There is growing attention to the global risks - not just local impacts - of present rates of biodiversity loss. It is worth keeping in mind that 'biodiversity loss' actually means the destruction (sometimes irreversible) – by us, people – of living organisms, Earth's 'genetic library', species, ecosystems and habitats. The fact that ecosystems are complex, adaptive, and locally specific means they can't be adequately represented in a single global measure. But without any overarching global perspective on losses, the locally contingent measures are 'untethered' to the real risks of systemic change. Scientists of many kinds are rising to the transdisciplinary challenge of dealing with this complexity in the face of global drivers of change (climate change, development pressures), recognizing that it is a challenge for everyone, not just academia.

1. 1
Tracking our own decline
Current biodiversity indicators do not
capture global ecosystem risks
A PARTNER WITH
Dr Sarah Cornell
Copenhagen, October 2014

2. A Safe Operating Space for Humanity
research article in Ecology & Society, discussion article in Nature
Rockström and 27 co-authors (2009)
 Climate change &
ocean acidification
 Biodiversity loss
 Perturbed biogeochemical
cycles (N and P)
 Systemic chemical pollution
 Freshwater abstraction
 Land use and land cover change
 Atmospheric physics/chemistry
(aerosols, stratospheric ozone)

3. A Safe Operating Space for Humanity
research article in Ecology & Society, discussion article in Nature
Rockström and 27 co-authors (2009)
Biodiversity loss
Extinction rate,
extinctions per million species
per year (E/MSY)
Rationale:
Slow variable affecting ecosystem functioning at
continental and ocean basin scales.
Impact on many other boundaries — C storage,
freshwater, N and P cycles, land systems.
Massive loss of biodiversity unacceptable for
ethical reasons.
Boundary:
<10 E/MSY
(10–100 E/MSY)
Current rate:
>100 E/MSY
1. Incomplete knowledge on the role of biodiversity
for ecosystem functioning across scales.
2. Thresholds likely at local and regional scales.
3. Boundary position highly uncertain.

4. Approaches to defining a planetary boundary
for biodiversity
Global Environmental Change (2014)
Mace, Reyers, Alkemade, Biggs, Chapin, Cornell, Diaz, Jennings, Leadley,
Mumby, Purvis, Scholes, Seddon, Solan, Steffen and Woodward
Why move away from extinction rate?
• Estimates focus on vertebrates – just 2% of described species
• It is a retrospective and unpredictable measure
• It is insensitive to community and population characteristics
• It is unclear how it relates to ecosystem (and Earth) functioning

5. Approaches to defining a planetary boundary
for biodiversity
Global Environmental Change (2014)
Mace, Reyers, Alkemade, Biggs, Chapin, Cornell, Diaz, Jennings, Leadley,
Mumby, Purvis, Scholes, Seddon, Solan, Steffen and Woodward
Why move away from extinction rate?
• Estimates focus on vertebrates – just 2% of described species
• It is a retrospective and unpredictable measure
• It is insensitive to community and population characteristics
• It is unclear how it relates to ecosystem (and Earth) functioning
So why a boundary at all?

6. CBD Aichi targets - almost entirely process-oriented,
not ‘absolute’ outcome (stop destroying living organisms!)
Knowledge, Values, Incentives,
“Plans implemented”
Reduce rate of loss (rolling: 2010, 2020, SDGs 2030…),
Sustainable harvesting/management,
Minimize human pressure
Protected areas, species, genes
Safeguard essential services (carbon, genetic
benefits), fairly and equitably
Plans with participation, respect for TLCK;
Knowledge sharing,
“Substantially” more funds
1-4
5-10
11-13
14-16
17-20

7. Genetic library
uPSV (phylogenetic diversity)
Functional diversity
Selected measures for
selected functions
Biome integrity
Biome-specific drivers

8. Boundary position should be set to assure:
Long-term ‘innovation’ and resilience of
ecosystem form and function.
Genetic library
uPSV (phylogenetic diversity)
Functional diversity
Selected measures for
selected functions
Biome integrity
Biome-specific drivers

9. Boundary position should be set to assure:
Long-term ‘innovation’ and resilience of
ecosystem form and function.
Ecosystem functions and processes
linked to human wellbeing.
Genetic library
uPSV (phylogenetic diversity)
Functional diversity
Selected measures for
selected functions
Biome integrity
Biome-specific drivers

10. Boundary position should be set to assure:
Long-term ‘innovation’ and resilience of
ecosystem form and function.
Ecosystem functions and processes
linked to human wellbeing.
Biome condition and extent –
composite metric possible.
Genetic library
uPSV (phylogenetic diversity)
Functional diversity
Selected measures for
selected functions
Biome integrity
Biome-specific drivers

11. Boundary position should be set to assure:
Long-term ‘innovation’ and resilience of
ecosystem form and function.
Ecosystem functions and processes
linked to human wellbeing.
Biome condition and extent –
composite metric possible.
Genetic library
uPSV (phylogenetic diversity)
Functional diversity
Selected measures for
selected functions
Biome integrity
Biome-specific drivers
What large-scale systemic responses that could affect Earth’s suitability
for our societies are mediated by the biosphere?

12. Data and information scarcity
+ need for local specificity 
Society’s changing role in monitoring
and measuring sustainability…
Photo: Imprensa do Carajás
ARR

13. Global information as a
sustainability issue
• Meeting people’s needs, within environmental limits
(Brundtland Report)
• Complex problems benefit from multiple knowledge
inputs
The IPBES is developing a
Multiple Evidence Base
approach, in dialogue
with the CBD
Tengö et al. 2014, Connecting diverse knowledge systems
Ambio 43: 579
Cornell et al. 2013, Opening up knowledge systems… GEC 28: 60

14. Global information as a
sustainability issue
• Meeting people’s needs, within environmental limits
(Brundtland Report)
• Complex problems benefit from multiple knowledge
inputs – a richer picture
• There is no substitute for meaningful engagement
between information providers and users, with
deepened dialogue and mutual learning.

15. Citizen science –
new dialogues, a new ‘social contract’ for science?

16. Citizen science –
new dialogues, a new ‘social contract’ for science?
Why not join… jellywatch.org,
www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatchbbc
Tea Bag Index, www.decolab.org/tbi
Mappiness.org.uk
www.juegos.com/juego/climate-chaos

17. Thank you
sarah.cornell@su.se
Image: www.informationsecuritybuzz.com Global-network