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is habitat loss, with over 2,000 (40%) species be-
ing negatively impacted (IUCN, 2008). Globally,
over 4,000 of the assessed plant and animal spe-
cies are threatened by agricultural intensification
(IUCN, 2008). With continuing agricultural ex-
pansion, this number has increased to over 4,600
species, and is still rising. The IUCN Global Red
List (IUCN, 2008) includes 457 of the globally
assessed plants and animals that are threatened
by agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Of these,
65 are critically endangered and 182 endangered.
Similarly, 683 species are threatened by agricul-
ture in Latin America, of which 146 are critically
endangered and 244 endangered.
Globally, over 1,000 (87%) of a total of 1,226 threat-
ened bird species are impacted by agriculture.
More than 70 species are affected by agricultural
pollution, 27 of them seriously. Europe’s farmland
birds have declined by 48% in the past 26 years
(European Bird Census Council, 2008). Pesticides
and herbicides pose a threat to 37 threatened bird
species globally (BirdLife, 2008), in addition to
deleterious effects of agricultural chemicals on
ground water (Bexfield, 2008).
Domesticated species diversity is also under
threat. Worldwide, 6,500 breeds of domesticated
mammals and birds are under immediate threat
of extinction, reducing the genetic diversity for
options in a changing environment (Diaz
et al
.,
2007; MA, 2005).
With the loss of biodiversity in both natural and
agricultural systems comes the loss of other eco-
system services. In addition to food, fibre and wa-
ter provisioning, regulating services such as air,
water and climate regulation, water purification,
pollination and pest control, as well as providing
resilience against natural hazards and disasters
and environmental change, are among the nu-
merous examples of ecosystem services being
lost under increasing intensification and expan-
sion of agriculture.
Figure 25: A photographic impression of the gradual changes in two eco-
system types (landscape level) from highly natural ecosystems (90–100%
mean abundance of the original species) to highly cultivated or deteriorated
ecosystems (around 10% mean abundance of the original species).
Locally,
this indicator can be perceived as a measure of naturalness, or conversely,
of human-impact. (Source: CBD, 2008; Alkemade
et al
., 2009).
100%
0%
pristine forest
selective logging
secondary vegetation
plantation
land degradation
original species
extensive use
burning
subsistence agriculture
intensive agriculture
Abundance of original species
Forest
Grassland