Biodiversity loss in all species and every ecosystem linked to humans – report | Biodiversity

Humans lead the loss of biological diversity among all species throughout the planet, according to the synthesis of more than 2000 studies.

The comprehensive global analysis does not leave any doubt about the devastating influence that humans on Earth, according to researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquachers (EAWAG) and Zurich University. The study – which formed approximately 100,000 sites on all continents – found that human activities have led to “unprecedented effects on biological diversity”, According to the paperPublished in nature.

“It is one of the largest human antiquities on the biological diversity that has been made around the world,” said Florian Telmat, a professor of water environment at Zurich University and President of Iwaj.

The team looked at the terrestrial and fresh water and marine waters, as well as including all groups of living organisms, including microbes, fungi, plants, invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals.

The researchers found that human pressure that clearly turned the formation of society (mainly, in which species live where) and reduce local diversity. On average, the number of species in the sites that human raises was almost 20 % lower than sites that humans were not affected.

Severe losses are particularly recorded between reptiles, amphibians and mammals, according to the paper. Its population is often smaller than invertebrates, which increases the chances of extinction.

The analysis covered five drivers to decline: changing habitats, direct exploitation of resources (such as hunting or hunting), climate change, invasive types and pollution.

“The results we have found that all the five factors have a strong impact on biological diversity around the world, in all groups of living organisms and in all ecosystems,” said Francois Cake, the main author and post -PhD researcher in the research collection.

Pollution and habitats change, and often driven by agriculture, has a particularly negative effect on biological diversity. Intensive agriculture – especially agricultural agriculture – includes large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers, which lead to a decrease in biological diversity, but also converts species formation. The full range of climate change is not understood and how it affects species.

Although the overall effect of human intervention was negative, some ambiguity shadow: the human influence on wildlife varies according to the site, as did the genetic diversity that was homogeneous due to human activity.

Before this paper, there was no attempt to combine the results from a large number of research studies of biological diversity that studies the effect of humans everywhere on this planet and in all groups of living organisms; Most studies have been limited to looking at one location or a specific human effect. This means that it was difficult to make general data on the effects of human activity on biological diversity, the researchers say.

“Not only the number of species that decrease. Human pressure also changes the formation of species societies,” said Kik.

In mountainous areas, for example, specialized plants are replaced by those that usually grow at lower altitudes. This process is known as “elevator” because height factories are at an altitude that does not have another place. This may mean that although the number of species may remain the same, the diversity is reduced.

“The bending curve of contemporary biological diversity and change is one of the biggest challenges facing our society,” the researchers stated. They said that the paper should provide an “important standard” for developing and evaluating future memorization strategies.

Lin Dix, a professor of environment at the University of Cambridge, described it as a “useful and important analysis”, but he said that the results revealed “no big surprises.”

She said: “We know that humans significantly change the biological diversity throughout the planet, causing new and different societies of plants, animals and microbes to form, which can deal with the harsh conditions in some cases that we create.

“There is a great concern for me is how to make sure that those species that can live alongside us, many of which provide major environmental functions such as pollination, decomposition and seed dispersion, have large groups enough and sufficient genetic diversity to continue to develop.”

Professor Alexander Antonelli, Director of Science at Q Gardens, said the paper showed “unprecedented clarity of the negative influence everywhere for human activities on the ground.”

He added: “This is an excellent research that shows the importance of biological inclusion – from plants and fungi to mammals and fish – in assessing human impact on biological diversity on local, regional and global standards.”

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