A new study has revealed that protecting just 1.2% of the earth’s surface for nature would be enough to prevent the extinction of the world’s most threatened species.
The analysis, published in the journal Frontiers in Science, claims that targeted expansion of protected areas on land would be sufficient to prevent the loss of thousands of mammals, birds, amphibians and plants that are closest to extinction.The research team identified 16,825 sites from Argentina to Papua New Guinea that should be prioritized for protection over the next five years to prevent imminent extinction of animals and plants found nowhere else.
From the environmental organization Resolve and the study’s lead author, Dr. Eric Dinerstein; He said he was trying to identify the world’s rarest species with limited habitats, using the example of the peyote cactus, whose remaining habitat may be limited to small parts of the world. “Most of Earth’s species are rare, meaning that species either have very narrow ranges or occur at very low densities, or both,” Dinerstein said, adding that the study does not provide insight into everything needed to restore nature on Earth, but will happen in the near future. He states that he focuses on how to prevent extinctions.
More than expanding protected areas is needed to prevent the destruction of biodiversity and sustain ecosystems vital to human societies, scientists say. In 2020, researchers determined that if half of the Earth’s land surface were protected, it would reverse biodiversity loss and increase natural carbon removal. 38% of the areas identified as what the authors call “conservation imperatives” are located within one-half mile (2.5 km) of existing protected area, indicating they could be potential quick wins. The Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and Colombia together hosted more than half of these areas.
By 2022, governments have pledged to preserve 30% of the planet for nature as part of the UN’s biodiversity targets; These include more than 20 targets aimed at halting widespread nature loss around the world by the end of this decade. According to the UN, 16.6% of the world’s land surface and inland waters are protected, and many governments are in the process of deciding where to expand protected areas.But the research found that governments often fail to protect biodiversity areas that urgently need protection. The authors estimate that between 2018 and 2023, only 7% of areas in new protected areas are home to the most threatened species.
Dinerstein said: “Despite recent talk of extinction, the biodiversity crisis and what we need to do, only 7% of new protected areas between 2018 and 2023 overlapped with must-protect areas.
“It’s as if countries are using a reverse selection algorithm and selecting non-rare sites to add to protected global areas. “The call of this article is that we need to do a much better job in the next five years, and it can be done.” The researchers estimate that protecting the key areas they have identified would cost between $29 billion and $46 billion (£23 billion to £36 billion) over the next five years and cover 1.6 million square kilometers (630,000 square miles). However, it can also be done through a combination of related land acquisition, expansion of indigenous rights and land titles, and the creation of protected areas on state-owned lands.
The study compares global data on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and plants to existing protected areas using satellite analysis to identify remaining habitat for threatened species. In addition, most of the areas identified for immediate protection were in the tropics, but grasslands, temperate broadleaf forests, and tundra are also identified.
