Quantifying the impact of land cover change on species extinction risk

Abstract

Quantifying the impact of land cover change on species extinction risk. Development, application and the future of the LIFE metric.

Halting biodiversity loss requires metrics that quantify how harmful and beneficial human activities alter species’ risks of extinction. To address this need, we developed the LIFE (Land-cover change Impacts on Future Extinctions) metric, which quantifies marginal changes in extinction risk for over 30,000 terrestrial vertebrate species resulting from habitat loss or restoration. LIFE is spatially explicit, scalable, and comparable across sites. We have collaborated with NGOs, consultancies, and governments to apply the metric in both scientific and decision-making contexts. The talk discusses the development of the LIFE metric, its applications in practice, and priorities for future improvement, highlighting key lessons learned during its development and implementation.

 

Date & Time

The talk will take place on February 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. online via Zoom.
Meeting ID: 627 1360 8448. Passcode: 381948

 

Image by Nico Boersen from Pixabay

Bio

Alison Eyres

Alison Eyres is an interdisciplinary ecologist and data scientist working at the interface of evolution, conservation, and applied ecology science. She uses large-scale datasets and quantitative approaches to understand past, present, and future biodiversity change, with a particular focus on how land-use decisions translate into extinction risk. In her role at the University of Cambridge, Alison developed the LIFE (Land-use Impacts on Future Extinctions) metric, which enables the quantification of the biodiversity impacts of land-use change in terms of expected species extinctions. Furthermore, Alison is a British Ecological Society Policy Fellow at the Office for Environmental Protection, where she works on the role of Protected Landscapes in delivering national and global biodiversity commitments.