Global Human Consumption Threatens Key Biodiversity Areas

Key biodiversity
areas (KBAs) are critical regions for preserving
global biodiversity. KBAs are identified by their importance to biodiversity
rather than their legal status. As such, KBAs are often under pressure
from human activities. KBAs can encompass many different land-use
types (e.g., cropland, pastures) and land-use intensities. Here, we
combine a global economic model with spatial mapping to estimate the
biodiversity impacts of human land use in KBAs. We find that global
human land use within KBAs causes disproportionate biodiversity losses.
While land use within KBAs accounts for only 7% of total land use,
it causes 16% of the potential global plant loss and 12% of the potential
global vertebrate loss. The consumption of animal products accounts
for more than half of biodiversity loss within KBAs, with housing
the second largest at around 10%. Bovine meat is the largest single
contributor to this loss, at around 31% of total biodiversity loss.
In terms of land use, lightly grazed pasture contributes the most,
accounting for around half of all potential species loss. This loss
is concentrated mainly in middle- and low-income regions with rich
biodiversity. International trade is an important driver of loss,
accounting for 22–29% of total potential plant and vertebrate
loss. Our comprehensive global, trade-linked analysis provides insights
into maintaining the integrity of KBAs and global biodiversity.