Open AccessConsumption‐Based Conservation Targeting: Linking Biodiversity Loss to Upstream Demand through a Global Wildlife Footprint
Author(s) -
Kitzes Justin,
Berlow Eric,
Conlisk Erin,
Erb Karlheinz,
Iha Katsunori,
Martinez Neo,
Newman Erica A.,
Plutzar Christoph,
Smith Adam B.,
Harte John
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
conservation letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.153
H-Index - 79
ISSN - 1755-263X
DOI - 10.1111/con4.12321
Subject(s) - wildlife , upstream (networking) , ecological footprint , biodiversity , wildlife trade , geography , wildlife conservation , footprint , downstream (manufacturing) , consumption (sociology) , natural resource economics , environmental protection , china , environmental resource management , business , sustainability , environmental science , ecology , economics , biology , engineering , telecommunications , social science , archaeology , marketing , sociology
Although most conservation efforts address the direct, local causes of biodiversity loss, effective long‐term conservation will require complementary efforts to reduce the upstream economic pressures, such as demands for food and forest products, which ultimately drive these downstream losses. Here, we present a wildlife footprint analysis that links global losses of wild birds to consumer purchases across 57 economic sectors in 129 regions. The United States, India, China, and Brazil have the largest regional wildlife footprints, while per‐person footprints are highest in Mongolia, Australia, Botswana, and the United Arab Emirates. A US$100 purchase of bovine meat or rice products occupies approximately 0.1 km 2 of wild bird ranges, displacing 1–2 individual birds, for 1 year. Globally significant importer regions, including Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France, have large footprints that drive wildlife losses elsewhere in the world and represent important targets for consumption‐focused conservation attention.