Scanning horizons in 2026
Sutherland, W.J., Butchart, S.H.M., Clarke, S.J., Doar, N.R., Doran, H., Douglas, I.C., Field, D.J., Fleishman, E., Gaston, K.J., Herbert-Read, J.E., Hughes, A.C., Kaartokallio, H., Maggs, L., Palardy, J.E., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Peck, L.S., Pettorelli, N., Schloss, I.R., Spalding, M.D., Timoshyna, A., Tubbs, N., Uehara, T., Watson, J.E.M., Wentworth, J., Wilson, J.D. & Thornton, A. 2026. A horizon scan of biological conservation issues for 2026. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 41, 91-101.
We present outcomes from our 17th horizon scan of issues potentially impacting global biodiversity conservation in the next decade. Issues are novel, or represent a significant step-change in impact, and are currently not well-known or understood within the conservation community. Our panel of 26 scientists, practitioners, and policymakers scored an initial list of 96 issues, discussed the highest ranked 35 issues at a workshop, and identified the 15 top-ranked issues. This year, technology innovations, including low-power optic artificial intelligence (AI) chips and tiny machine learning (TinyML) models, could revolutionize biodiversity monitoring. We highlight impacts from changes in land-use driven by appetite-suppressing pharmaceuticals and the unknown effects of mirror biomolecules. Highlighting these issues may increase awareness of any impacts on global biodiversity conservation.