Rates and patterns of habitat loss across AUTHORS: South Africa’s vegetation biomes
Rates and patterns of habitat loss across AUTHORS: South Africa’s vegetation biomes
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作者的栖息地丧失速度和模式：南非的植被生物群落
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发表时间：
2021
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
J. Slingsby
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Skowno;Debbie Jewitt;J. Slingsby
人类活动造成的自然栖息地丧失是全球陆地生态系统生物多样性丧失的主要驱动因素。利用各种基于遥感的土地覆盖变化产品在国家和全球范围内监测栖息地丧失的指标。这些指标继续为环境和养护部门的报告进程、生物多样性评估、土地使用决策和战略规划提供信息。我们首次在国家和生物群水平上介绍了南非各地栖息地丧失的关键指标。我们讨论了空间模式和趋势，以及度量的含义和局限性。自从欧洲定居者到来以来，南非大约22%的自然栖息地已经丧失。栖息地丧失的程度和速度在南非各地并不一致。相对中等的草原、Fynbos和印度洋海岸带生物群失去的栖息地最多，而干旱的Nama-Karoo、多肉的Karoo和沙漠失去的最少。最近几年(2014-2018年)所有生物群的损失率都有所增加，这表明历史上的变化驱动因素(即耕地、人类住区、人工林和采矿)总体上正在加剧。我们应该注意，我们报告的损失是保守的，因为土地覆盖变化产品没有捕捉到自然生态系统中的退化。防止广泛的生物多样性丧失和确保我们从生物多样性中获得的好处，需要通过充分利用现有的土地利用规划和监管工具，减缓和防止栖息地进一步退化和丧失。
The loss of natural habitat resulting from human activities is the principal driver of biodiversity loss in terrestrial ecosystems globally. Metrics of habitat loss are monitored at national and global scales using various remote sensing based land-cover change products. The metrics go on to inform reporting processes, biodiversity assessments, land-use decision-making and strategic planning in the environmental and conservation sector. We present key metrics of habitat loss across South Africa at national and biome levels for the first time. We discuss the spatial patterns and trends, and the implications and limitations of the metrics. Approximately 22% of the natural habitat of South Africa has been lost since the arrival of European settlers. The extent and the rate of habitat loss are not uniform across South Africa. The relatively mesic Grassland, Fynbos and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biomes have lost the most habitat, while the arid Nama-Karoo, Succulent Karoo and Desert have lost the least. Rates of loss increased across all biomes in recent years (2014–2018), indicating that the historical drivers of change (i.e. expansion of croplands, human settlements, plantation forestry and mining) are intensifying overall. We should caution that the losses we report are conservative, because the land-cover change products do not capture degradation within natural ecosystems. Preventing widespread biodiversity losses and securing the benefits we derive from biodiversity requires slowing and preventing further habitat degradation and loss by using existing land-use planning and regulatory tools to their full potential.