2022 Study Puts Global Ant Population at 20 Quadrillion as Biomass Falls to 12 Megatons
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · Jun 1
2022 Study Puts Global Ant Population at 20 Quadrillion as Biomass Falls to 12 Megatons
1 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Jun 1
Summary
A 2022 PNAS study synthesized 489 ant-abundance surveys and estimated about 20 quadrillion ants alive globally at any moment—roughly 2.5 million for every human.
The team combined leaf-litter sampling and pitfall-trap data across continents and biomes, then extrapolated to a conservative global total that likely understates poorly sampled subterranean and regional populations.
Biomass came in at 12 megatons of dry carbon, sharply below earlier 70-100 megaton estimates and cutting down the long-circulated claim that ants weigh as much as humans.
That revised figure still leaves ants at about one-fifth of human biomass and above the combined biomass of wild birds and wild mammals, estimated at roughly 2 and 7 megatons of carbon.
The count gives researchers a global baseline for tracking insect decline and climate-driven biodiversity change in one of the planet’s most ecologically important animal groups.
If pollinator loss now directly threatens human nutrition, what is the hidden health cost of the wider insect decline?
With 3D scans now digitizing ants in minutes, what secrets of their global dominance are about to be unlocked?
As smugglers target queen ants, why are none of Earth’s 15,700 ant species protected by international law?
20 Quadrillion at Risk: The Collapse of Ant Populations and What It Means for Ecosystems
Overview
Recent studies reveal a sharp global decline in insect populations, with numbers dropping by up to 1% per year over the past three decades. This trend is alarming because insects, especially ants, play vital roles in pollinating crops and maintaining ecosystem health. Over 40% of insect species are now threatened with extinction, mainly due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion, widespread pesticide use, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. The loss of insects poses serious risks to food security and the stability of natural systems, highlighting the urgent need for action to address these interconnected threats.