A horizon scan of biological conservation issues for 2026
This 17th horizon scan identifies 15 emerging issues that may influence global biodiversity conservation over the next decade. A panel of scientists, practitioners, and policymakers assessed novel and poorly understood risks and opportunities, including AI-driven biodiversity monitoring, land‑use change linked to new pharmaceuticals, and unknown effects of mirror biomolecules.
Subject Tags
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
- Conservation Technology
- Biodiversity
Abstract
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.
Citation
Sutherland, W. J., Butchart, S. H., Clarke, S. J., Doar, N. R., Doran, H., Douglas, I. C., ... & Thornton, A. (2026). A horizon scan of biological conservation issues for 2026. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 41(1), 91-101.
TNC Authors
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Mark D. Spalding
Senior Marine Scientist. Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters
The Nature Conservancy
Email: mspalding@tnc.org