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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