resource
Nov. 1 2011
Resource
Living Planet Index (Keeping Track)
Description
The Living Planet Index has declined by 12% at the global level and by 30% in the tropicsThe Living Planet Index reflects changes in the health of the earth’s ecosystems. It is based on monitoring almost 8 000 populations of over 2 500 vertebrate species. In contrast to the temperate biome, which is somewhat stable (after hundreds of years of biodiversity losses), all other indices show various degrees of decline. Biodiversity in the tropics is dramatically declining, by 30% since 1992, indicating the ecosystem’s severe degradation due to high deforestation rates of primary forest and transformation into agricultural land and pasture (WWF 2010).
This graphic is part of the publication Keeping Track of Our Changing Environment.
