How Much Ants Are Left in the World?
WouterDespite their small size, ants are one of the most abundant insects on Earth. In fact, they account for about 20 percent of the biomass of humans, and they are more abundant than all wild mammals and birds combined.
In recent years, insect populations have been declining due to habitat destruction, pesticides, and climate change. Scientists wondered if the same trends were happening to the ant population.
Ants are important ecosystem engineers. They recycle organic matter and distribute seeds. They are also very abundant in forests and savannahs. Unlike other animals, they are extremely hardy and live without food for days.
Ants are found on every continent, and they are most abundant in the tropics. They are also abundant in areas of arid climates.
There are around 14,000 different species of ants. Many of these species live underground. Researchers estimate that there are one quadrillion ants roaming the Earth. However, the final tally is likely to be a conservative estimate. It is estimated that about sixty million ants die annually.
The University of Hong Kong’s School of Biological Sciences recently published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They used data from four hundred ant population studies to calculate the global ant population. They found that the number of ants is two to twenty times higher than previous estimates.
The researchers used a global data base that included ant-inhabited continents, significant biomes, and other factors influencing ant distribution. It took six years to compile the data.
