Global biodiversity assessments need to consider mixed multifunctional land-use systems

Abstract

Global scenario-based modelling efforts to support biodiversity policies typically consider agriculture only as a pressure factor. Current scenarios typically include the expansion of protected areas combined with higher agricultural productivity (as in land sparing) for reducing biodiversity loss. We argue in favour of a broader perspective on farming practices in scenario-based biodiversity modelling and, specifically, for scenario studies to include mixed multifunctional systems, applicable in land-sharing approaches. The increasing availability of monitoring data and modelling capacity opens up opportunities for more comprehensive quantification of the intricate network of relationships between agricultural land management, biodiversity and ecosystem services and, thus, enables a more balanced evaluation of the benefits and trade-offs of land sparing and land sharing and their intermediates.