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Below, we post peer-reviewed scientific research papers, newspaper articles and scientific reports about deforestation, land use change and the current biodiversity decline crisis, legislative actions, and other relevant information.

How much land needs to be protected for long-term biodiversity persistence?

Dinerstein et al. A global deal for Nature: guiding principles, milestones, and targets. Science Advances 5:1-15, April 19, 2019.

The mass extinction of life on Earth is occurring now

Leroy, F. et al. 2026. Acceleration hotspots of North American birds’ decline are associated with agriculture. Science 391(6788).
Noss R., et al. 2023. A Brief History of the Natural Areas Movement. Natural Areas Journal 43(3):169.
Agricultural land lost to development in Ohio. Islam, M. et al. The Ohio State University Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, August 12, 2024.
To Meet Pledges to Save Forests Spending Must Triple, U.N. Report Says. The New York Times, October 27, 2025.
How a city shapes its forests: Land use change and forest distribution around Cleveland, Ohio over 220 years. Flinn, K. M. and Hughes, Z.R. Urban Ecosystems, October 21, 2023, https:/doi.org/10.1007/s11252-023-014590.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for the Conservation of Nature. 2025.

Rapid monitoring of global land change. Nature Communications 16:18948. 2025.
A new Ohio nature preserve protects 3,000 acres of Appalachian foothills. The Ohio Newsroom, September 11, 2025.
Like Humans, Every Tree Has Its Own Microbiome, a New Study Has Found. The New York Times, August 27, 2025.
Global loss of mountain vegetated landscapes and its impact on biodiversity. Nature Communications 16:8971. 2025.

Biodiversity Fact Sheet. World Health Organization 2025.

Forest land use change effects on biodiversity ecosystem services and human well-being: A systematic analysis. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators 23:100445. 2024.
Biodiversity impacts of recent land use change driven by increases in agri-food imports. Nature Sustainability 7:1512. 2024.
Biodiversity in Focus: United States Edition. NatureServe. 2023.
The direct drivers of recent global anthropogenic biodiversity loss. Science Advances 8:9982. 2022.
The breakdown of ecosystem functionality driven by deforestation in a global biodiversity hotspot. Biological Conservation 283:110126. 2023.
Land use changes in the Southeastern United States: Quantitative changes, drivers and expected environmental impacts. Land 11:2246. 2022.