David Adam | London | May 16

The Guardian - More than one in four of all individual animals, birds and fish on the planet have disappeared in just over thirty years, according to a report that highlights a massive loss of biodiversity across the world. Human activities are to blame, say the authors.

The study of 4,000 separate populations of hundreds of different species across land, marine and freshwater habitats reveals they shrunk by an average of 27% between 1970 and 2005. Large sea fish such as the swordfish and the scalloped hammerhead were hit particularly badly, losing 28% of their numbers in the last decade alone. Environment group WWF, which compiled the figures with experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), said they were "alarming". It said there was no little chance that the world would meet a UN target to significantly slow the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF-UK, said: "Biodiversity underpins the health of the planet and has a direct impact on all our lives, so it is alarming that despite an increased awareness in environmental issues, we continue to see a downward trend."

The WWF Living Planet Index surveys the health of populations of 241 fish, 83 amphibian, 40 reptile, 811 bird and 302 mammal species. It combines published surveys of everything from polar bear dens in Russia and green turtle nests in Costa Rica, to the estimated population of sperm whales in the North Pacific. It does not include all species or populations, but the experts say the results are robust enough to "assess the state of global biodiversity".

===

An epidemic of extinctions: Decimation of life on earth

The Independent, By Emily Dugan, May 16

Species are dying out at a rate not seen since the demise of the dinosaurs, according to a report published today – and human behaviour is to blame.

The world's species are declining at a rate "unprecedented since the extinction of the dinosaurs", a census of the animal kingdom has revealed. The Living Planet Index out today shows the devastating impact of humanity as biodiversity has plummeted by almost a third in the 35 years to 2005.

The report, produced by WWF, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Global Footprint Network, says land species have declined by 25 per cent, marine life by 28 per cent, and freshwater species by 29 per cent.

Jonathan Loh, editor of the report, said that such a sharp fall was "completely unprecedented in terms of human history". "You'd have to go back to the extinction of the dinosaurs to see a decline as rapid as this," he added. "In terms of human lifespan we may be seeing things change relatively slowly, but in terms of the world's history this is very rapid."

And "rapid" is putting it mildly. Scientists say the current extinction rate is now up to 10,000 times faster than what has historically been recorded as normal.

===

The Living Planet Report [PDF]