IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i8p3506-d1634403.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Do Bird Population Trends Relate to Human Pressures Compared to Economic Growth?

Author

Listed:
  • Leonor Baptista

    (MARETEC—Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS—Laboratory for Robotics and Engineering Systems, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Tiago Domingos

    (MARETEC—Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS—Laboratory for Robotics and Engineering Systems, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • João Santos

    (MARETEC—Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS—Laboratory for Robotics and Engineering Systems, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Vânia Proença

    (MARETEC—Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS—Laboratory for Robotics and Engineering Systems, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

Abstract

Biodiversity loss is a global environmental concern, mainly driven by human-induced factors, encompassing both direct and indirect drivers. This study investigates the long-term relationship between either the Human Footprint Index (HFI), which measures the extent of human pressures (i.e., direct drivers), or the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of economic growth (i.e., indirect driver) and biodiversity change, using bird population trends as indicators. The analysis was based on time-series data for Portugal (2004–2023) aggregated at national and sub-national scales, representative of different socio-economic contexts. Multi-species indices were regressed against either the HFI or GDP using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) to identify long-run relationships. Bird population trends varied by species group (common, agricultural, and forest birds) and socio-economic context underscoring the importance of sub-national assessments. The HFI and GDP had varying predictive value across species groups and socio-economic contexts, with the HFI showing greater consistency, particularly as a predictor for agricultural birds. While most models showed a negative association between species abundance and either the HFI or GDP, revealing a signal of socio-economic pressures on bird populations at sub-national scales, some models suggested mixed results, indicating that conservation policies must take local contexts into account.

Suggested Citation

  • Leonor Baptista & Tiago Domingos & João Santos & Vânia Proença, 2025. "How Do Bird Population Trends Relate to Human Pressures Compared to Economic Growth?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-22, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3506-:d:1634403
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3506/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3506/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pallab Majumder & Robert P. Berrens & Alok K. Bohara, 2006. "Is there an environmental kuznets curve for the risk of biodiversity loss?," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 39(2), pages 175-190, January-M.
    2. M. Hashem Pesaran & Yongcheol Shin & Richard J. Smith, 2001. "Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 289-326.
    3. John Asafu‐Adjaye, 2003. "Biodiversity Loss and Economic Growth: A Cross‐Country Analysis," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 21(2), pages 173-185, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ariane Amin & Johanna Choumert, 2015. "Development and biodiversity conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A spatial analysis," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 35(1), pages 729-744.
    2. Shokoohi, Zeinab & Dehbidi, Navid Kargar & Tarazkar, Mohammad Hassan, 2022. "Energy intensity, economic growth and environmental quality in populous Middle East countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    3. Ariane Manuela Amin, 2012. "What Drives Biodiversity Conservation Effort in the Developing World? An analysis for Sub-Saharan Africa," CERDI Working papers halshs-00722081, HAL.
    4. Ariane Manuela AMIN, 2012. "What Drives Biodiversity Conservation Effort in the Developing World? An analysis for Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 201230, CERDI.
    5. de santis, roberta, 2012. "Trade, FDI, growth and biodiversity: an empirical analysis for the main OECD countries," MPRA Paper 37730, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Roberta DE SANTIS, 2012. "The Impact Of Growth On Biodiversity: An Empirical Assessment," Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Financial Management and Accounting Craiova, vol. 7(3(21)/ Fa), pages 283-290.
    7. Begum, Rawshan Ara & Sohag, Kazi & Abdullah, Sharifah Mastura Syed & Jaafar, Mokhtar, 2015. "CO2 emissions, energy consumption, economic and population growth in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 594-601.
    8. Ariane Manuela Amin & Johanna Choumert, 2013. "Development and biodiversity conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A spatial analysis," CERDI Working papers halshs-00799175, HAL.
    9. Karasoy, Alper, 2022. "Is innovative technology a solution to Japan's long-run energy insecurity? Dynamic evidence from the linear and nonlinear methods," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    10. Bruce Morley, 2009. "A Comparison of Two Alternative Monetary Approaches to Exchange Rate Determination over the Long-Run," International Econometric Review (IER), Econometric Research Association, vol. 1(2), pages 63-76, April.
    11. Bloch, Harry & Rafiq, Shuddhasattwa & Salim, Ruhul, 2015. "Economic growth with coal, oil and renewable energy consumption in China: Prospects for fuel substitution," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 104-115.
    12. Villanthenkodath, Muhammed Ashiq & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar, 2021. "Does economic growth respond to electricity consumption asymmetrically in Bangladesh? The implication for environmental sustainability," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    13. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Hoang, Thi Hong Van & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar & Roubaud, David, 2017. "Energy consumption, financial development and economic growth in India: New evidence from a nonlinear and asymmetric analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 199-212.
    14. Noraida, A.W. & Abdul-Rahim, A.S. & Othman, Mohd, 2017. "The Impact of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Practices on Primary Timber-Based Production in Peninsular Malaysia," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 51(2), pages 143-154.
    15. Georgios Bertsatos & Plutarchos Sakellaris & Mike G. Tsionas, 2022. "Extensions of the Pesaran, Shin and Smith (2001) bounds testing procedure," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 605-634, February.
    16. Md.Yousuf & Raju Ahmed & Nasrin Akther Lubna & Shah Md. Sumon, 2019. "Estimating the Services Sector Impact on Economic Growth of Bangladesh: An Econometric Investigation," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 7(2), pages 62-72, June.
    17. Nasreen, Samia & Anwar, Sofia & Ozturk, Ilhan, 2017. "Financial stability, energy consumption and environmental quality: Evidence from South Asian economies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 1105-1122.
    18. Muhammad Shafiullah & Ravinthirakumaran Navaratnam, 2016. "Do Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Enjoy Export-Led Growth? A Comparison of Two Small South Asian Economies," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 17(1), pages 114-132, March.
    19. Shuyang Chen, 2021. "The Urbanisation Impacts on the Policy Effects of the Carbon Tax in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-11, June.
    20. Boukraine, Wissem, 2020. "The finance-inequality nexus in the BRICS countries: evidence from an ARDL bound testing approach," MPRA Paper 101976, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3506-:d:1634403. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.