Biodiversity loss from land occupation: A prefecture- and county-level assessment of biodiversity footprints in China

Habitat destruction from land use is a key driver of biodiversity loss, projected to worsen without further interventions. Scientific assessments of land occupation's impact on biodiversity are critical to addressing this challenge. Using the LC-IMPACT model, we calculated characterization factors (CF) tailored for biodiversity footprint (BF) accounting at finer spatial scales in China. These CFs quantify biodiversity damage per unit of land use, revealing greater biodiversity loss in southern China compared to northern regions for similar activities. We conducted the first nationwide assessment of BF from land occupation at the prefecture (367 cities) and county (2850 counties) levels in China from 2006 to 2021. Key findings include: (1) overall BF increased in most prefectures, with declines mainly in the northwest and southwest; (2) cropland BF rose in northern and southern regions but fell in central areas, forest BF increased in the northwest but decreased in the southeast, grassland BF generally declined, while urban BF showed widespread growth; and (3) eastern economic regions and western agricultural zones recorded the highest BF values. The CFs and BF results provide technical tools for corporate biodiversity impact assessments and land-use policy design. This study also offers a scalable model for global biodiversity footprint accounting.