Global areas of low human impact ('Low Impact Areas') and fragmentation of the natural world.

ABSTRACT: Habitat loss and fragmentation due to human activities is the leading cause of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Protected areas are the primary response to this challenge and are the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation efforts. Roughly 15% of land is currently protected although there is momentum to dramatically raise protected area targets towards 50%. But, how much land remains in a natural state? We answer this critical question by using open-access, frequently updated data sets on terrestrial human impacts to create a new categorical map of global human influence ('Low Impact Areas') at a 1 km² resolution. We found that 56% of the terrestrial surface, minus permanent ice and snow, currently has low human impact. This suggests that increased protected are

SUBMITTER: Jacobson AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6775135 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature