5. State of Global Ecosystem Services Of the 24 provisioning, regulating and cultural services examined by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 15 were identified as being degraded or used unsustainably (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005a). Only four services were identified as having been enhanced over the past 50 years, and three of those (crops, livestock and aquaculture) were related to food production.
12. Current status of land degradation Degradation has had significant impacts on the productivity of about 16 percent of the globe's agricultural land Percentage of agricultural land seriously degraded: ~ 40 % globally ~ 75 % in Central America ~ 20 % in Africa (mostly pasture) ~ 11 % in Asia (International Food Policy Research Institute)
World fertilizer use has increased five fold since 1960 (FAO 2002). They have contributed roughly 40 % of per capita food production (Smil 2002)
World fertilizer use has increased five fold since 1960 (FAO 2002). They have contributed roughly 40 % of per capita food production (Smil 2002)
World fertilizer use has increased five fold since 1960 (FAO 2002). They have contributed roughly 40 % of per capita food production (Smil 2002)
World fertilizer use has increased five fold since 1960 (FAO 2002). They have contributed roughly 40 % of per capita food production (Smil 2002)
43 % of Asia Important Bird Areas outside of formally protected areas Half of the world’s population lives in rural landscapes 30 % of globe is forested 60 % of forested land in US is private Of the 40 million km2 of forest in the world, just over 3 million in IUCN protected areas categories I-VI, representing 8% in protected areas. 80 % of US population live in cities, now expanding into the countryside at an alarming rate. Loss of open space is having an enormous impact on wildlife habitat, water quality, and a huge range of other amenity values, including the loss of working forests. Under current trends, by midcentury we expect to lose about 23 million acres of private forestland to development, an area larger than Maine. Forests capture 24 % of industrial CO2 emissions, habitat degredation is second largest contributor to CO2 emissions. Nearly half of all tropical forests have been cleared over the last 400 years, converted to fields for annual crops, tree plantations and grazing lands. If forest clearing continues at present rates, the world's forests could lose more than half of their remaining species in the next 50 years, the researchers warn.
