Shrinking sanctuary: 90 per cent of protected lands are isolated from one another

Protected areas of land around the world have become isolated from each other due to human activities such as farming, mining and urbanisation, study finds. Lead author Michelle Ward, a conservation biologist, described the findings that 90 per cent of protected areas are isolated as 'alarming'. More than 90 per cent of protected areas are isolated, according to the Australian team, who say they are stuck in a sea of human activities stopping species from being connected The blue areas show protected areas littered throughout the non-intact and intact areas of land The study published in Nature Communications shows an average of just 11 per cent of each country and territory's protected regions can be considered connected. 'This means more than 90 per cent of protected areas are isolated, in a sea of human activities,' Ward explained. Countries and territories are grouped per continent and are ordered based on smallest to largest landmass Only nine countries and territories protect at least 17 per cent of land and maintain at least 50 per cent of connected protected areas 'Most of nature has no chance if it is to survive in just 20 per cent of the world.