Prioritize wild species abundance indicators | Science

In addition to adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to an accompanying monitoring framework to assess progress (1). However, the metrics in the monitoring framework do not adequately align with the GBF’s Goal A, one of the four overarching GBF goals (2), which states that “the abundance of native wild species [should be] increased to healthy and resilient levels.” The emphasis on the abundance of wild species is appropriate, as it constitutes a fundamental aspect of biodiversity (3). However, a corresponding abundance metric is not among the 25 “headline indicators,” on which the parties are required to report. The headline indicators, which include important metrics such as the extinction risk of species and the extent of natural ecosystems, are intended to capture the overall scope of and progress toward the goals and targets of GBF at both global and national levels (1). To meet the GBF’s objectives, abundance should be added to the list of headline indicators.