Biodiversity trends in a historical perspective

Abstract

Biodiversity is important for human well-being, as it provided ecosystems services such as the pollination of crops, the prevention of disease, and recreation. This chapter presents historical trends in biodiversity based on multiple indicators. Globally, the average abundance of species population has declined by 44% since 1970. The decline varies greatly between world regions, with a 36% increase in Western Europe and an 81% decline in Latin America and the Caribbean. Multiple indicators that cover a longer timeframe show that biodiversity has declined for the better part of the Holocene. The decline seems to have accelerated since 1900. This chapter also puts forward a framework for analysing key drivers of changes in biodiversity. An application of this analytical framework to the case of the Netherlands identifies population growth, intensification of agriculture, expansion of infrastructure and pollution as the key human drivers of biodiversity loss in the country since 1900.