Relative effects of land conversion and land-use intensity on terrestrial vertebrate diversity

Land-use has transformed ecosystems over three quarters of the terrestrial surface, with massive repercussions on biodiversity. Land-use intensity is known to contribute to the effects of land-use on biodiversity, but the magnitude of this contribution remains uncertain. Here, we use a modified countryside species-area model to compute a global account of the impending biodiversity loss caused by current land-use patterns, explicitly addressing the role of land-use intensity based on two sets of intensity indicators. We find that land-use entails the loss of similar to 15% of terrestrial vertebrate species from the average 5 x 5 arcmin-landscape outside remaining wilderness areas and similar to 14% of their average native area-of-habitat, with a risk of global extinction for 556 individual species. Given the large fraction of global land currently used under low land-use intensity, we find its contribution to biodiversity loss to be substantial (similar to 25%). While both sets of intensity indicators yield similar global average results, we find regional differences between them and discuss data gaps. Our results support calls for improved sustainable intensification strategies and demand-side actions to reduce trade-offs between food security and biodiversity conservation.

Automated summary

Land-use has significant impacts on biodiversity, with land-use intensity playing a major role. The study finds that current land-use patterns lead to an average loss of about 15% of terrestrial vertebrate species and about 14% of their average native habitat area, putting 556 species at risk of global extinction. The contribution of low land-use intensity to biodiversity loss is substantial, accounting for approximately 25%.