Globally, ecosystems and biodiversity are under pressure. The extent of natural ecosystems has declined by 47% compared to its earliest estimated states, and about 25% of species are threatened with extinction, according to the science group IPBES. The Living Planet Index, which measures the change in abundance of species, shows a 73% average reduction in native species abundance since 1970.

This does not just harm the beauty of the planet, but also affects nature's contributions to people or 'ecosystem services'. Some examples of ecosystem services are:

• Regulating services: air quality, carbon storage, water filtration, and preventing soil erosion.

• Provisioning services: food, fiber, fuel, and drinking water.

• Cultural services: the beauty of nature, spiritual experience, and recreation.

• Supporting services, which enable the other ecosystem services: nutrient cycling, water cycling, and photosynthesis.

More than half of the world's economy is moderately or highly dependent on its services. This highlights the need to effectively protect the health of the world's ecosystems and their benefits to humanity.

Initiatives for effective work on ecosystems and biodiversity

Giving Green is currently researching impact strategies for biodiversity, focusing on land use change and fishing.

The EcoResilience Initiative is an informal group exploring the most promising interventions and ideas to impartially support the flourishing of life, inspired by effective altruism.

The Wild Animal Initiative advances humanity's understanding of the well-being of wild animals and what can be done to improve their well-being.

Further resources

Founders Pledge has produced several reports looking at effective approaches to ecosystems work:

• The most effective ways to protect, preserve, and rebuild ecosystems (2024)

• Reducing land use and returning agricultural land to nature (2023)

• The damage function for biosphere preservation (2024)

• The good, the bad, and the ugly of regenerative farming (2023)

Effektiv Spenden has produced a report called The Dual Climate & Biodiversity Crises: A perspective for donors about effective giving for biodiversity and climate change.

Some relevant academic papers include:

• Lynch & Blumstein (2020). Effective Conservation. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35(10), 857–860.

• Ryba & Connell (2020). Funding Conservation through an Emerging Social Movement. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35(1), 3–6.

• Scherer et al. (2020). Global priorities of environmental issues to combat food insecurity and biodiversity loss. Science of The Total Environment, 730, 139096.