Healthy ecosystems mean healthy people

Have we finally started understanding that “a diverse, healthy, resilient and productive natural environment is the basis for a prosperous, just and safe future for humanity”¹?

When we can answer yes, conservation actions will be strengthened and finally become a priority. Unfortunately, this is not yet a reality. While there are many examples of effective conservation programmes, efforts to preserve nature remain insufficient. The Living Planet Index uses population data of monitored animals and plants around the world to analyse their trajectories through time. The results of the Index are presented yearly in a report – the Living Planet Report (LPR). The recently published LPR (2016) announced that there has been widespread habitat destruction and biodiversity loss over the last 40 years. Habitat loss and land degradation are the main causes of species extinctions, according to the report.

There has been considerable species extinction in general. For example, 58% of known vertebrate species (amphibians, fishes, mammals and reptiles) have disappeared between 1970 and 2012, with the extinction rate doubling in the last 15 years. Little is known about invertebrates because data is lacking.

Tropical forests that contain a large portion of biodiversity on Earth, have experienced the greatest conversion rates, showing a 41% decline in species from 1970 to 2009. In the same period, grasslands have experienced a loss of 18% of species.

The Brazilian Cerrado² was highlighted as one of the most overexploited regions in the world, having lost about half of its original land area. The high consumption of meat, for example, is closely linked to the expansion of soybean plantations and has resulted in large vegetation loss in the Cerrado. High meat consumption is driven both by internal demand and by international markets. In addition to the land conversion, there is an alarming number of plans for building dams in the region. The situation of the Cerrado is concerning because of its unique flora and fauna and its importance for local and regional hydrological cycles^3,4. If land-use change and land degradation continue to occur at the current rate, over 30% of species present in the Cerrado will become extinct in the near future.

(Left corner) Map of South America highlighting the original extent of the Brazilian Cerrado. (right) Large-scale farming common in the landscape. Photo credit: Antonio Costa.   

In my opinion, the most compelling message in the LPR is not about species losses but about losses in ecosystem services — benefits provided by nature for human population⁵ — that have been caused by species extinctions and land-use change. Loss or scarcity of ecosystem services directly affects our well-being, reducing our quality of life. For example, a reduction in the quantity or quality of water provided by water bodies would have a direct detrimental effect on our health. Moreover, the loss of biodiversity decreases the resilience of ecosystems, which become more vulnerable to further disturbances. This vulnerability can result in unbalanced ecosystem processes, i.e., processes that move nutrients, energy and water within the ecosystem and out of it, and result in further losses of ecosystem services. We have trapped ourselves in a vicious cycle with dire consequences for all life on Earth, including our own!

Despite the bad news, there is still hope. And we know the way out: reduce pressure on nature. By changing our patterns of consumption, we can reverse the situation. The solution has to come from both governments and individuals. Viable solutions for sustainable production and trade must be global: they have to result from collaboration among nations. In our globalised world, everything is linked: for example, meat consumption in the US and Europe drives deforestation in the Cerrado. We must consume resources sustainably and guarantee equitable access to resources among both developed and less developed nations. The LPR also mentions innovative sustainable ways of farming and energy production as feasible alternatives. Citizens must also take their responsibility by choosing lifestyles that have a low carbon footprint.

Sustainable consumption logo by Journal of Marketing Management 

We have the power to build a healthy economy based on the sustainable use of Earth's resources. For our sake, we must start now to find ways to maintain healthy natural ecosystems.

¹from the Living Planet Report 2016, page 6.

³Malhado A.C.M., Pires G.F., & Costa M.H. (2010) Cerrado Conservation is Essential to Protect the Amazon Rainforest. AMBIO, 39, 580–584.

⁴Spera S.A., Galford G.L., Coe M.T., Macedo M.N., & Mustard J.F. (2016) Land-use change affects water recycling in Brazil’s last agricultural frontier. Global Change Biology, 22, 3405–3413.