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Review article2017Peer reviewedOpen access

Linking the influence and dependence of people on biodiversity across scales

Isbell, Forest; Gonzalez, Andrew; Loreau, Michel; Cowles, Jane; Diaz, Sandra; Hector, Andy; Mace, Georgina M.; Wardle, DavidA.; O'Connor, Mary I.; Duffy, J. Emmett; Turnbull, Lindsay A.; Thompson, Patrick L.; Larigauderie, Anne

Abstract

Biodiversity enhances many of nature's benefits to people, including the regulation of climate and the production of wood in forests, livestock forage in grasslands and fish in aquatic ecosystems. Yet people are now driving the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history. Human dependence and influence on biodiversity have mainly been studied separately and at contrasting scales of space and time, but new multiscale knowledge is beginning to link these relationships. Biodiversity loss substantially diminishes several ecosystem services by altering ecosystem functioning and stability, especially at the large temporal and spatial scales that are most relevant for policy and conservation.

Published in

Nature
2017, Volume: 546, number: 7656, pages: 65-72
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

    Sustainable Development Goals

    Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Ecology

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22899

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/89282