depend on its integrity and management for life and well-being. Moreover, if human
impacts to the environment continue to increase the risk of rebound effects impacting
human life and health will increase as well.
Whenever a biome, ecosystem, habitat or species is heavily impacted or threatened with irreversible transformation or extinction, prevailing environmental conditions are relevant and should be observed, analysed and remedied as necessary and
where possible. Ecology examines the evolutionary, historical and more recent
interplay between biological life and the abiotic environment, while the role of
social science and the humanities is to question the physical and social landscape,
and how and why it should be protected or influenced, e.g. by nature conservation
measures under political and economic, ethical and legal considerations. Thus, for all
inter-relationships between natural and sociocultural processes, a joint venture in the
form of social-ecological thinking is necessary to combine natural sciences and the
humanities.
With this contribution, we combine ecological knowledge with social science
knowledge (s.l.) through the participation of scientists of many different disciplines.
We analyse history and current processes to assess risks, threats and possibilities,
and call for an array of regulations and measures that can contribute to halting of
biodiversity loss and that assist in achieving a sustainable future. Regulations
comprise creativity, cultural incentives, social norms, environmental education and
economic investments—such as payments for sustainable agriculture, forestry, and
fishery; investments in water, soil and air purity; and much clearer and stronger legal
restrictions and consequences around waste streams and environmental degradation.
Moreover, a gradual change from profit-oriented economies in the short-run to
environmentally-sensitive policies that include systematic environmental
programmes in the long term might help to decrease pressure on ecosystems and
biota. Such economics might also include the real costs of consumerism, including
the impacts of particular products on the environment and on human health.
The greatest hurdle for the continued existence of many critically endangered
species is the impact of widespread anthropogenic-driven change in the usage of
water, air and land, and industry intensification in agriculture, aquaculture, forestry,
urbanisation, transportation and mining sectors. However, there is not one simple
solution to solve these issues. We conclude that many of the current developments
have to be adjusted or gradually altered in a step-wise manner, especially with
respect to existing sociocultural behaviours. Therefore, various concepts, decisions
and measures should be discussed and implemented at all scales from local to
supranational and among researchers, practitioners and politicians.
Keywords Threats to biodiversity · Value systems · No species loss · Endangered
species · Endangered ecosystems · Challenges and consequences · Science for future
Land Use Change and the Future of Biodiversity
453
impacts to the environment continue to increase the risk of rebound effects impacting
human life and health will increase as well.
Whenever a biome, ecosystem, habitat or species is heavily impacted or threatened with irreversible transformation or extinction, prevailing environmental conditions are relevant and should be observed, analysed and remedied as necessary and
where possible. Ecology examines the evolutionary, historical and more recent
interplay between biological life and the abiotic environment, while the role of
social science and the humanities is to question the physical and social landscape,
and how and why it should be protected or influenced, e.g. by nature conservation
measures under political and economic, ethical and legal considerations. Thus, for all
inter-relationships between natural and sociocultural processes, a joint venture in the
form of social-ecological thinking is necessary to combine natural sciences and the
humanities.
With this contribution, we combine ecological knowledge with social science
knowledge (s.l.) through the participation of scientists of many different disciplines.
We analyse history and current processes to assess risks, threats and possibilities,
and call for an array of regulations and measures that can contribute to halting of
biodiversity loss and that assist in achieving a sustainable future. Regulations
comprise creativity, cultural incentives, social norms, environmental education and
economic investments—such as payments for sustainable agriculture, forestry, and
fishery; investments in water, soil and air purity; and much clearer and stronger legal
restrictions and consequences around waste streams and environmental degradation.
Moreover, a gradual change from profit-oriented economies in the short-run to
environmentally-sensitive policies that include systematic environmental
programmes in the long term might help to decrease pressure on ecosystems and
biota. Such economics might also include the real costs of consumerism, including
the impacts of particular products on the environment and on human health.
The greatest hurdle for the continued existence of many critically endangered
species is the impact of widespread anthropogenic-driven change in the usage of
water, air and land, and industry intensification in agriculture, aquaculture, forestry,
urbanisation, transportation and mining sectors. However, there is not one simple
solution to solve these issues. We conclude that many of the current developments
have to be adjusted or gradually altered in a step-wise manner, especially with
respect to existing sociocultural behaviours. Therefore, various concepts, decisions
and measures should be discussed and implemented at all scales from local to
supranational and among researchers, practitioners and politicians.
Keywords Threats to biodiversity · Value systems · No species loss · Endangered
species · Endangered ecosystems · Challenges and consequences · Science for future
Land Use Change and the Future of Biodiversity
453