Interrelationships between Land Cover Change and Biodiversity Loss

Shifting Ecological Boundaries

1. Increased climate change (CC)

   • increased movement of biomes → increased movement to poles, increased movement in altitude

   • increased temperature, decreased precipitation → increased transitional biomes

2. Increased LCC

   • decreased habitat → decreased food, decreased water, decreased mating oppurtunity = changing habitats for species

   • increased invasive species → increased competition for resources

3. decreased mitigation opportunities → increased biodiversity loss

4. increased redistribution of species → decrease in certain species

5. decreased biological range of species → decreased opportunities for survival

Evolution Diversification

microevolution (evolution within species)

macroevolution (evolution between species)

1. increased LCC

   • decreased macroevolution (decreased species resilience) & decreased macroevolution (decreased symbiotic relationship)

   • increased human-induced genetic drift → increase events that are changing the gene pool (e.g. habitat fragmentation & habitat isolation)

   • increased impact on large mammals and apex predators due to increased LCC

Species Extinction

• increased LCC → increase biodiversity loss → decrease ecological diversity → decrease genetic diversity → species extinction

• increased indirect & direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally

• We are experiencing the 6th mass extinction event (anthropogenic)