Will wildlife only survive in our dreams?

Since the dawn of civilisation, humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants. One million species are at risk of extinction. According to the UN Environment Programme, 150—200 species of mammals, birds, insects and plants become extinct every 24 hours.

Today, just 4% of all mammals on Earth are wild, whereas 60% are livestock (mostly cattle and pigs) and the remaining 36% are humans. Farmed poultry makes up 70% of all birds on the planet, with just 30% being wild.

The images below, published in The Guardian, visualize the imbalance.

Bar-On YM, Phillips R, Milo R. 2018. The biomass distribution on Earth. PNAS 115:6506-6511.

Carrington D. 2018. Humans just 0.01% of all life but have destroyed 83% of wild mammals. The Guardian, 21 May 2018.