GLOBAL PROTECTED AREAS
Protected areas come in all shapes and sizes and vary according to what level of protection the area receives (e.g., a wildlife refuge that allows hunting of some species versus a nature preserve that does not allow any hunting). About 13% of land on Earth has some protected status (only 1.6% of the oceans are protected; see LaunchPad Chapters 29 and 31 for more on marine protected areas).
While the number of protected areas has increased dramatically in recent decades, from about 5 million square kilometers (2 million square miles) in 1975 to almost 25 million square kilometers (10 million square miles) in 2011, species extinction rates have not dropped; they are actually increasing as pressure outside of protected areas increases. Protection of the habitats of the most vulnerable species is a must if we want to effectively address species extinctions.
