According to the Living Planet Report, 68% of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish have decreased between 1970 and 2016. Which is unbelievable when you really think about it.
The report use the The Living Planet Index (LPI) which as been in use for two decades. It gathers data from 4000 sources of 21 000 populations. This year 400 new species are included but far from all species and populations in the world. The LPI shows us the average decline in population size not % decline in populations or individuals or number of species lost.
Since its difficult to collect data, the author are also stating that what’s available in the report is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
In some areas the biodiversity has decreased more, as in sub-tropical areas such as South America, where the report says a 94% decline. In Africa it’s 65% and in Asia a 45% decline.
The reason why this is happening is the lost of habitat due to logging, agriculture, transportation and so on. Pollution is another factor, global warming and invasion of invasive species. Further, overexploitation can be direct, such as hunting, or indirect such as fish that comes as a by-catch when fishing. The major threats variates among the continents where habitat loss, change in land and land degradation is the major problem in Europe.
Population in fresh waters are also declining rapidly (84% since 1970) where 1 of 3 species are threatened to extinction.
“Until 1970, humanity’s Ecological Footprint was smaller than the Earth’s rate of regeneration. To feed and fuel our 21st century lifestyles, we are overusing the Earth’s biocapacity by at least 56%.”
Further, there are several other measures except the LPI. According to UICN Red List Index humanity has extinct 680 vertebras since 1500. According to the Mean Species Abundance Index and Biodiversity Intactness Index, an index that estimate the intactness of animal and plant communities spatially (composition), has also decreased (with a span of 1-100) where both of these are falling with around 1 % per decade. The Species Habitat Index captures changes in species range and incorporates information about species habitat preferences with observed or modelled data on habitat loss and restoration, habitat fragmentation and climate change. This index also falls with 1% per year and has done so since 1970.
“Seventyfive per cent of the Earth’s ice-free land surface has already been significantly altered, most of the oceans are polluted, and more than 85% of the area of wetlands has been lost.”
According to the report we can reverse this trend by changing the way we produce food. Agriculture is responsible for 80% of the deforestation. Agriculture use 70% of fresh water and 58% of agriculture production land is degraded.
Bending the curve initiative explores different scenarios for actions on how to restore biodiversity. It is clear from their different models and change in consumption and conservation is crucial where one scenario mentions a 50% decrease in meat consumption. This part of the report is what’s mostly interesting and what everyone should read because it says something about the way out if this huge crisis.
The report also include information about risk for human health and wellbeing, information about seed banks and how to shift our mindset and relationship with nature.
“This highlights that a deep cultural and systemic shift is urgently needed, one that so far our civilisation has failed to embrace: a transition to a society and economic system that values nature, stops taking it for granted and recognises that we depend on nature more than nature depends on us.”
Read the report here! Your life depends on it.
