A function-based typology for Earth’s ecosystems

David A. Keith (), José R. Ferrer-Paris, Emily Nicholson, Melanie J. Bishop, Beth A. Polidoro, Eva Ramirez-Llodra, Mark G. Tozer, Jeanne L. Nel, Ralph Nally, Edward J. Gregr, Kate E. Watermeyer, Franz Essl, Don Faber-Langendoen, Janet Franklin, Caroline E. R. Lehmann, Andrés Etter, Dirk J. Roux, Jonathan S. Stark, Jessica A. Rowland, Neil A. Brummitt, Ulla C. Fernandez-Arcaya, Iain M. Suthers, Susan K. Wiser, Ian Donohue, Leland J. Jackson, R. Toby Pennington, Thomas M. Iliffe, Vasilis Gerovasileiou, Paul Giller, Belinda J. Robson, Nathalie Pettorelli, Angela Andrade, Arild Lindgaard, Teemu Tahvanainen, Aleks Terauds, Michael A. Chadwick, Nicholas J. Murray, Justin Moat, Patricio Pliscoff, Irene Zager and Richard T. Kingsford
Additional contact information
David A. Keith: University of New South Wales
José R. Ferrer-Paris: University of New South Wales
Emily Nicholson: IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
Melanie J. Bishop: Macquarie University
Beth A. Polidoro: Arizona State University
Eva Ramirez-Llodra: Norwegian Institute for Water Research
Mark G. Tozer: University of New South Wales
Jeanne L. Nel: Nelson Mandela University
Ralph Nally: The University of Melbourne
Edward J. Gregr: University of British Columbia
Kate E. Watermeyer: Deakin University
Franz Essl: University of Vienna
Don Faber-Langendoen: NatureServe
Janet Franklin: University of California
Caroline E. R. Lehmann: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Andrés Etter: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Dirk J. Roux: Nelson Mandela University
Jonathan S. Stark: Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Jessica A. Rowland: IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
Neil A. Brummitt: Natural History Museum
Ulla C. Fernandez-Arcaya: Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares
Iain M. Suthers: University of New South Wales
Susan K. Wiser: Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Research
Ian Donohue: Trinity College Dublin
Leland J. Jackson: University of Calgary
R. Toby Pennington: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Thomas M. Iliffe: Texas A&M University
Vasilis Gerovasileiou: Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC)
Paul Giller: University College Cork
Belinda J. Robson: Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University
Nathalie Pettorelli: Zoological Society of London
Angela Andrade: IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
Arild Lindgaard: Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre
Teemu Tahvanainen: University of Eastern Finland
Aleks Terauds: Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Michael A. Chadwick: King’s College London
Nicholas J. Murray: University of New South Wales
Justin Moat: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Patricio Pliscoff: Universidad Católica de Chile
Irene Zager: Provita
Richard T. Kingsford: University of New South Wales

Nature, 2022, vol. 610, issue 7932, 513-518

Abstract: Abstract As the United Nations develops a post-2020 global biodiversity framework for the Convention on Biological Diversity, attention is focusing on how new goals and targets for ecosystem conservation might serve its vision of ‘living in harmony with nature’1,2. Advancing dual imperatives to conserve biodiversity and sustain ecosystem services requires reliable and resilient generalizations and predictions about ecosystem responses to environmental change and management3. Ecosystems vary in their biota4, service provision5 and relative exposure to risks6, yet there is no globally consistent classification of ecosystems that reflects functional responses to change and management. This hampers progress on developing conservation targets and sustainability goals. Here we present the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Ecosystem Typology, a conceptually robust, scalable, spatially explicit approach for generalizations and predictions about functions, biota, risks and management remedies across the entire biosphere. The outcome of a major cross-disciplinary collaboration, this novel framework places all of Earth’s ecosystems into a unifying theoretical context to guide the transformation of ecosystem policy and management from global to local scales. This new information infrastructure will support knowledge transfer for ecosystem-specific management and restoration, globally standardized ecosystem risk assessments, natural capital accounting and progress on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05318-4

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