Open AccessBiodiversity impacts and conservation implications of urban land expansion projected to 2050
Author(s) -
Rohan Simkin,
Karen C. Seto,
Robert I. McDonald,
Walter Jetz
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2117297119
Subject(s) - urbanization , threatened species , biodiversity , geography , urban planning , land use , environmental planning , land use planning , habitat conservation , habitat , urban climate , environmental resource management , agroforestry , environmental protection , ecology , biology , environmental science
Significance Understanding the impacts of urbanization and the associated urban land expansion on species is vital for informed urban planning that minimizes biodiversity loss. Predicting habitat that will be lost to urban land expansion for over 30,000 species under three different future scenarios, we find that up to 855 species are directly threatened due to unmitigated urbanization. Our projections pinpoint rapidly urbanizing regions of sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Mesoamerica, and Southeast Asia where, without careful planning, urbanization is expected to cause particularly large biodiversity loss. Our findings highlight the urgent need for an increased focus on urban land in global conservation strategies and identify high-priority areas for this engagement.