Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africa
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment identified habitat loss due to the extensive growth of agriculture as the primary driver of biodiversity loss. One implication of this is that agricultural intensification has the potential to reduce threats to wild species. In this paper we consider the evidence...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/095015 |
| _version_ | 1797748722784796672 |
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| author | Charles Perrings George Halkos |
| author_facet | Charles Perrings George Halkos |
| author_sort | Charles Perrings |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment identified habitat loss due to the extensive growth of agriculture as the primary driver of biodiversity loss. One implication of this is that agricultural intensification has the potential to reduce threats to wild species. In this paper we consider the evidence for differences in the threat to biodiversity posed by the intensive and extensive growth of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using data on numbers of endemic species weighted by overall threat status, we analyze the impact of agricultural productivity growth and agricultural land conversion in 27 countries on threats to mammal, bird and plant species over two time scales: one covering the period since agricultural and environmental records began, the other covering the last decade. We find that the extensive growth of agriculture is associated with increasing threats to biodiversity at all time scales. While intensification is associated with a significant reduction in the threat to all species on long time scales, however, we find that it has no significant effect on shorter time scales. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:08:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce4182b31f094b259cc2ca74849017e4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:08:55Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce4182b31f094b259cc2ca74849017e42023-08-09T14:14:10ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262015-01-0110909501510.1088/1748-9326/10/9/095015Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africaCharles Perrings0George Halkos1School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University , PO Box 874501, Tempe, AZ 85287, USADepartment of Economics, University of Thessaly , Korai 43, Volos 38333, GreeceThe Millennium Ecosystem Assessment identified habitat loss due to the extensive growth of agriculture as the primary driver of biodiversity loss. One implication of this is that agricultural intensification has the potential to reduce threats to wild species. In this paper we consider the evidence for differences in the threat to biodiversity posed by the intensive and extensive growth of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using data on numbers of endemic species weighted by overall threat status, we analyze the impact of agricultural productivity growth and agricultural land conversion in 27 countries on threats to mammal, bird and plant species over two time scales: one covering the period since agricultural and environmental records began, the other covering the last decade. We find that the extensive growth of agriculture is associated with increasing threats to biodiversity at all time scales. While intensification is associated with a significant reduction in the threat to all species on long time scales, however, we find that it has no significant effect on shorter time scales.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/095015biodiversityagricultureconservationintensive growthextensive growthland sharing |
| spellingShingle | Charles Perrings George Halkos Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africa Environmental Research Letters biodiversity agriculture conservation intensive growth extensive growth land sharing |
| title | Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africa |
| title_full | Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africa |
| title_fullStr | Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africa |
| title_short | Agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub-saharan africa |
| title_sort | agriculture and the threat to biodiversity in sub saharan africa |
| topic | biodiversity agriculture conservation intensive growth extensive growth land sharing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/095015 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT charlesperrings agricultureandthethreattobiodiversityinsubsaharanafrica AT georgehalkos agricultureandthethreattobiodiversityinsubsaharanafrica |