How many ants are there on Earth? Scientists have an estimate
Ants
A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has shown that there are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth.
Highlighting even that staggering figure likely underestimates the total population of the insects, the study states that it is important for measuring the consequences of changes to their habitat.
During the research, scientists analysed 465 studies that measured the number of ants locally in the field.
Some major regions including central Africa and Asia had little or no data even though surveys have been carried out on all continents.
Watch: Want to meet cute little gold smugglers? These ants will leave you in awe
"It is of utmost importance that we fill these remaining gaps to achieve a comprehensive picture of insect diversity," according to the study.
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Therefore, in comparison to the estimates, "the true abundance of ants globally is likely to be considerably higher" as per the study.
Nearly two-thirds of more than 15,700 named species and subspecies of ants that are found all over the planet, are yet to be described.
Planning to study the environmental factors influencing the population density of the tiny creatures, scientists believe that the total global biomass of ants is thought to be 12 megatons of dry carbon.
Hosting organisms and serving as either predators or prey, ants are an essential part of ecosystems around the world.
(With inputs from agencies)
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