Worldwide there are about 20 quadrillion ants living on trees and the earth. An international team of researchers reports that there are about 2.5 million of these animals per person. All together, all six-legged insects weigh more than all the wild birds and wild mammals on Earth combined.
Since the researchers don’t have numbers for particular regions and habitats, they assume the number of ants may be even greater. The calculations by a team led by first author Patrick Schultheiss of the University of Würzburg are based on the evaluation of more than 450 studies.
Counts at 1300 locations worldwide
According to the researchers, these counts from about 1,300 different locations on all continents of the world would include the main habitats in which surface ants are found. They present their results in the “Proceedings” of the US Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
As the scientists explain in their study, previous calculations assumed a significantly lower ant population. In 1994, two American biologists estimated the number of ants living on Earth at one to ten quadrillion. This is because the two researchers measured ant density only in areas in southern England and then extrapolated it to around the world, they say.
More than 15,000 species of ants in total
According to the new research results, nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of above-ground ants are found in tropical moist forests and tropical savannas. In all, there are more than 15,000 different species and subspecies – probably even more that have not yet been discovered. Ants make an important contribution to the maintenance of ecosystems, for example by spreading plant seeds.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
