Wildlife population declined by 73% in 50 years: WWF report

The report’s conclusions were based on tracking 35,000 population trends and 5,495 species of amphibians, mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. To be sure, the decline is not in terms of the number of populations lost but the average changes in monitored animal populations around the world. Among the different ecosystems, the freshwater populations saw the highest decline with their populations falling by 85 per cent, followed by terrestrial populations, which saw a 69 per cent decline and a 56 per cent decline in marine populations, according to the report. Habitat loss, over exploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species, diseases were the dominant drivers of the decline of wildlife. Habitat loss was driven by unsustainable agriculture, fragmentation, logging, mining, to name a few causes.

“When a population falls below a certain level, that species may not be able to perform its usual role within the ecosystem – whether that’s seed dispersal, pollination, grazing, nutrient cycling or many other processes that keep the ecosystem functioning,” the report says. The report noted that the decline in the natural world has larger implications as they trigger cumulative impacts, which can eventually lead to tipping points.