The total number of ants on Earth has been calculated!  

You can’t guess him

The question “ how many ants are there in the world?” ” is nearly impossible to answer, yet a new survey based on 489 studies from around the world offers a systematic, evidence-based assessment. So the research shows that there are 20 quadrillion ants on Earth, or if you want it with zeros, 20,000,000,000,000,000. Scientists estimate their total weight at 12 million tons, a size that exceeds the total mass of wild birds and mammals together, while it is equal to about 1/5 of the total weight of humans on the planet.

The research also provides a useful baseline for monitoring ant populations amid major environmental changes. The role of ants on the planet is very important, as they provide soil aeration, transport seeds, break down organic matter, create a living environment for other animals and are an important link in the food chain.

Over 15,700 different species of ants have been identified so far. They exhibit a high level of social organization and have colonized almost all ecosystems in all regions of the world. They are found in forests, deserts, plains and cities. The new research shows that the population of ants is 20 times larger than what we estimated until now.

Their distribution on Earth is uneven. The tropical zone has six times the population of other regions, which again reveals how important it is to preserve the rainforest. It is worth noting that the vast majority of the 489 studies used collected data from ants on the ground surface, which means we have little information about the population of ants on trees and in the subsoil.

The world’s insect population is in decline due to human destruction of the environment, the use of chemicals and climate change, and this can have tragic consequences for the planet.