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Review article2009Peer reviewed

Extinction debt: a challenge for biodiversity conservation

Kuussaari, Mikko; Bommarco, Riccardo; Heikkinen, Risto K.; Helm, Aveliina; Krauss, Jochen; Lindborg, Regina; Ockinger, Erik; Partel, Meelis; Pino, Joan; Roda, Ferran; Stefanescu, Constanti; Teder, Tiit; Zobel, Martin; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf

Abstract

Local extinction of species can occur with a substantial delay following habitat loss or degradation. Accumulating evidence suggests that such extinction debts pose a significant but often unrecognized challenge for biodiversity conservation across a wide range of taxa and ecosystems. Species with long generation times and populations near their extinction threshold are most likely to have an extinction debt. However, as long as a species that is predicted to become extinct still persists, there is time for conservation measures such as habitat restoration and landscape management. Standardized long-term monitoring, more high-quality empirical studies on different taxa and ecosystems and further development of analytical methods will help to better quantify extinction debt and protect biodiversity.

Published in

Trends in ecology & evolution
2009, Volume: 24, number: 10, pages: 564-571

      SLU Authors

      • Sustainable Development Goals

      SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
      SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Ecology
      Genetics
      Environmental Sciences

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.04.011

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/26265