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Review
. 2022 Jan;51(1):103-113.
doi: 10.1007/s13280-021-01547-5. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

How the loss of forest fauna undermines the achievement of the SDGs

Torsten Krause  1 , Andrew Tilker  2   3
Affiliations
Review

How the loss of forest fauna undermines the achievement of the SDGs

Torsten Krause et al. Ambio. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

The human-driven loss of biodiversity has numerous ecological, social, and economic impacts at the local and global levels, threatening important ecological functions and jeopardizing human well-being. In this perspective, we present an overview of how tropical defaunation-defined as the disappearance of fauna as a result of anthropogenic drivers such as hunting and habitat alteration in tropical forest ecosystems-is interlinked with four selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss tropical defaunation related to nutrition and zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). We propose a range of options on how to study defaunation in future research and how to address the ongoing tropical defaunation crisis, including but not limited to recent insights from policy, conservation management, and development practice.

Keywords: Carbon storage; Defaunation; Hunting; Nutrition; Security; Sustainable Development Goals; Tropical forest fauna; Well-being; Wild meat.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A summary of the interlinkages between defaunation and the SDGs. Source own illustration
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