Just 3% of world’s ecosystems remain intact, study suggests

[UngulateNerd92]

Pristine areas in the Amazon and Siberia may expand with animal reintroductions, scientists say.

Just 3% of the world’s land remains ecologically intact with healthy populations of all its original animals and undisturbed habitat, a study suggests.

These fragments of wilderness undamaged by human activities are mainly in parts of the Amazon and Congo tropical forests, east Siberian and northern Canadian forests and tundra, and the Sahara. Invasive alien species including cats, foxes, rabbits, goats and camels have had a major impact on native species in Australia, with the study finding no intact areas left.

The researchers suggest reintroducing a small number of important species to some damaged areas, such as elephants or wolves – a move that could restore up to 20% of the world’s land to ecological intactness.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...orlds-ecosystems-remain-intact-study-suggests

 

[UngulateNerd92]

Here is another relevant article.

Only 3% of land areas unblemished by humans: study

Some scientists questioned the extremely low figure, saying it could be attributed to the study using a particularly narrow definition of “intact habitats”

Very little of today’s world resembles Planet Earth from 500 years ago. In fact, only about 3% of land surfaces might be ecologically intact — still home to their full range of native species and unblemished by human activity, according to new research.

The finding -- published in the journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change — is far lower than previous estimates based on satellite images, which suggested around 20% to 40% of land ecosystems were undamaged.

Only 3% of land areas unblemished by humans: study - The Hindu