Global biodiversity has declined

The Living Planet Index reflects the overall health of our planet's biodiversity.

It works a bit like a stock exchange index, by tracking average changes in animal populations from around the world.

Since 1970, the global Living Planet Index has declined by 28 per cent.

Living Planet Report 2012 - Download

/ ©: WWF/ZSL
The Global Living Planet Index The index shows a decline of around 30% from 1970 to 2008, based on 9,014 populations of 2,688 species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
© WWF/ZSL
The 28% decline means that on average, species population sizes were 28% smaller in 2008 than in 1970.

The Index in detail:

This decline is seen in all biomes.

And is highest in freshwater habitats.

But the trend is not the same all over the world

Tropical and temperate regions show starkly divergent trends.


As do high-income and low- and middle-income countries.

What is the reason for this difference?

Scroll over the map below to see the Living Planet Index in more detail in different habitat types in tropical and temperate areas.
How might biodiversity loss be related to country income level?
/ ©: WWF/ZSL
Figure 36: Turning population trends into the Living Planet Index. LPR2010
© WWF/ZSL
How is the Index calculated?

Glossary

  • Biodiversity
    Shorthand for biological diversity. Variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems (CBD and UNEP).

    Ecosystem
    A dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.

    Biome
    A major portion of the living environment of a particular region characterized by its distinctive vegetation and maintained by local climatic conditions.

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