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Wilderness areas halve the extinction risk of terrestrial biodiversity

Author

Listed:
  • Moreno Di Marco

    (Dutton Park EcoSciences Precinct
    Sapienza University of Rome)

  • Simon Ferrier

    (Black Mountain Laboratories)

  • Tom D. Harwood

    (Black Mountain Laboratories)

  • Andrew J. Hoskins

    (James Cook University)

  • James E. M. Watson

    (The University of Queensland
    Wildlife Conservation Society)

Abstract

Reducing the rate of global biodiversity loss is a major challenge facing humanity1, as the consequences of biological annihilation would be irreversible for humankind2–4. Although the ongoing degradation of ecosystems5,6 and the extinction of species that comprise them7,8 are now well-documented, little is known about the role that remaining wilderness areas have in mitigating the global biodiversity crisis. Here we model the persistence probability of biodiversity, combining habitat condition with spatial variation in species composition, to show that retaining these remaining wilderness areas is essential for the international conservation agenda. Wilderness areas act as a buffer against species loss, as the extinction risk for species within wilderness communities is—on average—less than half that of species in non-wilderness communities. Although all wilderness areas have an intrinsic conservation value9,10, we identify the areas on every continent that make the highest relative contribution to the persistence of biodiversity. Alarmingly, these areas—in which habitat loss would have a more-marked effect on biodiversity—are poorly protected. Given globally high rates of wilderness loss10, these areas urgently require targeted protection to ensure the long-term persistence of biodiversity, alongside efforts to protect and restore more-degraded environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Moreno Di Marco & Simon Ferrier & Tom D. Harwood & Andrew J. Hoskins & James E. M. Watson, 2019. "Wilderness areas halve the extinction risk of terrestrial biodiversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 573(7775), pages 582-585, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:573:y:2019:i:7775:d:10.1038_s41586-019-1567-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1567-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Qiang Xue & Lu Lu & Yang Zhang & Changbo Qin, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Evolution and Coupling Analysis of Human Footprints and Habitat Quality: Evidence of 21 Consecutive Years in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Law, Elizabeth A. & Macchi, Leandro & Baumann, Matthias & Decarre, Julieta & Gavier-Pizarro, Gregorio & Levers, Christian & Mastrangelo, Matías E. & Murray, Francisco & Müller, Daniel & Piquer-Rodrígu, 2021. "Fading opportunities for mitigating agriculture-environment trade-offs in a south American deforestation hotspot," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 262.
    3. Kristine Grimsrud & Cathrine Hagem & Kristina Haaskjold & Henrik Lindhjem & Megan Nowell, 2024. "Spatial Trade-Offs in National Land-Based Wind Power Production in Times of Biodiversity and Climate Crises," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(2), pages 401-436, February.
    4. Ralf C. Buckley & Sonya Underdahl, 2023. "Tourism and Environment: Ecology, Management, Economics, Climate, Health, and Politics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Liang, Yuanning & Rudik, Ivan & Zou, Eric Yongchen, 2021. "Economic Production and Biodiversity in the United States," SocArXiv qy76a, Center for Open Science.
    6. Ziqi Meng & Jinwei Dong & Erle C. Ellis & Graciela Metternicht & Yuanwei Qin & Xiao-Peng Song & Sara Löfqvist & Rachael D. Garrett & Xiaopeng Jia & Xiangming Xiao, 2023. "Post-2020 biodiversity framework challenged by cropland expansion in protected areas," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(7), pages 758-768, July.
    7. Carmen Galán-Acedo & Gabriela Pacheco Hass & Vinícius Klain & Pedro Bencke & Júlio César Bicca-Marques, 2024. "Urban Matrices Threaten Patch Occurrence of Howler Monkeys in Anthropogenic Landscapes," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, April.
    8. Eloise B. Skinner & Caroline K. Glidden & Andrew J. MacDonald & Erin A. Mordecai, 2023. "Human footprint is associated with shifts in the assemblages of major vector-borne diseases," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(6), pages 652-661, June.
    9. Guangdong Li & Chuanglin Fang & James E. M. Watson & Siao Sun & Wei Qi & Zhenbo Wang & Jianguo Liu, 2024. "Mixed effectiveness of global protected areas in resisting habitat loss," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    10. repec:caa:jnljfs:v:preprint:id:118-2023-jfs is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Jiří Lehejček & Matěj Roman & Martin Lexa & Paul Eric Aspholm & Jiří Mašek, 2024. "Old Juniper Troll stand - The oldest shrub population from Scandinavia," Journal of Forest Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 70(4), pages 176-184.

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