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Showing 1–18 of 18 results
Advanced filters: Author: Ruth DeFries Clear advanced filters

  • In this age of abundant remote-sensing data, global datasets are increasingly relied upon to analyse the planet at unprecedented scale and resolution. We offer three considerations on uncertainties and potential misapplications of global datasets, to ensure results appropriate for decision making.

    • Matthew E. Fagan
    • Naomi B. Schwartz
    • Ruth S. DeFries
    Comments & Opinion
    Nature Ecology & Evolution
    Volume: 10, P: 160-163

  • Scientists disagree about area-based conservation’s role in addressing biodiversity loss. This Perspective examines how conservation scientists, land systems scientists and political ecologists approach these debates differently and argues that environmental data justice frameworks can bridge epistemic divides, helping researchers to develop more effective and equitable conservation interventions.

    • Jenny E. Goldstein
    • Dan Brockington
    • Ryan Unks
    Reviews
    Nature Reviews Biodiversity
    Volume: 2, P: 116-126

  • Emissions from landscape fires affect both climate and air quality. This study uses satellite-derived fire estimates and atmospheric modelling to quantify the effects on health from fire emissions in southeast Asia from 1997 to 2006. Strong El Nino years are found to increase the incidence of fires, in addition to those caused by anthropogenic land use change, leading to an additional 200 days per year when the WHO atmospheric particle target is exceeded and increase adult mortality by 2%. Reducing regional deforestation and degradation, and thereby forest fires caused by land use change would therefore improve public health.

    • Miriam E. Marlier
    • Ruth S. DeFries
    • Greg Faluvegi
    Research
    Nature Climate Change
    Volume: 3, P: 131-136

  • Reducing tropical deforestation is at present considered a cost-effective option for mitigating climate change. Satellite-based estimates of forest loss suggest that urban population growth and urban and international demand for agricultural products are key drivers of deforestation in the tropics.

    • Ruth S. DeFries
    • Thomas Rudel
    • Matthew Hansen
    Research
    Nature Geoscience
    Volume: 3, P: 178-181

  • A balanced diet is vital for human health, and the Sustainable Development Goals codify this aim. This study finds that trade helps ensure the equitable distribution of food nutrients globally, with implications for international trade policies.

    • Stephen A. Wood
    • Matthew R. Smith
    • Ruth S. DeFries
    Research
    Nature Sustainability
    Volume: 1, P: 34-37

  • To feed the world without further damaging the planet, Jeffrey Sachs and 24 food-system experts call for a global data collection and dissemination network to track the myriad impacts of different farming practices.

    • Jeffrey Sachs
    • Roseline Remans
    • Pedro A. Sanchez
    Comments & Opinion
    Nature
    Volume: 466, P: 558-560

  • A randomized controlled trial of a ‘payments for ecosystem services’ scheme in Uganda finds a significant reduction in deforestation, with cost-of-carbon savings greater than the price of the payments.

    • Ruth DeFries
    News & Views
    Nature Ecology & Evolution
    Volume: 1, P: 1222-1223

  • Biodiversity conservation is critical for promoting ecosystem services and human well-being, but current conservation efforts fail to protect most high priority zones. A mix of land-sparing and land-sharing is needed to safeguard critical ecosystems in India and across the Global South.

    • Arjun Srivathsa
    • Divya Vasudev
    • Uma Ramakrishnan
    Research
    Nature Sustainability
    Volume: 6, P: 568-577

  • The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 encompasses targets ranging from the eradication of hunger and malnutrition to ensuring a sustainable food production system. Conflicts between these goals gives rise to gaps in our understanding that hamper attempts at evidence-based policy-making.

    • Leslie Lipper
    • Ruth DeFries
    • Livia Bizikova
    Reviews
    Nature Plants
    Volume: 6, P: 1203-1210

  • A synthesis of recent research shows that the effects of human actions have already altered the regional hydrology and energy balance of parts of the Amazon basin, and that interactions between deforestation, fire and climate change are likely to further alter carbon storage, precipitation patterns and river discharge.

    • Eric A. Davidson
    • Alessandro C. de Araújo
    • Steven C. Wofsy
    Reviews
    Nature
    Volume: 481, P: 321-328

  • Designing restoration projects requires integrating socio-economic and cultural needs of local stakeholders for enduring and just outcomes. Using India as a case study, we demonstrate a people-centric approach to help policymakers translate global restoration prioritization studies for application to a country-specific context and to identify different socio-environmental conditions restoration programs could consider when siting projects. Focusing, in particular, on poverty quantified by living standards and land tenure, we find that of the 579 districts considered here, 116 of the poorest districts have high biophysical restoration potential (upper 50th percentile of both factors). In most districts, the predominant land tenure is private, indicating an opportunity to focus on agri-pastoral restoration over carbon and forest-based restoration projects.

    • Pooja Choksi
    • Arun Agrawal
    • Ruth DeFries
    Comments & OpinionOpen Access
    npj Biodiversity
    Volume: 2, P: 1-5