[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7022\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESixth mass extinction could destroy life as we know it\u2013 biodiversity expert\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUrgent international action is needed to halt this potentially catastrophic decline in biodiversity, according to Professor Georgina Mace, head of the Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research at University College London, UK. While Prof. Mace believes that we\u2019re \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eonly \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eon the brink of this extinction, she \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Esays the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ethreat is so severe that\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41893-018-0130-0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ebiodiversity loss needs to be addressed on a global scale\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a similar way to climate change.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe\u2019re hearing a lot about \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.fao.org\/news\/story\/en\/item\/1180463\/icode\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ebiodiversity loss\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E at the moment. What\u2019s the latest situation?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The evidence from all of the recent studies \u2026 indicates it is increasing. We\u0027re losing biodiversity more quickly than we did in the past.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018If you look at extinction rates, which is hard because you need to be sure something is really extinct, they are probably \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/344\/6187\/1246752\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E100-1,000 times higher \u003C\/a\u003Ethan in pre-human times.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Another way of measuring (biodiversity) is to look at the abundance of life rather than numbers of species. For vertebrates (birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals) there is a fairly good estimate that more than \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.livingplanetindex.org\/projects?main_page_project=LivingPlanetReport\u0026amp;home_flag=1\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E50% of the vertebrate abundance has been lost in the past 50 years\u003C\/a\u003E. The information for invertebrates and plants is less good, but there is some evidence to suggest insects are declining just as quickly, if not more so. One recent paper showed the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2019\/feb\/10\/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Emass of insects is falling by 2.5% a year\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;For methodological reasons, this is likely to be an over-estimate, but there can be little doubt that certain insect groups are undergoing very significant declines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Then we are also losing the interactions between these species.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy should we be worried?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The diversity of life on Earth is the defining feature of our planet \u2013 we don\u2019t know of any other planets that have life on them. We developed and evolved with other species here, and their diversity allows us to\u0026nbsp;thrive. So, it\u0027s very reckless to assume that we can do without them and that we don\u0027t have some responsibility for all those other species.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Then there are some of the benefits of biodiversity that we largely take for granted. These are things like primary production, which is the way plants convert energy from the sun and is the basis for all life on Earth. Wild species break down organic material back into nutrients, so it can be recycled and used again. The water cycle also relies heavily on living organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Finally, there is a utilitarian view about the value of nature to us. It provides us with goods and services like pollinating crops, or timber production or novel drugs from tropical plants. If we lose pollinators that are specially adapted to a particular plant, even if we have more widespread invasive pollinators coming in, they may not be able to pollinate that plant.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u0026#039;The diversity of life on Earth is the defining feature of our planet.\u0026#039;\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor Georgina Mace, University College London, UK\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is driving these losses?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We can see four main drivers of extinctions due to humans. First we overexploited and ate our way through species like wild grazers such as cattle and many large birds including the dodos. Then there was a second wave caused by invasive species and pathogens transported around by European\u0026nbsp;colonisations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Then, land use change has probably become the dominant problem as we cut down forests and plough up intact grasslands \u2026 for agriculture, roads and urban settlements and local pollution causes further threats.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The next one coming down the road is climate change. At the moment it is not a major cause of extinctions, but will be in the coming decades.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs the focus on climate change overshadowing action on biodiversity loss?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I do think it\u2019s been overshadowed, but not unreasonably. It is relatively easy for science to show that climate change will have significant impacts on millions of people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We haven\u2019t been able to pinpoint these urgent problems from biodiversity loss in the same way. Perhaps the loss of pollinators and the impact this will have on food production is the most distinct example we have, but it is still hard to put a finger on what is going to happen and who\u0026nbsp;will be most affected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018(But) by treating these two major problems separately, we\u2019ve lost sight of the real wins there could be in addressing them in tandem.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow could they be tackled together?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018One of the recommendations from the UN\u0027s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is to restore vegetation and plant new vegetation that is efficient at drawing carbon out of the atmosphere or storing it in the soil. So, that could be by planting new forests or maintaining\u0026nbsp;mangroves, seagrass beds and existing forests.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Maintaining intact tropical and temperate forests does a lot for climate mitigation. It also does a lot for soil quality, for flood regulation and does a lot for biodiversity. Treating them together has many win-wins for people and nature that we are not seeing in the policy responses at the moment.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat else can be done?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The obvious thing to do is to address the main driver of biodiversity loss, which is the food system. At the moment, there is a concern about whether we\u0027re going to be able to feed a world of 10 or 12 billion people, particularly when we are facing climate change and losing biodiversity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The policy responses at the moment deal with food through intensive agriculture, biodiversity with protected areas, climate with emissions reductions mainly in industry. We\u0027re missing that sweet spot of using the landscape in a way that would achieve multiple goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018For example, you might have landscape that has mixed agroforestry and fewer livestock. You could have more arable areas interspersed with high biodiversity landscapes to keep the pollinators.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs this why you have argued for a biodiversity equivalent of the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unfccc.int\/process-and-meetings\/the-paris-agreement\/what-is-the-paris-agreement\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EParis Agreement\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E on climate change\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need to recognise that most of the drivers of biodiversity loss are international issues. In the UK for example, probably more than 60% of our food footprint is in other countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027This had led to suggestions that we need something more concrete to aim for, equivalent to limiting global warming to 1.5\u02daC on pre-industrial levels. Something concrete like that might change people\u0027s minds about the need to act and help us track progress.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027But it is hard to set these sort of targets as biodiversity is much harder to measure and the impacts of losing it are hard to pinpoint. Some of the processes biodiversity contributes to are so fundamental that they are effectively existential. Without them we wouldn\u0027t be here at all.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat will happen if we don\u0027t take action?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027It is very difficult to say. There are various predictions about what may happen if we continue to deplete biodiversity - we could end up having to replace crop pollinators with genetically engineered crops, or we will lose some of the fruit and vegetables that require insect pollinators. Or we may find that whole forest stands are vulnerable to invasive diseases because there isn\u0027t the diversity there to resist them. Simplification of forests could mean they are less able to cope with climate change, then we might also lose their ability to slow down water and so we may get more flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018You can come up with all these scenarios but none of them are easy to predict with any certainty.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow optimistic are you about the future?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027Back in 2010 I felt a bit more positive about it, because there was a strong and consistent set of targets from the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Aichi, Japan, in 2010. They seemed like a good framework for action, but it is difficult to point to many successes as a result of that strategy. There has only been modest progress in a couple of areas, such as increasing protected areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I don\u0027t think we\u0027ve really tried hard enough yet. If we were to take action across sectors and at scale, then I think we could reverse the trend. Natural systems do have a lot of built in resilience and are good at bouncing back.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027But we need to get on with it pretty quickly.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProfessor Mace advises the EU on biodiversity issues and has worked with the EU-funded BiodivERsA consortium which promotes pan-European research on biodiversity and ecosystems. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis interview has been edited for clarity and length.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe piece has been updated to clarify Prof. Mace\u0027s position on the sixth mass extinction and the recent paper about insect decline.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGallery: Europe\u2019s endangered species\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022ecl-gallery\u0022 data-ecl-auto-init=\u0022Gallery\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-visible-items=\u00228\u0022 data-ecl-gallery\u003E\u003Cul class=\u0022ecl-gallery__list\u0022\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ecl-gallery__item\u0022\u003E\u003Ca\n href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/egyptian_eagle.jpg\u0022\n data-ecl-gallery-item\n class=\u0022ecl-gallery__item-link\u0022aria-label=\u0022In the EU, the conservation action that has had the biggest impact is land management. EU countries are ensuring that protected areas are clearly demarcated, maintained, and shielded from invasive species. The Egyptian vulture, also native to southern Europe, has been threatened by human activities. To boost their numbers, breeding programmes and protection from pesticides and electrocution hazards along their migratory routes were introduced. Image credit - Carlos Delgado CC 3.0 BY-SA\u0022\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022ecl-gallery__image-container\u0022\u003E\u003Cpicture class=\u0022ecl-picture ecl-gallery__picture\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg \n class=\u0022ecl-gallery__image\u0022\n src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/egyptian_eagle.jpg\u0022\n alt=\u0022In the EU, the conservation action that has had the biggest impact is land management. EU countries are ensuring that protected areas are clearly demarcated, maintained, and shielded from invasive species. The Egyptian vulture, also native to southern Europe, has been threatened by human activities. To boost their numbers, breeding programmes and protection from pesticides and electrocution hazards along their migratory routes were introduced. Image credit - Carlos Delgado CC 3.0 BY-SA\u0022 \n \/\u003E\u003C\/picture\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\n class=\u0022ecl-gallery__description\u0022\n data-ecl-gallery-description\n \u003EIn the EU, the conservation action that has had the biggest impact is land management. EU countries are ensuring that protected areas are clearly demarcated, maintained, and shielded from invasive species. The Egyptian vulture, also native to southern Europe, has been threatened by human activities. To boost their numbers, breeding programmes and protection from pesticides and electrocution hazards along their migratory routes were introduced. Image credit - Carlos Delgado CC 3.0 BY-SA\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022ecl-gallery__footer\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022ecl-gallery__info\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong class=\u0022ecl-gallery__info-total\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-count\u003E0\u003C\/strong\u003Emedia items\u003Cbutton class=\u0022ecl-button ecl-button--ghost ecl-gallery__view-all\u0022 type=\u0022submit\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-all data-ecl-gallery-collapsed-label=\u0022See\u0026#x20;all\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-expanded-label=\u0022Collapse\u0022\u003ESee all\u003C\/button\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdialog class=\u0022ecl-gallery__overlay\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-overlay\u003E\u003Cheader class=\u0022ecl-gallery__close\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-overlay-header\u003E\u003Cbutton class=\u0022ecl-button ecl-button--ghost ecl-gallery__close-button\u0022 type=\u0022submit\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-close\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022ecl-button__container\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022ecl-button__label\u0022 data-ecl-label=\u0022true\u0022\u003EClose\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Csvg\n class=\u0022ecl-icon ecl-icon--s ecl-button__icon ecl-button__icon--after\u0022\n focusable=\u0022false\u0022\n aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\n data-ecl-icon\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/contrib\/oe_theme\/dist\/ec\/images\/icons\/sprites\/icons.svg#close\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/button\u003E\u003C\/header\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022ecl-gallery__slider\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022ecl-gallery__slider-media-container\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-overlay-media\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/section\u003E\u003Cfooter class=\u0022ecl-gallery__detail\u0022 data-ecl-gallery-overlay-footer\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022ecl-container\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022ecl-gallery__detail-actions\u0022\u003E\u003Ca\n href=\u0022\u0022\n class=\u0022ecl-link ecl-link--standalone ecl-link--icon ecl-link--icon-after ecl-gallery__share\u0022\n data-ecl-gallery-overlay-share\n\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022ecl-link__label\u0022\u003EShare\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Csvg\n class=\u0022ecl-icon ecl-icon--fluid ecl-link__icon\u0022\n focusable=\u0022false\u0022\n aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\n \u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/contrib\/oe_theme\/dist\/ec\/images\/icons\/sprites\/icons.svg#share\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\n class=\u0022ecl-gallery__detail-description\u0022\n data-ecl-gallery-overlay-description\n \u003EIn the EU, the conservation action that has had the biggest impact is land management. EU countries are ensuring that protected areas are clearly demarcated, maintained, and shielded from invasive species. The Egyptian vulture, also native to southern Europe, has been threatened by human activities. To boost their numbers, breeding programmes and protection from pesticides and electrocution hazards along their migratory routes were introduced. Image credit - Carlos Delgado CC 3.0 BY-SA\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022ecl-gallery__pager\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022ecl-gallery__detail-counter\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan data-ecl-gallery-overlay-counter-current\u003E0\u003C\/span\u003E \/ \u003Cspan data-ecl-gallery-overlay-counter-max\u003E0\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/footer\u003E\u003C\/dialog\u003E\u003C\/section\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-lwj1zytvnec-ot5b7t8tliw1m4zexayegmqnrgbcwqy\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-lWJ1ZytvneC-oT5B7T8TliW1m4ZexayeGMqnrGbCwqY\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]