New article in Ecological Indicators - Cartography of the interplay between Nature’s contributions to people and biodiversity in Switzerland
Switzerland’s diversity of landscapes offers an ideal setting to describe the various interactions between Nature’s contributions to people (NCP) and biodiversity. In this recent study, we generated spatially explicit maps of 15 NCP indicators covering all of Switzerland, as well as one biodiversity map based on the distribution of over 1400 endangered species across various taxa.
By clustering all indicators, we identified four bundles of NCP and biodiversity, which highlight distinct areas of the Swiss landscape acting in synergy to supply different essential NCP as well as endangered species habitats. The factors shown to influence the distribution of these bundles were linked to topography (slope, elevation), but also climate (annual temperature and precipitation) and habitat types (meadows, beech, and highland coniferous forests). The latter two factors are expected to undergo changes in the future due to shifts in climate and land use.
This assessment addresses a gap in the availability of NCP maps in Switzerland and increases our understanding of their spatial interactions. Moreover, it paves the road for integrating NCP into ecological infrastructure planning at both national and cantonal levels. This work also aligns with the “EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020” goals set by the European commission, which aimed at evaluating ecosystem services in all EU countries.
Full article:
Nature’s contributions to people and biodiversity mapping in Switzerland: spatial patterns and environmental drivers.
Nathan Külling, Antoine Adde, Audrey Lambiel, Sergio Wicki, Antoine Guisan, Adrienne Grêt-Regamey, and Anthony Lehmann (2024).
Ecological Indicators
external page https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112079