97% of Earth's land area may no longer be ecologically intact

Only between 2% and 3% of the Earth's terrestrial surface can be considered ecologically intact, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. This percentage is drastically lower than past assessments, which estimated it to be between 20% and 40%, because it factored in loss of species from intact habitat as well as reduced populations of species. A restoration focus of specific species in intact habitat could recover ecological integrity to about 20% of land.