The countries and ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa have already lost about 24% of all their biodiversity since 1700, a time that preceded the industrial era in the region.
The estimate was made by a group of specialists in African fauna and flora, in an article published in the journal Nature, in which it is revealed that large mammals (weighing more than 20 kilograms) are the group that suffered the greatest declines.
Animals such as elephants, lions and some antelope species are estimated to have lost more than 75% of their historical abundance. Behind the large herbivores and carnivores come the primates, with the third-largest reduction in abundance recorded south of the Sahara Desert.
According to the study, the region may have suffered a reduction of up to half in the numbers of primates it houses.
Moist forest species, including large apes, monkeys, galagos and lorises, were the most affected, having on average lost more than half of their historical abundance. Meanwhile, the numbers of savanna-dwelling species have fallen by at least one third in the last three centuries.
In general, the estimated declines are mainly due to habitat loss, agricultural expansion, the intensification of cattle ranching and grazing, and unsustainable levels of exploitation of plant and animal species.
Regionally, the countries of Central Africa show the lowest levels of biodiversity abundance losses, largely due to their moist forests, while in Western Africa the scenario is the opposite, with the highest levels of population reductions, caused by significant degradation of forests and savannas.
The researchers also discovered that more than 80% of the remaining wild populations of plants and animals occur in areas that are not legally protected, where they coexist with humans and their activities, such as farming.
For Hayley Clements, of Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and the lead author of the article, “this fundamentally changes where and how we think about biodiversity conservation in Africa.”
“Protected areas continue to be vital, especially for Africa’s large mammals,” the researcher notes, “but they alone are insufficient to mitigate biodiversity loss.” For her, the sustainable management of shared landscapes is “essential” to preserve biodiversity and support the human communities that depend on them.
