Status, trends and future dynamics of biodiversity and ecosystems underpinning nature’s contributions to people

Biodiversity is linked to ecosystem functions and is highly relevant to NCP across the ecologically diverse and species-rich Americas. All units of analysis of the Americas considered contribute to human well-being. However, Tropical and subtropical moist forests, Temperate and boreal forests and wo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cavender-Bares, Jeannine, Arroyo, Mary T.K., Abell, Robin, Ackerly, David, Ackerman, Daniel, Arim, Matias., Belnap, Jayne, Castañeda Moya, Francisco, Dee, Laura E., Estrada-Carmona, Natalia, Gobin, Judith, Isbell, Forest, Köhler, Gunther, Koops, Marten, Kraft, Nathan, Macfarlane, Nicholas, Martínez-Garza, Cristina, Metzger, Jean-Paul, Mora, Arturo, Oatham, Michael, Paglia, Adriano, Pedrana, Julieta, Peri, Pablo Luis, Piñeiro, Gervasio, Randall, Robert, Weis, Judith, Walker Robbins, Wren, Ziller, Silvia Renate
Other Authors: Balvanera, Patricia, Cerezo, Alexis
Format: Book Part
Language:English
Published: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) 2018
Subjects:
Dee
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/9486
https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2018_americas_full_report_book_v5_pages_0.pdf
Description
Summary:Biodiversity is linked to ecosystem functions and is highly relevant to NCP across the ecologically diverse and species-rich Americas. All units of analysis of the Americas considered contribute to human well-being. However, Tropical and subtropical moist forests, Temperate and boreal forests and woodlands, Tropical and subtropical dry forests, Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub, and Tundra and high elevation habitats stand out as particularly critical for NCP delivery. For quatic systems, freshwater is considered somewhat more important for NCP than marine. Except in a limited number of cases, this chapter shows that the biodiversity in the Americas´ terrestrial biomes and freshwater and marine habitats continues to undergo serious erosion. The introduction and spread of alien species can be expected to continue causing direct and indirect impacts on human well-being and biodiversity. The subregions currently undergoing most dramatic land use change, considering their spatial extent, are South America and Mesoamerica, where conversion of vegetation to support pastures, agriculture and exotic plantation forestry is widespread. These changes are leading to major losses of habitat with concomitant population and species declines. In the marine and freshwater realms, the number of threatened species is high, and many fish species are over-exploited. Climate change has begun to affect the distribution of biodiversity, but to a greater degree in North America than South America for the moment. Increased fire frequency in several biomes constitutes a growing threat. Despite significant progress in developing protective measures for the land and in the sea, they are often insufficient. The greatest challenges to policymakers and decision makers will be to: arrest or slow habitat loss; encourage more ecologically-friendly management practices to ensure long-term food- and water-security; and promote alternative biodiversity-based economic activities that are less destructive than current activities. These are not new challenges. Progress necessarily implies a conscious, collective societal effort. Many lessons can be learned from indigenous peoples who have succeeded in living in harmony on the land. EEA Santa Cruz Fil: Cavender-Bares, Jeannine. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Arroyo, Mary T. K. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Fil: Abell, Robin. Conservation International; Estados Unidos Fil: Ackerly, David. University of California. Berkeley; Estados Unidos Fil: Ackerman, Daniel. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Arim, Matias. Universidad de la República de Uruguay; Uruguay. Fil: Belnap, Jayne. U.S. Geological Survey; Estados Unidos Fil: Castañeda Moya, Francisco. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala; Guatemala. Fil: Dee, Laura. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Estrada-Carmona, Natalia. CGIAR; Francia Fil: Gobin, Judith. University of West Indies, Trinidad y Tobago. Fil: Isbell, Forest. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Köhler, Gunther. Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt; Alemania Fil: Koops, Marten. Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Canadá. Fil: Kraft, Nathan. University of California. Los Angeles; Estados Unidos Fil: Macfarlane, Nicholas. IUCN; Estados Unidos Fil: Martínez-Garza, Cristina. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos; México. Fil: Metzger, Jean-Paul. Universidade de São Paulo; Brasil. Fil: Mora, Arturo. IUCN-SUR; Ecuador. Fil: Oatham, Michael. University of West Indies; Trinidad y Tobago. Fil: Paglia, Adriano. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Brasil. Fil: Pedrana, Julieta. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Piñeiro, Gervasio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Randall, Robert. Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Canadá. Fil: Weis, Judith. Rutgers University; Estados Unidos Fil: Walker Robbins, Wren. North Star AISES Alliance; Estados Unidos Fil: Ziller, Silvia Renate. Horus Institute; Brasil.