France biodiversity report identifies soil artificialization as primary threat

A new official report on biodiversity in France reveals a significant decline in the health of natural habitats and species. Published in early September by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in collaboration with the Office français de la biodiversité, the report covers the period from 2019 to 2024. It is based on over 1,000 scientific evaluations of 129 natural habitats and 307 animal and plant species.

The findings indicate that 67% of the evaluations are judged to be in unfavorable condition, compared to 64% in the previous assessment. Only 22% of species and habitats are in a favorable state of conservation, representing a 26% decrease from the previous period. Furthermore, 39% of evaluations show a clear downward trend, a figure that rises to 49% when excluding insufficient data.

The report identifies soil artificialization—the conversion of natural or agricultural land into built environments, roads, or parking lots—as the primary pressure on French biodiversity, surpassing agricultural intensification and pollution. This process leads to the disappearance of hedges, meadows, and wetlands. Additionally, extreme weather events, such as record-breaking heat and droughts, continue to strain already fragile ecosystems.