PlumX Metrics
Embed PlumX Metrics

Mathematical biases in the calculation of the Living Planet Index lead to overestimation of vertebrate population decline

Nature Communications, ISSN: 2041-1723, Vol: 15, Issue: 1, Page: 5295
2024
  • 0
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 24
    Captures
  • 18
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

  • Captures
    24
  • Mentions
    18
    • News Mentions
      13
      • News
        13
    • References
      3
      • Wikipedia
        3
    • Blog Mentions
      2
      • Blog
        2

Most Recent News

Finding Food and Solace in the Intertidal

On the complex pleasures of harvesting shellfish with the people you love. This article is also available in audio format. Listen now, download, or subscribe

Article Description

The Living Planet Index (LPI) measures the average change in population size of vertebrate species over recent decades and has been repeatedly used to assess the changing state of nature. The LPI indicates that vertebrate populations have decreased by almost 70% over the last 50 years. This is in striking contrast with current studies based on the same population time series data that show that increasing and decreasing populations are balanced on average. Here, we examine the methodological pipeline of calculating the LPI to search for the source of this discrepancy. We find that the calculation of the LPI is biased by several mathematical issues which impose an imbalance between detected increasing and decreasing trends and overestimate population declines. Rather than indicating that vertebrate populations do not substantially change, our findings imply that we need better measures for providing a balanced picture of current biodiversity changes. We also show some modifications to improve the reliability of the LPI.

Bibliographic Details

Toszogyova, Anna; Smyčka, Jan; Storch, David

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Chemistry; Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Physics and Astronomy

Provide Feedback

Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know