The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Terrestrial ecosystems face unprecedented biodiversity loss due to human land-use change.
• Understanding the relationship between land use and biodiversity is crucial for effective conservation strategies.
• Existing biodiversity databases often lack the scale and representativeness needed for global modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop global and regional statistical models of local biodiversity responses to human land-use impacts.
• To create and release a comprehensive, publicly available database of biodiversity and land-use data.
• To provide a resource for researchers and international bodies to assess global biodiversity status.

Main Methods:

• Collating biodiversity samples from published studies worldwide.
• Developing statistical models linking biodiversity metrics to land-use intensity and type.
• Compiling a database of over 3.2 million records from 26,000+ locations, representing 47,000+ species.

Main Results:

• The PREDICTS database (2016 release) offers a large, representative sample of terrestrial biodiversity.
• Statistical models demonstrate clear relationships between land use and local biodiversity.
• The database facilitates analysis of biodiversity patterns across diverse land-use gradients.

Conclusions:

• The PREDICTS database is the largest and most representative spatial biodiversity comparison dataset to date.
• This resource is invaluable for ecological research, conservation planning, and global biodiversity assessments.
• The project's findings support evidence-based approaches to mitigate biodiversity loss from land-use change.