Biodiversity loss in all species and every ecosystem linked to humans.
Sweeping synthesis of 2,000 global studies leaves no doubt about scale of problem and role of humans, say experts.
Humans are driving biodiversity loss among all species across the planet, according to a synthesis of more than 2,000 studies.
The exhaustive global analysis leaves no doubt about the devastating impact humans are having on Earth, according to researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the University of Zurich. The study––which accounted for nearly 100,000 sites across all continents––found that human activities had resulted in “unprecedented effects on biodiversity”, according to the paper, published in Nature.
Florian Altermatt, professor of aquatic ecology at the University of Zurich and head of Eawag, said: “It is one of the largest syntheses of the human impacts on biodiversity ever conducted worldwide.”
The team looked at terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, as well as including all groups of organisms, including microbes, fungi, plants, invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals.
Human pressures distinctly shifted community composition (essentially, which species live where) and decreased local diversity, researchers found. On average, the number of species at human-impacted sites was almost 20% lower than at sites unaffected by humans.
Particularly severe losses were recorded among reptiles, amphibians and mammals, according to the paper. Their populations are often smaller than invertebrates, which increases the chances of extinction.
The analysis covered five drivers of decline: habitat change, direct exploitation of resources (such as hunting or fishing), climate change, invasive species, and pollution.
François Keck, lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in Altermatt’s research group, said: “Our findings show that all five factors have a strong impact on biodiversity worldwide, in all groups of organisms and in all ecosystems.”
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