Global map reveals ‘unsafe levels’ of biodiversity across 58pc of Earth’s surface

Biodiversity has dropped below the “safe limit” across 58 per cent of the Earth’s surface, according to the most comprehensive analysis of global data to date.

The international study, published today in the journal Science, suggests that the degree of lost biodiversity across more than half the world’s surface is substantial enough to question the ability of many ecosystems to support human societies.

Key points

Planet’s “safe limits” exceeded if less than 90 per cent abundance of original species or 80 per cent of those species is retained Analysis found average local abundance of species across the world was 84.6 per cent Other experts say study is a warning but more work needed to clarify

more…

CrazyNeutrino said:

Global map reveals ‘unsafe levels’ of biodiversity across 58pc of Earth’s surface

Biodiversity has dropped below the “safe limit” across 58 per cent of the Earth’s surface, according to the most comprehensive analysis of global data to date.

The international study, published today in the journal Science, suggests that the degree of lost biodiversity across more than half the world’s surface is substantial enough to question the ability of many ecosystems to support human societies.

Key points

Planet’s “safe limits” exceeded if less than 90 per cent abundance of original species or 80 per cent of those species is retained Analysis found average local abundance of species across the world was 84.6 per cent Other experts say study is a warning but more work needed to clarify

more…

Yes, we are doing a damn fine job there, soon we’ll be on the slide to mass extinction. Can’t wait.

PermeateFree said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Global map reveals ‘unsafe levels’ of biodiversity across 58pc of Earth’s surface

Biodiversity has dropped below the “safe limit” across 58 per cent of the Earth’s surface, according to the most comprehensive analysis of global data to date.

The international study, published today in the journal Science, suggests that the degree of lost biodiversity across more than half the world’s surface is substantial enough to question the ability of many ecosystems to support human societies.

Key points

Planet’s “safe limits” exceeded if less than 90 per cent abundance of original species or 80 per cent of those species is retained Analysis found average local abundance of species across the world was 84.6 per cent Other experts say study is a warning but more work needed to clarify

more…

Yes, we are doing a damn fine job there, soon we’ll be on the slide to mass extinction. Can’t wait.

You’re too late, it already happened. First the megafaunal extinction. Then the ice ages. Then agriculture. Then the massive insecticide sprayings and wetland destruction for malaria control in 1905 to 1942. Then the Chinese “war on the four pests” 1966 to 1976.

Each mass extinction was smaller than the previous one.

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Global map reveals ‘unsafe levels’ of biodiversity across 58pc of Earth’s surface

Biodiversity has dropped below the “safe limit” across 58 per cent of the Earth’s surface, according to the most comprehensive analysis of global data to date.

The international study, published today in the journal Science, suggests that the degree of lost biodiversity across more than half the world’s surface is substantial enough to question the ability of many ecosystems to support human societies.

Key points

Planet’s “safe limits” exceeded if less than 90 per cent abundance of original species or 80 per cent of those species is retained Analysis found average local abundance of species across the world was 84.6 per cent Other experts say study is a warning but more work needed to clarify

more…

Yes, we are doing a damn fine job there, soon we’ll be on the slide to mass extinction. Can’t wait.

You’re too late, it already happened. First the megafaunal extinction. Then the ice ages. Then agriculture. Then the massive insecticide sprayings and wetland destruction for malaria control in 1905 to 1942. Then the Chinese “war on the four pests” 1966 to 1976.

Each mass extinction was smaller than the previous one.

However if bees went extinct it’s at tiny extinction event in number of species but massive ramifications for us humans

Cymek said:

However if bees went extinct it’s at tiny extinction event in number of species but massive ramifications for us humans

There is not a single native species anywhere in the world that relies solely on the honeybee for reproduction.

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

However if bees went extinct it’s at tiny extinction event in number of species but massive ramifications for us humans

There is not a single native species anywhere in the world that relies solely on the honeybee for reproduction.

If bees went extinct would a large number of crops no longer gets fertilised and stop fruiting

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Global map reveals ‘unsafe levels’ of biodiversity across 58pc of Earth’s surface

Biodiversity has dropped below the “safe limit” across 58 per cent of the Earth’s surface, according to the most comprehensive analysis of global data to date.

The international study, published today in the journal Science, suggests that the degree of lost biodiversity across more than half the world’s surface is substantial enough to question the ability of many ecosystems to support human societies.

Key points

Planet’s “safe limits” exceeded if less than 90 per cent abundance of original species or 80 per cent of those species is retained Analysis found average local abundance of species across the world was 84.6 per cent Other experts say study is a warning but more work needed to clarify

more…

Yes, we are doing a damn fine job there, soon we’ll be on the slide to mass extinction. Can’t wait.

You’re too late, it already happened. First the megafaunal extinction. Then the ice ages. Then agriculture. Then the massive insecticide sprayings and wetland destruction for malaria control in 1905 to 1942. Then the Chinese “war on the four pests” 1966 to 1976.

Each mass extinction was smaller than the previous one.

The losses above were not mass extinction events although some species did go extinct. Mass extinction is a global event with extinctions in their millions, not localised occurrences, although they are bad enough. With global warming, most habitats will be affected and their biodiversity placed under considerable stress and many will simply disappear, as they are unable to adapt in the time available and/or to human modifications that restrict their movement.

Cymek said:

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

However if bees went extinct it’s at tiny extinction event in number of species but massive ramifications for us humans

There is not a single native species anywhere in the world that relies solely on the honeybee for reproduction.

If bees went extinct would a large number of crops no longer gets fertilised and stop fruiting

No.

Teleost said:

Cymek said:

mollwollfumble said:

There is not a single native species anywhere in the world that relies solely on the honeybee for reproduction.

If bees went extinct would a large number of crops no longer gets fertilised and stop fruiting

No.

there are still bats, birds, small marsupials, insects, etc, wind and rain

There is a fig that relies entirely on a particular wasp and the wasp in turn relies on the fig to complete its lifecycle.

AwesomeO said:

There is a fig that relies entirely on a particular wasp and the wasp in turn relies on the fig to complete its lifecycle.

Symbiotic relationships are extremely common, however in most cases there are other animals that will also do the same job, so if one pollinator disappeared the plant would still get pollinated. With the fig above, I think that situation only applies to one species/variety, therefore most figs would be unaffected, although that specific one would very likely go extinct unless, in an unlikely event, that something else stepped in to replace it.