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Biodiversity and Conservation
Published in: Biodiversity and Conservation 9/2018

31-03-2018 | Original Paper

Quantifying the anthropocene loss of bioindicators for an early industrial region: an equitable baseline for biodiversity restoration

Authors: Christopher J. Ellis, Rebecca Yahr, Brian J. Coppins

Published in: Biodiversity and Conservation | Issue 9/2018

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Abstract

Directly observed biodiversity data have a limited temporal span of c. 100–150 years. Consequently, for a region such as temperate Western Europe, our knowledge of species distributions is restricted to a period impacted by the process of massive industrialisation. There is a danger of shifted baselines in terms of conservation policy and targets. Here we present a novel source of high resolution archaeobotanical information for lichen epiphyte bioindicators; these data can reconstruct species distributions for the pre-industrial European landscape. We compare these historic records to a species’ post-industrial distribution and environmental response, quantifying the spatial trend and causes of biodiversity loss. The results indicate regional extinction rates of c. 76% in response to habitat loss and industrial pollution. We propose pre-industrial baselines that would better represent biodiversity restoration for temperate regions (net gain), and which would be equitable with advocacy for species and habitat protection in the present-day tropics (no net loss).
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Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Quantifying the anthropocene loss of bioindicators for an early industrial region: an equitable baseline for biodiversity restoration
Authors
Christopher J. Ellis
Rebecca Yahr
Brian J. Coppins
Publication date
31-03-2018
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Biodiversity and Conservation / Issue 9/2018
Print ISSN: 0960-3115
Electronic ISSN: 1572-9710
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-018-1541-y

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