Urbanization at the cost of biodiversity? Examining implications of urban growth on habitats and Key Biodiversity Areas in Indonesia

Keywords: urbanization, Indonesia, biodiversity loss, land cover change, key biodiversity areas
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

Urban land expansion has led to the loss and fragmentation of habitats across the world, and the rate has been larger in developing countries that also collectively harbor some of the most biodiverse habitats. Indonesia, a developing country with a rich biodiversity, has experienced significant urbanization over the last few decades. In this study, we asked where recent urban land expansion caused the largest habitat losses across the country, which species are the most affected, and if the protected status of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) made any difference in terms of habitat loss to urban land expansion. To this end, we studied the urban growth and its impact on habitats over a 23-year period (from 1992 to 2015) across the country as well as in and around its KBAs. Our results show ~67.5% urban growth in the country and ~8% within the KBAs during the time period. Sumatra and Kalimantan experienced the highest urban growth among the islands, at 124.5% and 99.2% respectively. KBAs affected by urban encroachment increased by 30% across the time period, with unprotected KBAs being more vulnerable than protected ones. To further understand how urban land expansion affected habitats critical for biodiversity conservation, we analyzed urban land expansion within the ranges of threatened species habitats across the country and within KBAs for amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Java , having the highest initial urban land area in the country, experienced the most urban expansion (by sq. km) as well as KBAs and habitats affected by urbanization.