The global conservation community has been urged to adopt a specific target to protect the world’s remaining wilderness areas to prevent large scale loss of at-risk species.
A University of Queensland and CSIRO study has found that wilderness areas – where human impact is minimal or absent – halves the global risk of species extinction.
UQ Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science Director Professor James Watson said vital wilderness areas could not be restored so urgent action was needed to ensure these areas were marked for conservation and remained protected.
