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Managing the middle: A shift in conservation priorities based on the global human modification gradient.

Christina M Kennedy¹, James R Oakleaf¹, David M Theobald²

¹Global Lands Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Global Change Biology

|January 11, 2019

Summary

Global terrestrial lands show significant human modification, with fewer unmodified areas remaining than previously thought. Most ecoregions are moderately modified, requiring urgent spatial planning for biodiversity conservation.

Keywords:

Bonn challenge Half-Earth Sustainable Development Goals connectivity conservation planning cumulative impact assessment ecological integrity habitat restoration human footprint intermediate disturbance land use policy landscape fragmentation threshold landscape gradient protected areas wilderness

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Area of Science:

Environmental science
Conservation biology
Geospatial analysis

Background:

International initiatives increasingly seek to balance development and conservation goals.
Understanding the ecological status of landscapes is vital for effective conservation strategies.
Existing data may underestimate the extent of human impact on terrestrial ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify the cumulative human modification of terrestrial lands globally.
To assess the remaining extent and spatial configuration of unmodified natural areas.
To identify ecoregions requiring immediate conservation attention.

Main Methods:

Modeled the physical extent of 13 anthropogenic stressors.
Used spatially explicit global datasets (median year 2016) to estimate impacts.
Quantified land modification and low-modification areas across ecoregions and biomes.

Main Results:

Fewer unmodified lands exist globally than previously reported.
52% of ecoregions are classified as moderately modified.
Most of the world's terrestrial lands are in a state of intermediate human alteration.

Conclusions:

Moderately modified ecoregions are at critical land-use thresholds.
Proactive spatial planning is essential in these areas to prevent biodiversity loss.
Elevated attention is needed to maintain ecosystem function and environmental values.