During the next 50 years, global agricultural expansion
threatens to impact worldwide biodiversity on an
unprecedented scale that may rival climate change in
its significance for the persistence of a panoply of species
(Tilman et al., 2001). Predictions of an increase in the
human global population to around 9 billion (UN,
2003) could result in a further one billion hectares of
natural habitat, primarily in the developing world, being
converted to agricultural production, together with a
doubling or trebling of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs,
a twofold increase in the demand for water and a threefold
increase in pesticide usage. This is despite the likelihood of a net withdrawal of land from agriculture in the developed world
During the next 50 years, global agricultural expansionthreatens to impact worldwide biodiversity on anunprecedented scale that may rival climate change inits significance for the persistence of a panoply of species(Tilman et al., 2001). Predictions of an increase in thehuman global population to around 9 billion (UN,2003) could result in a further one billion hectares ofnatural habitat, primarily in the developing world, beingconverted to agricultural production, together with adoubling or trebling of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs,a twofold increase in the demand for water and a threefoldincrease in pesticide usage. This is despite the likelihood of a net withdrawal of land from agriculture in the developed world
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