How Many Ants Are There Worldwide?
WouterWhether they live underground or on the surface, ants are found almost everywhere on the planet. They can live in forests and deserts. They speed up the process of decomposition, which is essential to maintain the balance of our planet’s ecosystem. They also play an important role in the distribution of plant seeds.
Scientists estimate that there are a total of 20 quadrillion ants living on our planet. This is a significant increase from the previous estimate of 20,000 million million ants. However, the true number is probably much higher than this.
The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Hong Kong’s School of Biological Sciences. They analyzed hundreds of ant studies to calculate the global ant population. They then compiled the data into a database.
The database consisted of studies from all continents, and included significant biomes. It is hoped that the data will help scientists predict future environments. They also plan to study environmental factors that influence the density of ant populations.
They found that the majority of ants reside in tropical regions. They also found that ants are more common in forests than in urban areas. There are more than 14,000 different species of ants.
The study’s authors estimate that the total biomass of the world’s ants is about 12 million tonnes, which is more than the combined biomass of all wild mammals and birds. The biomass of ants is about 20 percent of that of humans.
