Abandoning land transforms nature

View from an abandoned house into the overgrown landscape Photo: Malkolm Boothroyd Research team including Göttingen University shows impact on biodiversity of abandoned land The past 50 years have seen an increased exodus of populations from rural to urban areas and more than half the world's population now lives in or around a city. This proportion is likely to rise to around 70% by 2050, leading to a rise in the number of abandoned fields, pastures, mines, factories, and even entire villages. Since the 1950s, the amount of abandoned land has grown to around 400 million hectares globally, yet the impact of this changing situation - exacerbated by war and climate change - on nature is not yet entirely clear. Researchers from the University of Göttingen and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria show that abandoning lands could be both an opportunity and a threat for biodiversity. Their review highlights why abandoned lands are critical in the assessment of global restoration and conservation targets. The findings were published in a perspective piece in Science . All that is left of the old sheep pen are the remains of walls and a metal frame.