How much land is inhabited by humans

Using a combination of recent global maps of human influence, researchers were able to calculate the average influence humans are having on ecosystems worldwide.

This question is an interesting one because, when my friend asked me the other day, I could tell her confidently that not only did science know the answer, science had multiple different ways to quantify that answer, but that I had absolutely no idea what it was. Landcover is one key way that we can measure how much of the terrestrial environment has been covered by humans. The thing is, landcover is something that is changing and our technology to estimate it is improving constantly, so even fairly recent estimates may already be out of date. A meta-analysis in , which included studies of urban landcover using remote sensing technology such as satellite images, found that urban landcover increased by nearly 60, km 2 between and In the year , estimates suggest that globally, urban land covered somewhere between , and 3. The meta-analysis found that the largest rates of increase in urban landcover were seen in India, China and Africa, while North America experienced the largest total change since

How much land is inhabited by humans

The paper, published June 3 in the prestigious journal Science , has key policy implications for nations negotiating new conservation targets for under the umbrella of the United Nations. This post global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity will come into effect later this year and set the next conservation agenda for participating nations. The paper also says 1. Lead author James R. It is essentially a conservation plan for the planet, and we must implement it quickly. The research team used advanced geospatial algorithms to map the optimal areas for conserving terrestrial species and ecosystems across the world. It further used spatially explicit land-use scenarios to quantify the land at risk from human activities by Worsdell said the paper builds upon recent research that highlights that many people live in important biodiverse areas contain a wealth of Indigenous and local knowledge vital for place-based conservation efforts. There are many effective levers to achieve rights-based conservation, the authors say. They range from empowering Indigenous Peoples to policies that limit deforestation and to protected areas, depending on the local context. But the study suggests that additional areas will require conservation through appropriate land-use policies. Kissing points out that if nations are serious about safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services that underpin life on Earth, then they need to immediately scale-up their conservation efforts, not just in extent and intensity but also in effectiveness.

To increase the average quality of life, the number of people on Earth must be reduced.

Pianka "Land, they aren't making any more of it" -- Will Rogers Despite claims to the contrary, humans cannot live without food and water. One third of Earth's surface is desert which supports very few people. People can visit deserts but long-term survival in desert regions is very tenuous. Cities built in deserts like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tuscon, cannot exist without importing water or pumping groundwater out of deep aquifers. Indeed, they all face serious water shortages. Similarly, humans cannot sustain themselves for very long in mountains, though we often visit these regions on a temporary basis. Humans have occupied almost all of Earth's habitable lands.

Using a combination of recent global maps of human influence, researchers were able to calculate the average influence humans are having on ecosystems worldwide. F or as long as humans have existed they have impacted their surrounding environment. As the devastating effects of anthropogenic climate change unravel worldwide, it is hardly surprising that many people favour this view. Whilst it is evident that mankind profoundly impacts the natural environment, being able to quantify this is more challenging. In the study, researchers combined four different global maps of human influence to determine the average human influence for different regions in the world. Interestingly, their findings show that whilst the maps analysed use different methodologies they show similar results for the level of human influence across the globe. Importantly, the level of human influence varies significantly from biome to biome.

How much land is inhabited by humans

Charts Agricultural area over the long-term Agricultural land per capita Agricultural land use Agricultural land use per person Arable land needed to produce a fixed quantity of crops Arable land use per person Area of land needed to meet global vegetable oil demand Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population Contribution to global mean surface temperature rise from agriculture and land use Coverage of wetlands Cropland and pasture per person Cropland area Cropland extent over the long-term Cropland per person over the long-term Dietary land use vs. GDP per capita Extent of extensive agriculture Extent of foraging, hunting and gathering Extent of intensive agriculture Extent of pastoralism FAO projections of arable land Global agricultural land use by major crop type Global cropland is still increasing Global land spared as a result of cereal yield improvements Global land use since 10, BCE Grazing land use over the long-term Has the world passed peak agricultural land? How much cropland has the world spared due to increases in crop yields? How much global land is used as pasture for livestock? Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade Land area in hectares Land area in square kilometres Land area per crop type Land use Land use for palm oil production Land use for vegetable oil crops Land use of foods per kilocalories Land use over the long-term Land use per grams of protein Land use per kilogram of food product Land use vs. Share of land area used for agriculture Share of land area used for arable agriculture Share of land covered by lakes and rivers Share of land defined as natural habitat Share of land that is degraded Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures Share of mountain land that is degraded Share of rural land area where the elevation is 5 meters or less Share of world regions with land use present Terrain Ruggedness Index Tractors per square kilometers of arable land. Our World in Data is free and accessible for everyone. Help us do this work by making a donation.

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This figure gives us an estimate of roughly , km 2 of human-covered land worldwide. Pinterest 0. Boundaries of China superimposed upon those of the USA. Artificial surfaces include any areas that have an artificial cover as a result of human activities such as construction cities, towns, transportation , extraction open mines and quarries or waste disposal. Ultimately, the paper concludes that Western Science and Indigenous and local knowledge must be allies in the pursuit of a more sustainable world. Learn how your comment data is processed. Cities built in deserts like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tuscon, cannot exist without importing water or pumping groundwater out of deep aquifers. Pianka "Land, they aren't making any more of it" -- Will Rogers Despite claims to the contrary, humans cannot live without food and water. This includes the land occupied by cities, towns, and commercial enterprises. We contribute only about 0. The thing is, landcover is something that is changing and our technology to estimate it is improving constantly, so even fairly recent estimates may already be out of date. Efforts have been made to estimate the amount of land needed to sustain an average individual human link.

The focus of this topic page is land use for agriculture.

Also causing more pollution to aquatic habitats. People can visit deserts but long-term survival in desert regions is very tenuous. Human civilisations can still populate a landscape and have low influence over its environment but it is a case of taking a more balanced approach towards conservation efforts. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Heat and air travel process causes rain. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This post global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity will come into effect later this year and set the next conservation agenda for participating nations. Interestingly, their findings show that whilst the maps analysed use different methodologies they show similar results for the level of human influence across the globe. For everyone to live like an American, Earth can only support about one-tenth as many people. So this means that out of units of land, we occupy three. The zealots included land which is being farmed and forested, but this land is not subject to any kind of contamination. As the devastating effects of anthropogenic climate change unravel worldwide, it is hardly surprising that many people favour this view.