A link between evolution and society fostering the UN sustainable development goals

Luc De Meester, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany.
Ella Vázquez-Domínguez, Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico.
Rees Kassen, Department of Biology McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada.
Félix Forest, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond UK.
Mauricio R. Bellon, Comisión Nacional Para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) México City Mexico.
Britt Koskella, Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley California USA.
Rosa A. Scherson, Laboratorio Evolución y Sistemática, Departamento de Silvicultura y Conservación de la Naturaleza Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile.
Licia Colli, Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Della Nutrizione e Degli Alimenti, BioDNA Centro di Ricerca Sulla Biodiversità e Sul DNA Antico, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Piacenza Italy.
Andrew P. Hendry, Redpath Museum & Department of Biology McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada.
Keith A. Crandall, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics George Washington University Washington DC USA.
Daniel P. Faith, University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia.
Craig J. Starger, School of Global Environmental Sustainability Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA.
R Geeta, Department of Botany University of Delhi New Delhi India.
Hitoshi Araki, Research Faculty of Agriculture Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan.
Ehsan M. Dulloo, Effective Genetic Resources Conservation and Use Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Rome Italy.
Caroline Souffreau, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium.
Sibylle Schroer, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany.
Marc T. Johnson, Department of Biology & Centre for Urban Environments University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga Ontario Canada.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

6-1-2024

Journal

Evolutionary applications

Volume

17

Issue

6

DOI

10.1111/eva.13728

Keywords

contemporary evolutionary change; ecosystem services; genetic diversity; past evolutionary change; phylogenetic diversity; present evolutionary change; sustainability science

Abstract

Given the multitude of challenges Earth is facing, sustainability science is of key importance to our continued existence. Evolution is the fundamental biological process underlying the origin of all biodiversity. This phylogenetic diversity fosters the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change, and provides numerous resources to society, and options for the future. Genetic diversity within species is also key to the ability of populations to evolve and adapt to environmental change. Yet, the value of evolutionary processes and the consequences of their impairment have not generally been considered in sustainability research. We argue that biological evolution is important for sustainability and that the concepts, theory, data, and methodological approaches used in evolutionary biology can, in crucial ways, contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss how evolutionary principles are relevant to understanding, maintaining, and improving Nature Contributions to People (NCP) and how they contribute to the SDGs. We highlight specific applications of evolution, evolutionary theory, and evolutionary biology's diverse toolbox, grouped into four major routes through which evolution and evolutionary insights can impact sustainability. We argue that information on both within-species evolutionary potential and among-species phylogenetic diversity is necessary to predict population, community, and ecosystem responses to global change and to make informed decisions on sustainable production, health, and well-being. We provide examples of how evolutionary insights and the tools developed by evolutionary biology can not only inspire and enhance progress on the trajectory to sustainability, but also highlight some obstacles that hitherto seem to have impeded an efficient uptake of evolutionary insights in sustainability research and actions to sustain SDGs. We call for enhanced collaboration between sustainability science and evolutionary biology to understand how integrating these disciplines can help achieve the sustainable future envisioned by the UN SDGs.

Department

Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

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