Population: The Who of Biodiversity Law

Authors

Andrew W. Torrance, University of Kansas School of LawFollow
Bill Tomlinson, University of California, IrvineFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This Article investigates the impacts of human population, including distribution and growth, on biodiversity at every level—the biosphere, ecosystems, communities, populations, and individual organisms. It assesses how legal frameworks around the world address the pressures of human population on biodiversity. This Article explores how factors such as population size and migration contribute to biodiversity loss, with a focus on diverse regions around the globe. This Article offers a comparative overview of population-related laws in regions including North and South America, Europe, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. Key legislation, like the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act, the UK’s Environment Act 2021, and Norway’s Climate Change Act, is evaluated for its effectiveness in managing human population-driven biodiversity loss. International agreements like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are also reviewed for their role in coordinating global efforts to mitigate the ecological impacts on biodiversity of the human population. Based on this analysis, this Article suggests new legal approaches to integrate population policies with biodiversity conservation more efficiently. It demonstrates the importance of aligning urban planning, resource management, and climate adaptation efforts to reduce biodiversity loss. In conclusion, this Article proposes an updated legal framework to reconcile human population pressures with the protection of biodiversity at every level, including the biosphere, ecosystems, communities, populations, and individual organisms.

DOI

10.37419/JPL.V11.I4.5

First Page

673

Last Page

703

Recommended Citation

Andrew W. Torrance & Bill Tomlinson, Population: The Who of Biodiversity Law, 11 Tex. A&M J. Prop. L. 673 (2025).
Available at: https://doi.org/10.37419/JPL.V11.I4.5