Current Affairs - National - Discussion

A recent study published in PLOS Biology, an international journal dedicated to biological science, found that human impacts on species occur across 84% of the earth's surface and India ranks 16th in such impacts, with 35 species impacted on an average. Malaysia ranks first among the countries with the highest number of impacted species (125). A team of scientists led by James Allan (University of Queensland) found this when they mapped the distribution of eight human activities - including hunting and conversion of natural habitats for agriculture - in areas occupied by 5,457 threatened birds, mammals and amphibians worldwide. Using sources, including the recently-updated Human Footprint data, they found that a staggering 1,237 species are impacted by threats in more than 90% of their habitat; 395 species are affected by threats across their entire range.