Just 5% of Earth’s landscape is untouched

 

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios

Humans have a greater influence on the world’s landscape than previously thought, according to a comprehensive new high-resolution analysis of human modification of the planet. The map, published in the journal Global Change Biology, is meant to guide conservation strategy in the coming years.

Why it matters: The new study finds that just 5% of the Earth’s land surface is currently unaffected by humans, far lower than a previous estimate of 19%.

95% of the Earth’s land surface has some indication of human modification, while 84% has multiple human impacts, the study found.

“As a conservation community we can’t just say once we’ve protected these last remaining wild places then we’re done because the vast majority of the world is not those places.”

– Christina Kennedy, study lead author and senior scientist at TNC

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