In this deliverable, we demonstrate how the previously developed biodiversity indicators (D2.2-4) can be applied towards answering diverse and pressing research questions relevant to biodiversity science. Specifically, we apply these indicators towards improving understanding of the impacts of different environmental drivers (and their interactions (sections M1,R1)), as well as towards improving understanding of human-impacts on biodiversity (section M2, R2).First, we conducted a study assessing how much biodiversity (measured as a composite index of richness, endemism, and phylodiversity, among other indicators) might be lost under different future scenarios – and the extent to which different environmental drivers (land-use, fire recurrence, and climate) play a role in this loss. We found significant biodiversity losses across tropical regions under both optimistic and pessimistic policy-scenarios. Moreover, while predictions show significant losses will occur even under scenarios with moderate climate policies (more optimistic), the differences between policy-scenarios are particularly substantial in the Amazon region. Thus, we show how – despite likely biodiversity losses across the tropics by 2050 – choosing to enact policies to curb GHG emissions can still have a large impact in mitigating future biodiversity loss in biodiversity-rich regions.Second, we illustrate how these indicators could be used to further understanding of human-influence on biodiversity patterns by focusing on the case of land tenure in Brazil. Here, we collate parcel-level data on land ownership/registration and pair these data with the biodiversity data (richness, endemism). We conduct a spatial overlay analysis and identify which categories of land ownership (private lands, rural settlements, protected areas and indigenous lands) hold higher/lower biodiversity in their properties/lands. We found that private lands have higher biodiversity (richness and endemism) per property-km2 than all other tenure categories. We also paired information on the vegetation surplus and deficit (i.e., the land-cover requirements of Brazil’s Forest Code) in private lands and rural settlements to highlight: 1) how the Pantanal and the Cerrado/Caatinga biomes are currently conserving biodiversity, and 2) how the highest potential biodiversity gains through restoration are along the arc of deforestation. We argue that, in some regions, private landholders need lasting incentives to continue conserving biodiversity in places with currently high levels of conservation. By contrast, in other regions such as the Amazon, they need improved incentives to comply with the law’s restoration requirements.Overall, sound and targeted conservation policies and strategies are contingent upon region-specific information about biodiversity, drivers of biodiversity loss, and integrated strategies that consider the complexities of multiple interacting factors. In this deliverable, we highlight actionable insights through the application of biodiversity indicators we have developed as a part of CLEVER. Moreover, the work presented in this deliverable demonstrates how CLEVER research on trade-specific impacts may connect across broader research agendas, and contribute towards more effective policies and governance strategies for biodiversity conservation overall.
Oliveira et al. (Fri,) studied this question.