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FAQ
How much biodiversity is there worldwide?
Estimates of the total number of species range from 7 to 100 million, with a probably good estimate being around 13 to 15 million species. Up to this day, only about 1.75 million living species have been identified and described scientifically. Many new species continue to be discovered each year, most of them invertebrates. During the nineties, the number of newly described species averaged 13.000 per year.
The table below shows approximate numbers of species in major groups (UNEP, Global Biodiversity Assessment, 1995):
Group |
No. of described species |
Estimated total no. of species |
Viruses |
4,000 |
400,000 |
Bacteria |
4,000 |
1,000,000 |
Fungi |
72,000 |
1,500,000 |
Protozoa |
40,000 |
200,000 |
Algae |
40,000 |
400,000 |
Plants |
270,000 |
320,000Â |
Nematodes |
25,000 |
400,000 |
Crustaceans |
40,000 |
150,000 |
Arachnids |
75,000 |
750,000 |
Insects |
950,000 |
8,000,000 |
Mollusks |
70,000 |
200,000 |
Vertebrates |
45,000 |
50,000 |
Others |
115,000 |
250,000 |
Totals |
1,750,000 |
13,620,000 |
The figures of the table were compiled more than 10 years ago already. If we consider the 1995 data, together with a rate of new species description of 13,000 species, we can estimate that there are now about 2.1 million of described species.
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