) and species association (without or with Salicaceae or Poaceae). During the first two or three years, several clonal traits relative to the spatial monopolization and colonization abilities of T. minima were monitored and analyzed. Our analysis showed that T. minima's ability to colonize was optimal on natural banks, at medium transplantation heights and in linear strip plots. In addition, spatial monopolization and colonization speed, through both sexual and vegetative reproduction, were maximized with a higher initial biomass. Lastly, species association did not affect the colonization ability of T. minima. Our study provides valuable information for future conservation plans and restoration projects for T. minima.

A policy framework to accommodate both the analytical and normative aspects of biodiversity in ecological compensation

Ecological compensation is a principle according to which negative impacts on biodiversity should be compensated for. Biodiversity offsetting (BO) is the requirement to compensate quantified losses by quantified biodiversity gains considered to be equivalent. Compensation policies reducing ecological compensation to BO overlook the fact that the notion of biodiversity has both analytical and normative aspects. To substantiate this idea, we analyze the French case, which is one of the most developed ecological compensation policies in the world. We show that this policy is torn between two antagonistic trends. The first trend leads decision-makers and practitioners to embark on a numerical quest for “no net loss” of biodiversity. The second trend explores new organizational strategies consisting of a change in spatiotemporal scale and scope. This second trend challenges the precepts of BO and the associated objective of no net loss. We argue that the first trend reflects the analytical aspect of biodiversity but ignores the normative one, while the second trend does the exact opposite. A serious ecological compensation policy should reconcile both aspects to do justice to the complexity of biodiversity. We elaborate the organizational building blocks of such a two-tier ecological compensation policy, which is key to participate in stopping the erosion of biodiversity.

Modelling seasonal pasture growth and botanical composition at the paddock scale with satellite imagery

Abstract Seasonal pasture monitoring can increase the efficiency of pasture utilization in livestock grazing enterprises. However, manual monitoring of pasture over large areas is often infeasible due to time and financial constraints. Here, we monitor changes in botanical composition in Tasmania, Australia, through application of supervised learning using satellite imagery (Sentinel-2). In the field, we measured ground cover and botanical composition over a 12-month period to develop a supervised classification approach used to identify pasture classes. Across seasons and paddocks, the approach predicted pasture classes with 75–81 % accuracy. Botanical composition varied seasonally in response to biophysical factors (primarily climate) and grazing behaviour, with seasonal highs in spring and troughs in autumn. Overall, we demonstrated that 10-m multispectral imagery can be reliably used to distinguish between pasture species as well as seasonal changes in botanical composition. Our results suggest that farmers and land managers should aim to quantify within-paddock variability rather than paddock average cover, because the extent and duration of very low ground cover puts the paddock/field at risk of adverse grazing outcomes, such as soil erosion and loss of pasture biomass, soil carbon and biodiversity. Our results indicate that satellite imagery can be used to support grazing management decisions for the benefit of pasture production and the improvement of environmental sustainability.

The erosion of biodiversity and biomass in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot

Tropical forests are being deforested worldwide, and the remaining fragments are suffering from biomass and biodiversity erosion. Quantifying this erosion is challenging because ground data on tropical biodiversity and biomass are often sparse. Here, we use an unprecedented dataset of 1819 field surveys covering the entire Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. We show that 83−85% of the surveys presented losses in forest biomass and tree species richness, functional traits, and conservation value. On average, forest fragments have 25−32% less biomass, 23−31% fewer species, and 33, 36, and 42% fewer individuals of late-successional, large-seeded, and endemic species, respectively. Biodiversity and biomass erosion are lower inside strictly protected conservation units, particularly in large ones. We estimate that biomass erosion across the Atlantic Forest remnants is equivalent to the loss of 55−70 thousand km2 of forests or US$2.3−2.6 billion in carbon credits. These figures have direct implications on mechanisms of climate change mitigation.

Cascading extinctions as a hidden driver of insect decline

1. The decline in insect abundance and diversity observed in many ecosystems is of major concern because of the long‐term consequences for ecosystem function and stability.2. Species in ecological communities are connected through interactions forming complex networks. Therefore, initial extinctions can cause further species losses through co‐extinctions and extinction cascades, where single extinctions can lead to waves of secondary extinctions. Such knock‐on effects can multiply the initial impact of disturbances, thereby largely adding to the erosion of biodiversity. However, our knowledge of their importance for the current insect decline is hampered because secondary extinctions are challenging to both detect and predict.3. In this review, we bring together theory and knowledge about secondary extinctions in the light of the main drivers of insect decline. We evaluate potential and evidence for cascading extinction for the different drivers and identify major pathways. By providing selected examples we discuss how habitat loss, pollution, species invasions, climate change and overexploitation can cause cascading extinctions. We argue that habitat loss and pollution in particular have the largest potential for such extinctions by changing community structure, the physical environment, and community robustness.4. Overall, cascading extinction are part of an ecosystems' response to anthropogenic drivers but are so far not explicitly measured in their contribution when evaluating biodiversity loss. This knowledge is necessary to predict biodiversity loss and find strategies to buffer against the devastating long‐term impact of habitat loss, pollution, species invasions, and climate change.

Close-Up: UNESCO and biodiversity: creating harmony

Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human well-being in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike. According to the first intergovernmental global biodiversity report released in 2019 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the main global drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, invasive species, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution and urbanization. Both direct drivers and indirect ones such as social values and behaviours need to be addressed at the same time to halt biodiversity erosion.