Habitat Destruction: Death by a Thousand Cuts. Laurance, W. F. In Sodhi, N. S. & Ehrlich, P. R., editors, Conservation Biology for All, pages 73–87. Oxford University Press.
Habitat Destruction: Death by a Thousand Cuts [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
[Excerpt] Humankind has dramatically transformed much of the Earth's surface and its natural ecosystems. This process is not new – it has been ongoing for millennia – but it has accelerated sharply over the last two centuries, and especially in the last several decades. [\n] Today, the loss and degradation of natural habitats can be likened to a war of attrition. Many natural ecosystems are being progressively razed, bulldozed, and felled by axes or chainsaws, until only small scraps of their original extent survive. Forests have been hit especially hard: the global area of forests has been reduced by roughly half over the past three centuries. Twenty-five nations have lost virtually all of their forest cover, and another 29 more than nine-tenths of their forest (MEA 2005). Tropical forests are disappearing at up to 130 000 km2 a year (Figure 4.1) – roughly 50 football fields a minute. Other ecosystems are less imperiled, and a few are even recovering somewhat following past centuries of overexploitation. [\n] Here I provide an overview of contemporary habitat loss. Other chapters in this book describe the many additional ways that ecosystems are being threatened – by overhunting (Chapter 6), habitat fragmentation (Chapter 5), and climate change (Chapter 8), among other causes – but my emphasis here is on habitat destruction per se. I evaluate patterns of habitat destruction geographically and draw comparisons among different biomes and ecosystems. I then consider some of the ultimate and proximate factors that drive habitat loss, and how they are changing today. [\n] [...] [Summary] [::] Vast amounts of habitat destruction have already occurred. For instance, about half of all global forest cover has been lost, and forests have virtually vanished in over 50 nations worldwide. [::] Habitat destruction has been highly uneven among different ecosystems. From a geographic perspective, islands, coastal areas, wetlands, regions with large or growing human populations, and emerging agricultural frontiers are all sustaining rapid habitat loss. [::] From a biome perspective, habitat loss has been very high in Mediterranean forests, temperate forest- steppe and woodland, temperate broadleaf forests, and tropical coniferous forests. Other ecosystems, particularly tropical rainforests, are now disappearing rapidly. [::] Habitat destruction in the temperate zone peaked in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although considerable habitat loss is occurring in some temperate ecosystems, overall forest cover is now increasing from forest regeneration and plantation establishment in some temperate regions. [::] Primary (old-growth) habitats are rapidly diminishing across much of the earth. In their place, a variety of semi-natural or intensively managed ecosystems are being established. For example, although just two-tenths of the temperate coniferous forests have disappeared, vast areas are being converted from old-growth to timber-production forests, with a greatly simplified stand structure and species composition. [::] Boreal ecosystems have suffered relatively limited reductions to date but are especially vulnerable to global warming. Boreal forests could become increasingly vulnerable to destructive fires if future conditions become warmer or drier.
@incollection{lauranceHabitatDestructionDeath2010,
  title = {Habitat Destruction: Death by a Thousand Cuts},
  booktitle = {Conservation {{Biology}} for {{All}}},
  author = {Laurance, William F.},
  editor = {Sodhi, Navjot S. and Ehrlich, Paul R.},
  date = {2010-01},
  pages = {73--87},
  publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
  doi = {10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199554232.003.0005},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199554232.003.0005},
  abstract = {[Excerpt]

Humankind has dramatically transformed much of the Earth's surface and its natural ecosystems. This process is not new -- it has been ongoing for millennia -- but it has accelerated sharply over the last two centuries, and especially in the last several decades.

[\textbackslash n] Today, the loss and degradation of natural habitats can be likened to a war of attrition. Many natural ecosystems are being progressively razed, bulldozed, and felled by axes or chainsaws, until only small scraps of their original extent survive. Forests have been hit especially hard: the global area of forests has been reduced by roughly half over the past three centuries. Twenty-five nations have lost virtually all of their forest cover, and another 29 more than nine-tenths of their forest (MEA 2005). Tropical forests are disappearing at up to 130 000 km2 a year (Figure 4.1) -- roughly 50 football fields a minute. Other ecosystems are less imperiled, and a few are even recovering somewhat following past centuries of overexploitation.

[\textbackslash n] Here I provide an overview of contemporary habitat loss. Other chapters in this book describe the many additional ways that ecosystems are being threatened -- by overhunting (Chapter 6), habitat fragmentation (Chapter 5), and climate change (Chapter 8), among other causes -- but my emphasis here is on habitat destruction per se. I evaluate patterns of habitat destruction geographically and draw comparisons among different biomes and ecosystems. I then consider some of the ultimate and proximate factors that drive habitat loss, and how they are changing today.

[\textbackslash n] [...]

[Summary]

[::] Vast amounts of habitat destruction have already occurred. For instance, about half of all global forest cover has been lost, and forests have virtually vanished in over 50 nations worldwide.

[::] Habitat destruction has been highly uneven among different ecosystems. From a geographic perspective, islands, coastal areas, wetlands, regions with large or growing human populations, and emerging agricultural frontiers are all sustaining rapid habitat loss.

[::] From a biome perspective, habitat loss has been very high in Mediterranean forests, temperate forest- steppe and woodland, temperate broadleaf forests, and tropical coniferous forests. Other ecosystems, particularly tropical rainforests, are now disappearing rapidly.

[::] Habitat destruction in the temperate zone peaked in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although considerable habitat loss is occurring in some temperate ecosystems, overall forest cover is now increasing from forest regeneration and plantation establishment in some temperate regions.

[::] Primary (old-growth) habitats are rapidly diminishing across much of the earth. In their place, a variety of semi-natural or intensively managed ecosystems are being established. For example, although just two-tenths of the temperate coniferous forests have disappeared, vast areas are being converted from old-growth to timber-production forests, with a greatly simplified stand structure and species composition.

[::] Boreal ecosystems have suffered relatively limited reductions to date but are especially vulnerable to global warming. Boreal forests could become increasingly vulnerable to destructive fires if future conditions become warmer or drier.},
  isbn = {978-0-19-955423-2},
  keywords = {*imported-from-citeulike-INRMM,~INRMM-MiD:c-14029152,~to-add-doi-URL,agricultural-abandonment,agricultural-resources,alpine-region,anthropogenic-changes,anthropogenic-impacts,boreal-forests,climate-change,conservation,deforestation,deserts,disturbances,ecosystem-change,ecosystem-conservation,forest-resources,fragmentation,global-scale,grasslands,habitat-conservation,land-use,land-use-dynamics,marine-ecosystems,oceans,temperate-forests,tropical-forests,water-resources,wetlands}
}

Downloads: 0