A comprehensive global study reveals the severe impact of human activities on Earth's biodiversity, indicating a significant decline in species populations in human-affected areas. Published in *Nature* on March 26, 2025, the research synthesizes data from over 2,000 studies across 100,000 locations worldwide.
Led by scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the University of Zurich, the study identifies five key drivers of biodiversity loss: habitat change, direct exploitation of resources, climate change, invasive species, and pollution. These factors impact various organism groups across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.
The study highlights that intensive agriculture, particularly pesticide and fertilizer use, significantly contributes to biodiversity decline. Furthermore, human pressures alter community compositions, with lower-altitude species replacing native alpine plants in mountainous regions, termed "elevator to extinction."
While climate change's full impact is still under investigation, the study emphasizes the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect species and their ecological functions. Ensuring species coexistence with humans, maintaining large populations, and preserving genetic diversity for continued evolution are critical challenges.