Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale

Michael B. J. Harfoot; Alison Johnston; Andrew Balmford; Neil D. Burgess; Stuart H. M. Butchart; Maria P. Dias; Carolina Hazin; Craig Hilton-Taylor; Michael Hoffmann; Nick J. B. Isaac; Lars L. Iversen; Charlotte L. Outhwaite; Piero Visconti; Jonas Geldmann

doi:10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9

Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale

Michael B. J. Harfoot, Alison Johnston, Andrew Balmford, Neil D. Burgess, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Maria P. Dias, Carolina Hazin, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Michael Hoffmann, Nick J. B. Isaac, Lars L. Iversen, Charlotte L. Outhwaite, Piero Visconti, Jonas Geldmann

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The Anthropocene is characterized by unparalleled human impact on other species, potentially ushering in the sixth mass extinction. Yet mitigation efforts remain hampered by limited information on the spatial patterns and intensity of the threats driving global biodiversity loss. Here we use expert-derived information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List on threats to 23,271 species, representing all terrestrial amphibians, birds and mammals, to generate global maps of the six major threats to these groups: agriculture, hunting and trapping, logging, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Our results show that agriculture and logging are pervasive in the tropics and that hunting and trapping is the most geographically widespread threat to mammals and birds. Additionally, current representations of human pressure underestimate the overall pressure on biodiversity, due to the exclusion of threats such as hunting and climate change. Alarmingly, this is particularly the case in areas of the highest biodiversity importance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1510-1519
Number of pages	23
Journal	Nature Ecology and Evolution
Volume	5
Issue number	11
Early online date	30 Aug 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021

Keywords

Biodiversity
Conservation
Invasion
Worlds
Land
Diversity
Progress
Impact
Last

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9Licence: CC BY

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Final published version, 5.8 MBLicence: CC BY

Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale (code)
Johnston, A. (Creator), GitHub, 2021
https://github.com/mikeharfoot/ThreatMapping
Dataset: Software

Cite this

Harfoot, M. B. J., Johnston, A., Balmford, A., Burgess, N. D., Butchart, S. H. M., Dias, M. P., Hazin, C., Hilton-Taylor, C., Hoffmann, M., Isaac, N. J. B., Iversen, L. L., Outhwaite, C. L., Visconti, P., & Geldmann, J. (2021). Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 5(11), 1510-1519. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9

@article{9e1994eff9804c7194050018289f4706,

title = "Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale",

abstract = "The Anthropocene is characterized by unparalleled human impact on other species, potentially ushering in the sixth mass extinction. Yet mitigation efforts remain hampered by limited information on the spatial patterns and intensity of the threats driving global biodiversity loss. Here we use expert-derived information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List on threats to 23,271 species, representing all terrestrial amphibians, birds and mammals, to generate global maps of the six major threats to these groups: agriculture, hunting and trapping, logging, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Our results show that agriculture and logging are pervasive in the tropics and that hunting and trapping is the most geographically widespread threat to mammals and birds. Additionally, current representations of human pressure underestimate the overall pressure on biodiversity, due to the exclusion of threats such as hunting and climate change. Alarmingly, this is particularly the case in areas of the highest biodiversity importance.",

keywords = "Biodiversity, Conservation, Invasion, Worlds, Land, Diversity, Progress, Impact, Last",

author = "Harfoot, {Michael B. J.} and Alison Johnston and Andrew Balmford and Burgess, {Neil D.} and Butchart, {Stuart H. M.} and Dias, {Maria P.} and Carolina Hazin and Craig Hilton-Taylor and Michael Hoffmann and Isaac, {Nick J. B.} and Iversen, {Lars L.} and Outhwaite, {Charlotte L.} and Piero Visconti and Jonas Geldmann",

note = "Funding: This work is supported by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative collaborative grants programme (all), the EU{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 Marie Sk{\l}odowska-Curie action (grant no. 706784, J.G.), VILLUM FONDEN (grant no. VKR023371, J.G.), Independent Research Fund Denmark{\textquoteright}s Sapere Aude (grant no. 0165-00018B, J.G.), UK Research and Innovation{\textquoteright}s Global Challenges Research Fund: Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (grant no. ES/S008160/1, N.D.B and M.B.J.H) and the KR Foundation and Hempel Foundation ({\textquoteleft}Designing a brighter future for biodiversity{\textquoteright}, N.D.B. and M.B.J.H.)",

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month = nov,

doi = "10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9",

language = "English",

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journal = "Nature Ecology and Evolution",

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Harfoot, MBJ, Johnston, A, Balmford, A, Burgess, ND, Butchart, SHM, Dias, MP, Hazin, C, Hilton-Taylor, C, Hoffmann, M, Isaac, NJB, Iversen, LL, Outhwaite, CL, Visconti, P & Geldmann, J 2021, 'Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale', Nature Ecology and Evolution, vol. 5, no. 11, pp. 1510-1519. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9

TY - JOUR

T1 - Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale

AU - Harfoot, Michael B. J.

AU - Johnston, Alison

AU - Balmford, Andrew

AU - Burgess, Neil D.

AU - Butchart, Stuart H. M.

AU - Dias, Maria P.

AU - Hazin, Carolina

AU - Hilton-Taylor, Craig

AU - Hoffmann, Michael

AU - Isaac, Nick J. B.

AU - Iversen, Lars L.

AU - Outhwaite, Charlotte L.

AU - Visconti, Piero

AU - Geldmann, Jonas

N1 - Funding: This work is supported by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative collaborative grants programme (all), the EU’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie action (grant no. 706784, J.G.), VILLUM FONDEN (grant no. VKR023371, J.G.), Independent Research Fund Denmark’s Sapere Aude (grant no. 0165-00018B, J.G.), UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund: Trade, Development and the Environment Hub project (grant no. ES/S008160/1, N.D.B and M.B.J.H) and the KR Foundation and Hempel Foundation (‘Designing a brighter future for biodiversity’, N.D.B. and M.B.J.H.)

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - The Anthropocene is characterized by unparalleled human impact on other species, potentially ushering in the sixth mass extinction. Yet mitigation efforts remain hampered by limited information on the spatial patterns and intensity of the threats driving global biodiversity loss. Here we use expert-derived information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List on threats to 23,271 species, representing all terrestrial amphibians, birds and mammals, to generate global maps of the six major threats to these groups: agriculture, hunting and trapping, logging, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Our results show that agriculture and logging are pervasive in the tropics and that hunting and trapping is the most geographically widespread threat to mammals and birds. Additionally, current representations of human pressure underestimate the overall pressure on biodiversity, due to the exclusion of threats such as hunting and climate change. Alarmingly, this is particularly the case in areas of the highest biodiversity importance.

AB - The Anthropocene is characterized by unparalleled human impact on other species, potentially ushering in the sixth mass extinction. Yet mitigation efforts remain hampered by limited information on the spatial patterns and intensity of the threats driving global biodiversity loss. Here we use expert-derived information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List on threats to 23,271 species, representing all terrestrial amphibians, birds and mammals, to generate global maps of the six major threats to these groups: agriculture, hunting and trapping, logging, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Our results show that agriculture and logging are pervasive in the tropics and that hunting and trapping is the most geographically widespread threat to mammals and birds. Additionally, current representations of human pressure underestimate the overall pressure on biodiversity, due to the exclusion of threats such as hunting and climate change. Alarmingly, this is particularly the case in areas of the highest biodiversity importance.

KW - Biodiversity

KW - Conservation

KW - Invasion

KW - Worlds

KW - Land

KW - Diversity

KW - Progress

KW - Impact

KW - Last

U2 - 10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9

DO - 10.1038/s41559-021-01542-9

M3 - Article

SN - 2397-334X

VL - 5

SP - 1510

EP - 1519

JO - Nature Ecology and Evolution

JF - Nature Ecology and Evolution

IS - 11

ER -

Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Datasets

Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale (code)

Cite this