2002/05/03 by Gerardo Ceballos, Paul R. Ehrlich · 19 citations
Environmental Science · #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies #Species Distribution and Climate Change
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1069349
openalex publication_date 2002/05/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
The disappearance of populations is a prelude to species extinction. No geographically explicit estimates have been made of current population losses of major indicator taxa. Here we compare historic and present distributions of 173 declining mammal species from six continents. These species have collectively lost over 50% of their historic range area, mostly where human activities are intensive. This implies a serious loss of ecosystem services and goods. It also signals a substantial threat to species diversity.