Scientists identify 1.2% of the Earth's surface to prevent the sixth mass extinction

A coalition of conservationists and researchers has shown how we can protect Earth's remaining biodiversity by conserving only a small percentage of the planet's surface.

This affordable and achievable plan would enable us to save the most vulnerable species from extinction, and protect the Earth's wildlife for the future.

Our planet faces a major threat of extinction due to human activity, including habitat degradation, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of resources.

But there is a glimmer of hope for our planet's wildlife, as researchers from the group Resolve, a US non-governmental conservation organisation, have identified a way to preserve Earth's biodiversity by protecting a surprisingly small portion of Earth.

"We only need about 1.2% of the Earth's surface to avoid the sixth great extinction of life on Earth," says Dr. Eric Dinerstein of Resolve, lead author of the paper published in the journal Frontiers in Science.

The team believes that preserving these hotspots “could prevent all expected extinctions if they were adequately protected.”

How were these areas identified?

These hotspots are crucial because they are a haven for rare and endangered species, ranging from large mammals to rare plants and amphibians. Protecting them can ensure the survival of wildlife for future generations.

Scientists have begun mapping the entire world, using six layers of global biodiversity data. By combining these data layers with maps of existing protected areas and partial land cover analysis, using satellite images to determine the remaining habitat available for rare and threatened species, they were able to identify the most important and currently unprotected areas for biodiversity.

They call these areas “Conservation Imperatives,” a global blueprint to help countries and regions plan for conservation at a more local level.

The comprehensive study identified 16,825 critical “conservation imperatives” (about 164 million hectares) globally.

Interestingly, these hotspots are concentrated in the tropics, mostly in five countries: the Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Colombia.

It is noteworthy that 38% of the “conservation imperatives” are very close to already protected areas, which may facilitate their absorption into protected areas or finding other ways to conserve them.

Andy Lee from Resolve, a co-author of the study, said: “These sites are home to more than 4,700 threatened and endangered species in some of the world’s most biodiverse but threatened ecosystems. These include not only mammals and birds that rely on large, intact habitats, such as the tamaroo in Philippines and Celebes crested macaques in Sulawesi, Indonesia, but also range-restricted amphibians and rare plant species.”

“Protecting these last remaining habitats could prevent imminent extinction, provide important populations for the future recovery of these species, and lead efforts to stop the sixth great extinction,” Lee added.

The cost of protecting these areas

Scientists estimate that the cost of preserving the environment would be less than 0.2 percent of U.S. GDP per year, a small fraction of what the country spends on fossil fuel subsidies.

“We estimate that it would cost $169 billion to protect all tropical conservation needs, and $263 billion worldwide,” he explained. “That’s $53 billion a year over the next five years to protect all sites, less than 0.2 percent of the U.S. GDP. Even half of that estimate would protect the vast majority of the world’s rare and endangered species.”

Lee stated that in light of these estimates, protecting the "conservation imperatives" of the environment "is achievable and affordable."

“Conservation imperatives” fit into a larger strategy to protect the planet. It is the first step in a five-part plan called the Global Safety Net Framework, which aims to protect at least 30% of the Earth's land by 2030.