[Baltimore Sun] Why global wildlife populations have plummeted by 73% in 50 years
Read Time:1 Minute, 49 Second
A new study from the World Wildlife Fund found that global wildlife populations have shrunk by 73% in just 50 years.
The study included almost 35,000 population trends of nearly 5,600 species, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. It was conducted from 1970 to 2020. Freshwater populations suffered the heaviest declines; animals in rivers and lakes fell by 85%. Following freshwater populations was a 69% decline in terrestrial populations, which include all animals that live on land, and a 56% decline in marine populations, which include animals that live in the ocean.
WWF found the fastest declines were in Latin America and the Caribbean, both regions experiencing a 95% decline. Following them was Africa, where wildlife populations dropped by 76%.
WWF says the main drivers of the decline are habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. However, they are particularly concerned about critical ecosystems, like the Amazon Rainforest and coral reefs, because if destroyed, both could have major impacts not just on animals but on humans as well.
According to WWF, “Fire seasons are getting longer and extreme fire seasons more common, with recent years bringing catastrophic events in almost every region from the tropics to the Arctic Circle.” Fire outbreaks in the Amazon were the highest in 14 years this past year.
The Amazon Rainforest has also been facing major deforestation. According to WWF, an estimated 17% of Amazon forests have been converted to other uses, and an additional 17% have been degraded. Even though it only covers around 1% of the planet’s surface, it’s home to 10% of all the wildlife species we know about, and many that haven’t been discovered yet.
Humans are mostly responsible for destroying these habitats, and WWF said this is largely to support the human food industry and system.
According to WWF, “Food production is one of the main drivers of nature’s decline: it uses 40% of all habitable land and is the leading cause of habitat loss.”
Have a news tip? Contact Emma Withrow at ewithrow@sbgtv.com or at x.com/emma_withrow. Content from The National Desk is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0