The idea that ecosystems carry plenty of backup, so if a small number of species become extinct there is little harm, has been greatly overestimated, according to the largest global study of its kind.
New research led by King's College London and Imperial College London warns that a lack of biodiversity could threaten people's food security and climate protection, as diverse ecosystems provide a wide range of benefits that people depend on, including pollination, water purification, carbon storage and natural pest control.
The study, by King's College London and Imperial College London with the Natural History Museum and The Alan Turing Institute, has found that ecosystems have far less "spare" capacity than previously thought, with the ocean potentially having the most to lose.
