Synthesis Of 2,000 Studies: Human Activity Is Driving Biodiversity Loss In All Areas And For All Species

Humans are driving biodiversity loss among all species across the planet, according to a synthesis of more than 2,000 studies. The exhaustive global analysis leaves no doubt about the devastating impact humans are having on Earth, according to researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the University of Zurich. The study – which accounted for nearly 100,000 sites across all continents – found that human activities had resulted in “unprecedented effects on biodiversity”, according to the paper, published in Nature.

Florian Altermatt, professor of aquatic ecology at the University of Zurich and head of Eawag, said: “It is one of the largest syntheses of the human impacts on biodiversity ever conducted worldwide.” The team looked at terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, as well as including all groups of organisms, including microbes, fungi, plants, invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals.

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The analysis covered five drivers of decline: habitat change, direct exploitation of resources (such as hunting or fishing), climate change, invasive species and pollution. François Keck, lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in Altermatt’s research group, said: “Our findings show that all five factors have a strong impact on biodiversity worldwide, in all groups of organisms and in all ecosystems.”

Pollution and habitat changes, often driven by agriculture, have a particularly negative impact on biodiversity. Intensive agriculture – especially arable farming – involves large amounts of pesticides and fertilisers, which result in a decline of biodiversity, but also shifts the composition of species. The full extent of climate change and how it affects species is not entirely understood.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/26/human-link-biodiversity-loss-species-ecosystems-climate-pollution-eawag-study-nature-aoe