Causal methods

From tropical shelters to temperate defaunation: The relationship between agricultural transition stage and the distribution of threatened mammals
Aim
Agriculture is a key threat to biodiversity; however, its relationship with biodiversity patterns is understudied. Here, we evaluate …
DOI
Middle-range theories of land system change
Changes in land systems generate many sustainability challenges. Identifying more sustainable land-use alternatives requires solid …
DOI
Models meet data: Challenges and opportunities in implementing land management in Earth system models
As the applications of Earth system models (ESMs) move from general climate projections toward questions of mitigation and adaptation, …
DOI
Where are Europe’s last primary forests?
Primary forests have high conservation value but are rare in Europe due to historic land use. Yet many primary forest patches remain …
DOI
Agriculture rivals biomes in predicting global species richness
Species–area relationships (SARs) provide an avenue to model patterns of species richness and have recently been shown to vary …
DOI
Biodiversity at risk under future cropland expansion and intensification
Agriculture is the leading driver of biodiversity loss. However, its future impact on biodiversity remains unclear, especially because …
DOI
Characterizing European cultural landscapes: Accounting for structure, management intensity and value of agricultural and forest landscapes
Almost all rural areas in Europe have been shaped or altered by humans and can be considered cultural landscapes, many of which now are …
DOI
Differences in production, carbon stocks and biodiversity outcomes of land tenure regimes in the Argentine Dry Chaco
Rising global demand for agricultural products results in agricultural expansion and intensification, with substantial environmental …
DOI
Quasi-experimental methods enable stronger inferences from observational data in ecology
Many systems and processes in ecology cannot be experimentally controlled, either because the temporal and spatial scales are too …
DOI
Drivers of changes in agricultural intensity in Europe
The global demand for agricultural products will increase in the 21st century, unless major transformations in consumptive behaviour …
DOI