Human footprint in biodiversity hotspots

Natural ecosystems are disappearing at an increasing rate, and disappearing along with them is the immense biodiversity they contain. In addition to direct factors influencing the conversion of natural ecosystems to agriculture, international trade and consumption of products in wealthy countries have also been implicated as drivers of ecosystem change. We used quantitatively advanced methods to connect loss of potential net primary production (NPP) in global biodiversity hotspots to its ultimate driver - final consumption (eg consumption by households and government) - and identified the origins of agricultural products through global supply chains to quantify spatial impacts on the potential photosynthetic production of natural ecosystems. Using embodied potential NPP equivalents, we estimated the footprint of final consumption on ecosystems in the most threatened biodiversity hotspots. Our results contribute to the identification of conservation priorities from the perspective of consumer responsibility.