Is it realistic and will it be sufficient to protect 30% (as proposed by COP 15) or even 50% (as proposed by E.O. Wilson) of the Earth’s land and water areas (land-sparing approach) to stop biodiversity loss? Or do we need to use the remaining 70% (or 50%) of areas more sustainably and nature friendly (land-sharing approach)?

In the fight to preserve biodiversity, land-sparing and land-sharing concepts are often discussed as alternatives. In reality, however, a combination of both will be needed, as it is not only about preserving wilderness but also about protecting valuable cultivated landscapes and synanthropic species. What is needed for all the different habitats on earth is not only protected areas, but also wilderness-friendly land-sharing concepts. In this session, we will hear two talks and a discussion on these approaches and find out how synergies between land-sparing and land-sharing strategies can succeed in different habitats.

Speakers:

               Teja Tscharntke (University of Göttingen, Germany) – “Mixing land sparing with land sharing”

       Markus Fischer (University of Bern, Switzerland) – "Thriving Landscapes?"