Throughout the world, biodiversity and nature's contributions to people are under threat, with clear changes evident. Biodiversity and ecosystem services have particular value in Africa– yet they are negatively impacted by a range of drivers, including land use and climate change. In this communication, we show evidence of changing biodiversity and ecosystem services in Africa, as well as the current most significant drivers of change. We then consider five plausible futures for the African continent, each underlain by differing assumptions. In three out of the five futures under consideration, negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services are likely to persist. Those two plausible futures prioritizing environment and sustainability, however, are shown as the most likely paths to achieving long term development objectives without compromising the continent's biodiversity and ecosystem services. Such a finding shows clearly that achievement of such objectives cannot be separated from full recognition of the value of such services.

在全世界范围内，生物多样性和自然对人类的贡献正受到威胁，而且显而易见的变化显而易见。生物多样性和生态系统服务在非洲具有特殊价值，但受到包括土地利用和气候变化在内的一系列驱动因素的负面影响。在这次交流中，我们显示了非洲生物多样性和生态系统服务正在变化的证据，以及当前最重要的变化驱动力。然后，我们考虑非洲大陆的五种可能的期货，每种期货都基于不同的假设。在所考虑的五分之三的未来中，对生物多样性和生态系统服务的负面影响可能会持续存在。但是，这两个有前途的未来优先考虑了环境和可持续性，被显示为在不损害非洲大陆生物多样性和生态系统服务的前提下实现长期发展目标的最可能途径。这样的发现清楚地表明，实现这些目标离不开充分认识到这种服务的价值。