Between 2000 and 2013, Earth lost an area of undisturbed ecosystems roughly the size of Mexico.
That's the mind-melting finding of a new study published in One Earth and the researchers say it has "profound implications" for global biodiversity and for humans who rely on natural resources.
"We were expecting there to be high levels of intact ecosystem and wilderness loss, but the results were shocking," lead researcher Brooke Williams of the University of Queensland told The Guardian. "We found substantial area of intact ecosystems had been lost in just 13 years nearly two million square kilometres which is terrifying to think about. Our findings show that human pressure is extending ever further into the last ecologically intact and wilderness areas."
In total, the researchers found that 1.9 million square kilometers (approximately 700,000 square miles) of previously intact ecosystem area had been "highly modified" during the study period. They also found that 58.4 percent of Earth's land ecosystems were under "moderate or intense" pressure from human activity, while only 41.6 percent of ecosystems were intact and 25 percent were true wilderness.
The 1.9 million square kilometers lost were mostly tropical and subtropical grasslands in Asia, South America and Africa, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which participated in the research. The rainforests of Southeast Asia also suffered significant human encroachments.
The 1.9 million square kilometers lost were in Asia, South America and Africa.
Image: One Earth
To achieve these results, an international team of 17 scientists from six countries used satellite imagery to assess the human footprint on land-based ecosystems and how it had changed between 2000 and 2013, The Guardian explained. The researchers found that human pressure increased on nearly 20 percent of the globe and decreased on only around six percent.
"Data does not lie," senior author James Watson from WCS and the University of Queensland said in the WCS press release. "Humanity keeps on shrinking the amount of land that other species need to survive. In a time of rapid climate change, we need to proactively secure the last intact ecosystems on the planet, as these are critical in the fight to stop extinction and halt climate change."
The study comes amidst other dire news for wildlife and biodiversity. A UN study released last week found that world governments had failed to achieve any of the 20 targets they had set for preserving biodiversity by 2020. Another study published this month found that wildlife populations had plummeted 68 percent on average over the last 50 years.
Williams explained to WCS why the loss of intact ecosystems is such a big deal for humans and other animals.
"Intact lands are relied on by biodiversity for habitat, and by people for ecosystem services such as climate regulation and clean water," Williams said. "We continue to take these last functioning places for granted, and our results show urgent action is needed to protect those lands that do remain intact."
See the original post:
This is the size of undisturbed ecosystems lost in 13 years - World Economic Forum
- Euronet Worldwide, Inc., Uses Its REN Ecosystem to Drive Digital Growth Strategy and Modernization of Payments Systems for Cosmos Bank in India -... - December 17th, 2020
- Learning Ecosystem: Why You Need One, How to Build It - ATD - December 17th, 2020
- VHA Innovation Ecosystem Taps MDClone to Leverage Synthetic Data for Faster Healthcare to Veterans - - HIT Consultant - December 17th, 2020
- FreedomPay and Sightline Payments Partner to Create World's First Cashless Ecosystem for Casinos, Resorts and Gaming Operators - GlobeNewswire - December 17th, 2020
- If the startup ecosystem can survive a pandemic, it can survive anything - Ruchira Shukla and Alok Goyal - YourStory - December 17th, 2020
- Leverage the Westcon-Comstor Services Bench partner ecosystem - ARNnet - December 17th, 2020
- Cybersecurity Stocktaking in the Connected and Automated Mobility Ecosystem - Lexology - December 17th, 2020
- MDClone Partners with VHA Innovation Ecosystem to Provide Better, Smarter, Faster Healthcare to U.S. Veterans - Business Wire - December 17th, 2020
- Open Mainframe Project Welcomes New Project Tessia, HCL Technologies and Red Hat to its Ecosystem - PRNewswire - December 17th, 2020
- Path of destruction: Road to Anjaneri hilltop could threaten fragile rocky outcrop ecosystem - Mongabay-India - December 17th, 2020
- Gotransverse Closes 2020 with Globalization, Business Intelligence, Ecosystem, and Personalization Features for Innovative Monetization Models -... - December 17th, 2020
- Accelerated digitalization, beefed-up edge among other key trends to watch across digital ecosystem in 2021 - Business Review - December 17th, 2020
- IBM outlines commitment to developing the Quantum ecosystem in India More than 1,400 students trained on Qis.. - ETCIO.com - December 17th, 2020
- CrossTower Added as Liquidity Source to the Blockfills ECN Ecosystem - GlobeNewswire - December 17th, 2020
- code Talks: a podcast series on driving innovation with an open health care ecosystem - cerner.com - December 17th, 2020
- Building a Cost-Effective, High-Performing BI Ecosystem on the Cloud - Datanami - December 17th, 2020
- GPX India adds NIXI to the GPX Interconnection Ecosystem - Express Computer - December 17th, 2020
- Ecologists have studied the role carrion plays in the ecosystem of the Bavarian Forest National Park - India Education Diary - December 17th, 2020
- ICON blockchain expands DeFi ecosystem with ETH Orbit Bridge integration - CryptoNinjas - December 17th, 2020
- There's an ecosystem beneath your feetand it needs protection, new report says - Science Magazine - December 5th, 2020
- Apple M1 is the boost the Windows ecosystem needed: Qualcomm - ZDNet - December 5th, 2020
- An overview of key players in the private network ecosystem - RCR Wireless News - December 5th, 2020
- Polkadot Joins Hands with Chainlink to Overcome Decentralized Nature of Its... - Coinspeaker - December 5th, 2020
- Programme launched to strengthen tech ecosystem in Western Cape - - Ventureburn - December 5th, 2020
- Update on Intel's Neuromorphic Ecosystem Growth and Progress - Business Wire - December 5th, 2020
- Students are drawn into the ecosystem through real impact and relevant goals - not with Brainport-lingo - Innovation Origins - December 5th, 2020
- The Greater Data Ecosystem: Driving Decision-Making | Data & Data Analytics - Supply Chain Digital - The Procurement & Supply Chain Platform - December 5th, 2020
- How KubeLinter fits in the CNCF Ecosystem - Security Boulevard - December 5th, 2020
- Report finds the CSS ecosystem is going through a renewal with new features - SDTimes.com - December 5th, 2020
- The infrastructure of Kick Ecosystem - hackernoon.com - September 25th, 2020
- Humans Destroyed Intact Ecosystem Land the Size of Mexico in Just 13 Years - EcoWatch - September 25th, 2020
- maurices Partners with TCS to Build Greenfield IT Ecosystem for its Growth and Transformation - PRNewswire - September 25th, 2020
- Helping the UN Guide Ecosystem Restoration Into the Mainstream - CSRwire.com - September 25th, 2020
- Don't eat the rainforests: Top brands complicit in Indonesia's ecosystem destruction, probe alleges - Down To Earth Magazine - September 25th, 2020
- Colombia: Cross Border Tech Innovation and Ecosystem building - PRNewswire - September 25th, 2020
- The DNS Ecosystem, Its Vulnerabilities, and Threat Mitigations - CircleID - September 25th, 2020
- Scaling Up The Start-up Ecosystem Recommendations Of Standing Committee On Finance - Finance and Banking - India - Mondaq News Alerts - September 25th, 2020
- VR AR Content Creation Ecosystem Market will Register a Significant CAGR During Period 2020-2026 | 18.5% CAGR| Know the Companies List Could... - September 25th, 2020
- Why the new farm Bills should excite the advertising ecosystem - Business Standard - September 25th, 2020
- The Launching Ceremony for XnMatrix Wrapped Up, the Next Generation of Cloud Computing Eco-System Sets Sail - AiThority - September 4th, 2020
- Why Harmless Harvest takes an ecosystem-based approach to business - New Hope Network - September 4th, 2020
- An 'Ecosystem' Has Propelled NYC Life Sciences Over The Past 5 Years - Bisnow - September 4th, 2020
- BorgWarner expands collaboration with startup ecosystem Plug and Play - Automotive World - September 4th, 2020
- 'Drilling Would Have Devastating Impacts on This Fragile Ecosystem' - FAIR - September 4th, 2020
- Jellypipe launches its online AM ecosystem in the UK and Ireland - Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine - September 4th, 2020
- A Burgeoning Robotic Ecosystem Is Reshaping the Business Landscape - IoT World Today - September 4th, 2020
- New approach needed to protect health of Californias rivers - CALmatters - September 4th, 2020
- Ricoh unveils new AI-powered digital transformation ecosystem to drive Workflow and Process Automation - PRNewswire - September 4th, 2020
- Global mHealth Ecosystem Market Size, Comprehensive Analysis, Development Strategy, Future Plans and Industry Growth with High CAGR by Forecast 2025 |... - September 4th, 2020
- IoT Ecosystem Creates an Optimized Smart Warehouse - The Union Journal - September 4th, 2020
- Eight Startups That Could Transform The Aviation Ecosystem - Aviation Week - September 4th, 2020
- TRON and Band Protocol Form Strategic Partnership; Scalable Oracle Technology and Ecosystem Integrations Underway - Business Wire - September 4th, 2020
- The Eight Startups That Could Transform The Aviation Ecosystem - Aviation Week - September 4th, 2020
- Eisai will shift U.S. HQ to New Jersey 'bio-ecosystem' in move to boost oncology, neurology portfolios - FiercePharma - August 12th, 2020
- What is an entrepreneurial ecosystem? And why you need one to raise a startup - TNW - August 12th, 2020
- Thales Expands Technology Partner Ecosystem to Accelerate Enterprises' Cloud and Digital Transformation Initiatives - Business Wire - August 12th, 2020
- Navajo Nation and Environmental Groups Oppose Dam Project Impacting Grand Canyon Ecosystem - Between The Lines - August 12th, 2020
- Alchemy Goes Public With Developer Platform in Bid to Grow DeFi Ecosystem - CoinDesk - CoinDesk - August 12th, 2020
- ScamNation Report Profiles Digital Ecosystem Targeting Readers of False, Hyperpartisan News with COVID-19 Subscription Traps - GlobeNewswire - August 12th, 2020
- Ecosystem Services: Nature's Gifts That Help Us Thrive | Earth 911 - Earth911.com - August 12th, 2020
- How an entrepreneur saved Kerala wetland ecosystem from real estate interest - Down To Earth Magazine - August 12th, 2020
- QDX HealthID Signs Distribution Agreement with Innova Medical Group Inc. Adding Antigen, Molecular and Antibody Tests to its COVID-19 Test Ecosystem -... - August 12th, 2020
- 5 VCs on the future of Michigans startup ecosystem - TechCrunch - August 12th, 2020
- VCIA: blockchain-based ecosystem will shape digital future of captive industry - Captive Insurance Times - August 12th, 2020
- Microsoft and Samsung need each other now more than ever - The Verge - August 12th, 2020
- "ScamNation" Report Profiles Digital Ecosystem Targeting Readers of False, Hyperpartisan News with COVID-19 Subscription Traps - Benzinga - August 12th, 2020
- "Transitioning to future with stronger APAC healthcare ecosystem" - BSA bureau - August 12th, 2020
- BBT is the first and most competitive game ecosystem - GameDev.net - August 12th, 2020
- Purple urchin has overrun kelp forests, commercial divers and conservationists have have joined forces to restore the North Coasts marine ecosystem -... - August 12th, 2020
- Four Altcoins Could Break Out As Ethereum-Based Ecosystem Goes Parabolic, According to Messari Researcher - The Daily Hodl - August 12th, 2020
- Samsung Unveils Five New Power Devices in the Galaxy Ecosystem to Empower Your Work and Play - Samsung Global Newsroom - August 10th, 2020
- Google Cloud partner ecosystem is thriving and valuable to partner companies, says IDC - TechRepublic - August 10th, 2020
- Global Forecasts for the Intelligent Transportation System Market to 2025 with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Offering, System, Application, and... - August 10th, 2020
- Diversity & Inclusion in Investment Management: SEC Explores Creating a More Inclusive Capital Formation Ecosystem - JD Supra - August 10th, 2020
- New Marine Park in Australia's Northern Territory Protects a Flourishing Ecosystem - The Pew Charitable Trusts - August 10th, 2020
- Ecosystem of innovation - The News International - August 10th, 2020
- Chehalis River: Watershed Helath, Climate Resilience, and Ecosystem Restoration - The Columbian - August 10th, 2020
- CerebrumX Launched - Buckling Up the Car Data Monetization Ecosystem for the Exciting Ride Ahead - PRNewswire - August 10th, 2020
- Vinli Hires George Ayres as Executive Vice President of Partnerships to Drive the Future of Its Connected Vehicle Ecosystem - PRNewswire - August 10th, 2020
- 6 Ways to Build the Healthcare System of the Future - HealthLeaders Media - August 10th, 2020