Global Biodiversity: Indicators of Recent Declines

Stuart H. M. Butchart(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Matt Walpole(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Ben Collen(Zoological Society of London), A. van Strien(Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek), Jörn P. W. Scharlemann(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Rosamunde E. A. Almond(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Jonathan Baillie(Zoological Society of London), Bastian Bomhard(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Claire Brown(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), John Bruno(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Kent E. Carpenter(Conservation International), Geneviève M. Carr(Environment and Climate Change Canada), Janice Chanson(Conservation International), Anna M. Chenery(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Jorge Csirke(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Nick C. Davidson(International Union for Conservation of Nature), Frank Dentener(European Commission), Matt Foster(Conservation International), Alessandro Galli(The Football Association), James N. Galloway(University of Virginia), Piero Genovesi(Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale), Richard D. Gregory(Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), Marc Hockings(The University of Queensland), Valerie Kapos(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Jean‐François Lamarque(NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research), Fiona Leverington(The University of Queensland), Jonathan Loh(World Wide Fund for Nature), Mélodie A. McGeoch(South African National Parks), Louise McRae(Zoological Society of London), Anahit Minasyan(UNESCO), Monica Hernández Morcillo(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Thomasina E. E. Oldfield(National Institute of Agricultural Botany), Daniel Pauly(University of British Columbia), Suhel Quader(Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), Carmen Revenga(The Nature Conservancy), John R. Sauer(United States Geological Survey), Benjamin Skolnik(Ocean Conservancy), Dian Spear(Stellenbosch University), Damon Stanwell‐Smith(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Simon N. Stuart(Conservation International), Andy Symes(BirdLife international), Megan Tierney(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Tristan D. Tyrrell(UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Jean-Christophe Vié(International Union for Conservation of Nature), Reg Watson(University of British Columbia)
Science
April 30, 2010
10.1126/science.1187512
Cited by 4,835Open Access
Full Text

Abstract

In 2002, world leaders committed, through the Convention on Biological Diversity, to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. We compiled 31 indicators to report on progress toward this target. Most indicators of the state of biodiversity (covering species' population trends, extinction risk, habitat extent and condition, and community composition) showed declines, with no significant recent reductions in rate, whereas indicators of pressures on biodiversity (including resource consumption, invasive alien species, nitrogen pollution, overexploitation, and climate change impacts) showed increases. Despite some local successes and increasing responses (including extent and biodiversity coverage of protected areas, sustainable forest management, policy responses to invasive alien species, and biodiversity-related aid), the rate of biodiversity loss does not appear to be slowing.

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