Credits: Social Media
Percentage of the planet we need to save to avoid ‘extinction-level’ apocalypse
Though it might already be too late to save us from a fiery apocalypse, a new study has revealed what percentage of the earth needs saving to avoid such a cataclysm.
Whether it’s the trillions of microplastics invading all areas of our lives or outright denial of climate change, it’s clear that planet Earth needs some TLC. For some, that means cutting back on the amount of meat they are consuming, while for others it’s reducing their weekly waste. One thing is for certain, we all need to be doing our part.
The percentage we need to save is perhaps lower than you think
For years, scientists, politicians, and loud people on the internet have passionately debated the best course of action to take in regard to our heating planet. Unfortunately, humans have yet to reach a consensus.
While we might still be stuck on the ‘how’, an international team of scientists has identified the percentage we need to save to avoid going the way of the dinosaurs. Their findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Science.
Most species on Earth are rare, meaning that species either have very narrow ranges or they occur at very low densities or both, Dr. Eric Dinerstein, lead author of the report, said. And rarity is very concentrated. In our study, zooming in on this rarity, we found that we need only about 1.2% of the Earths surface to head off the sixth great extinction of life on Earth.
To conduct their study, the team mapped 16,825 vital areas over an estimated 164 million hectares. Using a method called fractional land cover analysis, they were then able to pinpoint exact locations in desperate need of conservation efforts.
Their results were shocking
Concerningly, most of the areas are located in the tropics where biodiversity is higher and human interference is most destructive. Said areas are also at the most risk from climate change.
These sites are home to over 4,700 threatened species in some of the worlds most biodiverse yet threatened ecosystems, says study co-author Andy Lee of Resolve. These include not only mammals and birds that rely on large intact habitats, like the tamaraw in the Philippines and the Celebes crested macaque in Sulawesi Indonesia but also range-restricted amphibians and rare plant species.
