The concept, approach, and effectiveness of no net loss of biodiversity
Received date: 2024-04-09
Revised date: 2025-03-10
Online published: 2025-07-23
Supported by
National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFF1303201)
The biodiversity loss due to human activities is occurring at an alarming rate and there is an urgent need to reverse biodiversity decline. No net loss is widely used in environmental impact assessments and serves as an important approach to advancing global biodiversity conservation goals. We systematically reviewed the concept, approach, and effectiveness of no net loss of biodiversity. The early stage of no net loss focused on wetlands, gradually shifting to biodiversity. No net loss of biodiversity is defined as compensating for biodiversity loss caused by human activities, to ensure that the overall biodiversity will not suffer from net loss. Mitigation hierarchy is a recognized systematic approach for achieving no net loss of biodiversity, with avoidance and minimization as preventive measures and restoration and offset as remedial measures. Firstly, negative impacts should be avoided as much as possible. Secondly, if impacts are unavoidable, they should be minimized. Thirdly, the affected area should be restored. Finally, all remaining impacts should be offset. Existing research focuses mostly on biodiversity offset, but it is urgent to move towards effective combinations of mitigation hierarchy to achieve no net loss. Effectiveness evaluation of no net loss of biodiversity has received increasing attention in recent years, and evaluation approaches include statistical matching and regression models. The determination criteria largely influence effectiveness evaluation and are mainly categorized into fixed and dynamic reference baselines, but counterfactual scenarios determination and biodiversity measurement remain challenging. Evidence on the effectiveness of no net loss policies remains scarce, mainly because of unreliable measurement approaches and lack of data to assess whether no net loss is achieved. Future research on no net loss of biodiversity needs to focus on the topics such as the synergistic conservation between diversity and endemism, as well as uncertainty about the achievement of goals, temporal trade-offs of mitigation hierarchy measures, and spatial ranges in achieving no net loss.
XU Dongmei , PENG Jian . The concept, approach, and effectiveness of no net loss of biodiversity[J]. Acta Geographica Sinica, 2025 , 80(7) : 1872 -1887 . DOI: 10.11821/dlxb202507010
表1 生物多样性无净损失等概念出处Tab. 1 Classic sources of no net loss of biodiversity and related concepts |
| 中文 | 英文 | 来源 |
|---|---|---|
| 生物多样性无净损失 | No net loss of biodiversity | [20-21] |
| 缓解等级 | Mitigation hierarchy | [14, 22] |
| 避免 | Avoidance | [23-24] |
| 最小化 | Minimization | [23] |
| 恢复 | Restoration | [25-26] |
| 生物多样性抵消 | Biodiversity offset | [27-29] |
| 生物多样性补偿 | Biodiversity compensation | [30] |
| 参照基准 | Reference baseline | [18, 31] |
| 自然向好 | Nature positive | [32-33] |
| 净收益 | Net gain | https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/biodiversity-net-gain |
| 净积极影响 | Net positive impact | [34-35] |
图2 实现生物多样性无净损失的缓解等级及其关联Fig. 2 Mitigation hierarchy and interrelationships in achieving no net loss of biodiversity |
表2 基于缓解等级实现无净损失的生物多样性保护行动Tab. 2 Biodiversity conservation actions based on mitigation hierarchy for no net loss |
| 缓解等级 | 措施 | 具体行动 | 相关案例 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 避免 | 空间选址 时间安排 | 保护区设立;零毁林承诺;禁止濒危物种贸易;防止引进外来入侵物种;避开脆弱性较高的时间段 | 坦桑尼亚液化天然气安装设施选址:严格避免高生物多样性价值的区域;加拿大Kiggavik铀矿项目的道路选址与管理:避免道路分布对迁徙驯鹿造成影响,且在驯鹿移动或迁徙期间,道路活动将被停止或管理 |
| 最小化 | 物理控制 操作控制 减排控制 | 建设道路野生动物通道;控制或管理外来入侵物种的影响;有机和低化学投入农业;减少开发产生的噪声量、粉尘等 | 瑞典北部Västerbotten的金矿污染最小化:该金矿位于Natura 2000区域的集水区,为减少其环境影响,所有来自矿区的水都被收集、处理并通过分水岭输送到另一个集水区 |
| 恢复 | 受影响区域的生境和生物多样性重建 | 退化生态系统恢复;化学去污;根除外来入侵物种;物种资源补充和重新引入 | 意大利Agri River Valley森林和草地恢复:保留受干扰地区的表土或从附近参照系统获取表土,选用本地种子重新播种,管理外来入侵物种 |
| 抵消 | 受影响区域以外的保护和恢复 | 保护区扩张;生物多样性损失区域以外开展保护和修复行动 | 澳大利亚塔斯马尼亚州和维多利亚州间的电缆工程生态影响抵消:受影响的地点位于国家森林特别保护区内,在与项目主要影响地点相邻的具有类似但退化植被的区域,进行恢复、维护和改善栖息地 |
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