Species eradication for ecosystem restoration

Graham, N.A.J. and Benkwitt, C.E. and Jones, H.P. (2024) Species eradication for ecosystem restoration. Current Biology, 34 (9). R407-R412. ISSN 0960-9822

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Abstract

Many of the world's ecosystems are under unprecedented stress as human pressures have escalated to be a dominant driver of ecosystem composition and condition. Direct impacts such as agriculture, extraction, and development are impacting vast swathes of land and ocean, while the effects of human-caused climate change are felt even in the most remote parts of marine and terrestrial wildernesses. These impacts are resulting in changes ranging from ecosystem collapse or replacement to novel mixes of species due to temperature-driven range shifts. While reducing human pressures is paramount for the future viability of vulnerable ecosystems, much attention is now also focused on whether degraded areas can be restored. Indeed, the UN has declared 2021–2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which aims to “prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean”. © 2024 Elsevier Inc.