How Many Ants Are There on Earth?
WouterCounting ants may sound like a daunting task, but the number of ants on Earth is staggering. Researchers estimate that there are about 20 quadrillion ants in the world. That’s a staggering number, and is more than twice the number of people on Earth.
To estimate the number of ants on Earth, researchers have gathered data from nearly 500 studies. These studies covered all of the major habitats on earth, and used standardised methods of counting ants. These included leaf litter samples from grasslands, pitfall traps in forests, and more.
Researchers also estimated the total biomass of ants, which amounts to about 12 million tonnes. This figure is about 20 percent of the biomass of humans. That’s nearly twice as much as the total biomass of wild mammals and birds.
Researchers believe that the global distribution of ants is influenced by climate and human land use. Ants are found in a variety of habitats on every continent, and are particularly common in tropical climates. Currently, researchers don’t have a good estimate for the number of ants in the underground.
Researchers have been studying ant populations for decades. For the most part, they have counted ants in order to determine what species are present. However, this is rarely done in a systematic way. Often, scientists only count ants if they are part of a study.
These studies are important for scientists to understand how ants and other insects are responding to environmental changes. They also provide a baseline population to better understand how ant numbers will change in the future.
