Half-Earth Project Map
If we are going to save species from extinction, we need a comprehensive atlas that maps Earth’s biodiversity and is accessible to everyone. Only then will we be able to make complex decisions about how to best preserve nature for all life.
The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s objective is to map the location and distribution of the planet’s species at a high enough resolution to allow for on-the-ground decisions to be made at a local level. Together with our partners, we have developed the Half-Earth Project Map, a high-resolution, dynamic world map and decision-support tool that guides where place-based species conservation activities are needed the most to protect Earth’s species, including our own.
The map visualizes a global assessment of biodiversity richness and rarity at a 1–50 km scale for all terrestrial and marine vertebrates and at 1km to country scale for hundreds of thousands of invertebrate and plant species. No other open-access tool contains this resolution of global species data.
Designed for a wide variety of users, the map is easy to read and navigate and can be accessed by anyone in any community. Coupled with data showing human pressures, irrecoverable carbon, and existing protected areas, the map reveals priority areas for conservation.
“The Half-Earth Project map is becoming a powerful tool for discovery as it combines the best of our mapping technology and global biodiversity data to help us chart a new path forward for the planet.”
The Half-Earth Project Map has been created to work alongside other platforms. The Species Protection Index (SPI) offers an important example of such partnership opportunities. The SPI measures the amount and location of currently protected land in a country and the number and location of species found both inside and outside of these protected areas. SPI ranges from 0–100, with 100 reflecting a country practicing good stewardship and promoting equitable conservation efforts within its borders. SPI is an important Essential Biodiversity Variable, an indicator for success that can be used to determine how a country is doing in any given area regarding global biodiversity stewardship and identify where additional attention is needed.
Beyond just a tool for monitoring species conservation, the SPI actively supports conservation decision-making at multiple scales. Formally adopted as an indicator for Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, the SPI is the only indicator that directly and quantitatively addresses the importance protected areas play for conserving species. As a result the SPI can fit a variety of institutional and management needs, from individual species prioritization to global resource allocation. Many of these uses are currently available at the global scale on the Half-Earth Project Map, which is updated annually. Users can also review results of this annual update through the Species Protection Report, see below.
The Species Protection Report addresses the state of species protection in 2024. It reports on the progress of regions and countries in the adequate representation of species within networks of protected and conserved areas.
The Species Protection Report is a collaborative effort of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s Half-Earth Project, the Map of Life (MOL), the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), and Esri.
At the national level, users can utilize two additional options for more detailed information to assist with finer-scale decision-making. National Report Cards summarize a country’s conservation efforts. They can be used to explore each country’s conservation progress, needs, and challenges and help prioritize support and resources accordingly.
The Half-Earth project team also collaborates with various end-user groups, including national park managers, civil society organizations, governments, and corporations, to create customized dashboard products. This emerging program highlights the power of knowledge and the opportunities technology can provide to create equitably accessible and inclusive tools for decision-makers.
The Half-Earth Project Map is led by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation in collaboration with Vizzuality, Map of Life, and Esri, with funding support from Esri, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Burt’s Bees Foundation, and Jeff and Laurie Ubben.
EXPLORE & TAKE ACTION
EXPLORE
LEARN
