TY - JOUR T1 - Biodiversity and ecosystem services on the African continent – What is changing, and what are our options? A1 - Archer,E. A1 - Dziba,L.E. A1 - Mulongoy,K.J. A1 - Maoela,M.A. A1 - Walters,M. A1 - Biggs,R. A1 - Salem,M-C. Cormier A1 - Declerck,F. A1 - Diaw,M.C. A1 - Dunham,A.E. A1 - Failler,P. A1 - Gordon,C. A1 - Harhash,K.A. A1 - Kasisi,R. A1 - Kizito,F. A1 - Nyingi,W.D. A1 - Oguge,N. A1 - Osman-Elasha,B. A1 - Stringer,L.C. A1 - Tito De Morais,Luis A1 - Assogbadjo,A. A1 - Egoh,B.N. A1 - Halmy,M.W. A1 - Heubach,K. A1 - Mensah,A. A1 - Pereira,L. A1 - Sitas,N. AD - Centre for Environmental Studies/Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria Cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street Hatfield, 0028, South Africa AD - South African National Parks, 643 Leyds St, Muckleneuk, Pretoria, 0027, South Africa AD - IEL, Montreal, Canada AD - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa AD - Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST), University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602, South Africa AD - Institute of Research for Development, Marseille (IRD), France AD - EAT Foundation/Bioversity International, Parc Scientifique Agropolis II, 34397, Montpellier Cedex 5, France AD - African Model Forest Network, Yaounde, Cameroon AD - Department of Biosciences, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, United States AD - University of Portsmouth, Richmond Building Portland Street Portsmouth P01 3DE, United Kingdom AD - Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies. College of Basic and Applied Sciences. University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana AD - Biodiversity Central Department, Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, Cairo, Egypt AD - Université de Montréal Faculté de l'aménagement, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada AD - International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Kigali, Rwanda AD - Ichthyology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya AD - Centre for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya AD - African Development Bank, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire AD - School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom AD - IRD, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzane, France AD - Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 05 BP 1752, Cotonou, Benin AD - Earth System Science Department, University of California, Irvine, Croul Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697-3100, USA AD - Department of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Sciences, Alexandria University Cairo, Egypt AD - Palmengarten and Botanical Garden, Siesmayerstraße 61, 60323, Frankfurt am Main, Germany AD - School of Arts and Social Sciences of City, University of London, Northampton Square, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom AD - Africa Centre for Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa AD - Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST), Stellenbosch University, South Africa and Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC), Stockholm University, Sweden UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100558 DO - 10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100558 KW - Biodiversity KW - Ecosystem services KW - Africa KW - Degradation KW - Climate change N2 - Throughout the world, biodiversity and nature's contributions to people are under threat, with clear changes evident. Biodiversity and ecosystem services have particular value in Africa– yet they are negatively impacted by a range of drivers, including land use and climate change. In this communication, we show evidence of changing biodiversity and ecosystem services in Africa, as well as the current most significant drivers of change. We then consider five plausible futures for the African continent, each underlain by differing assumptions. In three out of the five futures under consideration, negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services are likely to persist. Those two plausible futures prioritizing environment and sustainability, however, are shown as the most likely paths to achieving long term development objectives without compromising the continent's biodiversity and ecosystem services. Such a finding shows clearly that achievement of such objectives cannot be separated from full recognition of the value of such services. Y1 - 2021/03 PB - Elsevier BV JF - Environmental Development SN - 2211-4645 VL - 37 ID - 76385 ER -