Biodiversity and ecosystem services on the African continent – What is changing, and what are our options?
Emma Archer
(1)
,
Luthando E. Dziba
(2, 3)
,
K. J. Mulongoy
(4)
,
M. A. Maoela
(5)
,
M. Walters
(5)
,
R. Biggs
(6, 7)
,
Marie-Christine Cormier-Salem
(8)
,
F. Declerck
(9)
,
M. C. Diaw
(10)
,
A. E. Dunham
(11)
,
P. Failler
(12)
,
C. Gordon
(13)
,
K. A. Harhash
(14)
,
R. Kasisi
(15)
,
F. Kizito
(16)
,
W. D. Nyingi
(17)
,
N. Oguge
(18)
,
B. Osman-Elasha
(19)
,
L. C. Stringer
(20)
,
Luis Tito de Morais
(21, 8)
,
A. Assogbadjo
(22)
,
B. N. Egoh
(23)
,
M. W. Halmy
(24)
,
K. Heubach
(25)
,
A. Mensah
(13)
,
L. Pereira
(26, 6, 7)
,
N. Sitas
(6)
1
Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology [Pretoria]
2 South African National Parks (SANParks)
3 Nelson Mandela University [Port Elizabeth]
4 IEL - Institute for Enhanced Livelihoods
5 CSIR - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research [Pretoria]
6 Stellenbosch University
7 Stockholm University
8 IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
9 Bioversity International [Montpellier]
10 AMFN - African Model Forests Network
11 Rice University [Houston]
12 University of Portsmouth
13 University of Ghana
14 Biodiversity Central Department, Ministry of Environment
15 UdeM - Université de Montréal
16 CIAT
17 NMK - National Museums of Kenya
18 UoN - University of Nairobi
19 BAD - Banque africaine de développement / African Development Bank
20 SEE - School of Earth and Environment [Leeds]
21 LEMAR - Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR)
22 UAC - Université d’Abomey-Calavi = University of Abomey Calavi
23 ESS - Department of Earth System Science [Irvine]
24 Alexandria University [Alexandrie]
25 PalmenGarten - Palmengarten der Stadt Frankfurt am Main
26 City University London
2 South African National Parks (SANParks)
3 Nelson Mandela University [Port Elizabeth]
4 IEL - Institute for Enhanced Livelihoods
5 CSIR - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research [Pretoria]
6 Stellenbosch University
7 Stockholm University
8 IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
9 Bioversity International [Montpellier]
10 AMFN - African Model Forests Network
11 Rice University [Houston]
12 University of Portsmouth
13 University of Ghana
14 Biodiversity Central Department, Ministry of Environment
15 UdeM - Université de Montréal
16 CIAT
17 NMK - National Museums of Kenya
18 UoN - University of Nairobi
19 BAD - Banque africaine de développement / African Development Bank
20 SEE - School of Earth and Environment [Leeds]
21 LEMAR - Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR)
22 UAC - Université d’Abomey-Calavi = University of Abomey Calavi
23 ESS - Department of Earth System Science [Irvine]
24 Alexandria University [Alexandrie]
25 PalmenGarten - Palmengarten der Stadt Frankfurt am Main
26 City University London
Marie-Christine Cormier-Salem
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 9273
- IdHAL : marie-christine-cormier-salem
- ORCID : 0000-0002-8853-0764
- IdRef : 033337098
Luis Tito de Morais
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 12827
- IdHAL : luis-tito-de-morais
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8580-1808
- IdRef : 202647242
Résumé
Throughout the world, biodiversity and nature's contributions to people are under threat, with clear changes evident. Biodiversity and ecosystem services have particular value in Africa– yet they are negatively impacted by a range of drivers, including land use and climate change. In this communication, we show evidence of changing biodiversity and ecosystem services in Africa, as well as the current most significant drivers of change. We then consider five plausible futures for the African continent, each underlain by differing assumptions. In three out of the five futures under consideration, negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services are likely to persist. Those two plausible futures prioritizing environment and sustainability, however, are shown as the most likely paths to achieving long term development objectives without compromising the continent's biodiversity and ecosystem services. Such a finding shows clearly that achievement of such objectives cannot be separated from full recognition of the value of such services.