Mining and biodiversity: key issues and research needs in conservation science

Area of Science:

• Conservation Science
• Environmental Management
• Mining Impacts

Background:

• Mining presents significant, specific threats to biodiversity.
• It can also finance long-term alternative livelihoods that may prevent biodiversity loss.
• Current conservation approaches often oversimplify mining's complex relationship with biodiversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize core issues for coexistence between mining and conservation.
• To illustrate diverse pathways and spatial scales of mining's impact on biodiversity.
• To argue for improved conservation strategies beyond traditional site-based methods.

Main Methods:

• Literature synthesis of mining impacts and conservation strategies.
• Analysis of spatial scales and pathways of biodiversity loss.
• Review of future mineral demand and mining operation trends.

Main Results:

• Site-based conservation is insufficient against an expanding mining footprint.
• Long-term strategic assessment and planning offer opportunities to improve conservation outcomes.
• Mining operations are projected to shift towards more dispersed and biodiverse areas.

Conclusions:

• Urgent dialogue is needed between mining companies, policymakers, and conservation organizations.
• Integrating conservation into mining agendas requires a broader understanding of impacts.
• Balancing increasing mineral demand with biodiversity preservation is a critical global challenge.