Scientists estimate most of Earth's species remain undiscovered, creating a fundamental problem: we cannot protect what we do not know exists.
Biodiversity—the vast array of life on Earth, from microscopic fungi to majestic sequoias—forms the foundation of our planet's life-support systems. Yet this intricate web of life is fraying at an unprecedented rate. Species are now going extinct at the fastest rate since the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 6 .
This silent crisis stems from a simple but dangerous gap in our knowledge: we lack precise maps showing where species live and how their habitats are changing. Robust, spatially explicit metrics quantifying the impacts of habitat loss on species extinctions have been notably absent until recently .
Estimated species on Earth
Original vegetation lost in biodiversity hotspots
Earth's land surface covered by biodiversity hotspots
At its simplest, a biodiversity map visualizes the distribution of life across geography. But modern biodiversity mapping has evolved far beyond simple dot-on-map representations.
These maps integrate multiple dimensions of data, illustrating not just where species are found, but their population densities, genetic diversity, ecological relationships, and how these factors might shift under future climate and land-use scenarios.
Mapping where different species are found across geographic regions.
Tracking genetic variations within and between populations.
Visualizing how species interact within ecosystems.
Projecting how distributions might change under future conditions.
The science of biodiversity mapping has undergone a quiet revolution, moving from hand-drawn range maps based on scattered observations to computationally intensive models that integrate massive datasets.
GBIF represents one of the most ambitious efforts to create a global data infrastructure for biodiversity. This international network provides open access to data about all types of life on Earth, funded by governments worldwide 1 .
To address limitations of traditional species distribution maps, scientists developed the Area of Habitat (AOH) method, which refines these ranges by incorporating data on suitable land-use types and elevation preferences for each species 4 .
In 2025, scientists unveiled a groundbreaking approach called the LIFE (Land-cover change Impacts on Future Extinctions) metric. This method couples the "persistence score" approach with high-performance computing .
A landmark study published in Scientific Data in 2025 exemplifies the cutting edge of biodiversity mapping. The research set out to address a critical gap: the lack of high-precision habitat maps showing how climate change would affect endangered species 4 .
Validation results showing percentage of species with higher observation densities in AOH maps 4
| Species Group | SSP126 (Best Case) | SSP245 (Middle Road) | SSP585 (Worst Case) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amphibians | -2.3% | -5.7% | -12.1% |
| Birds | -1.8% | -4.2% | -9.7% |
| Mammals | -2.1% | -5.1% | -11.3% |
| Reptiles | -1.9% | -4.5% | -10.2% |
Projected habitat changes for endangered terrestrial vertebrates by 2050 under different climate scenarios 4
Modern biodiversity mapping relies on an array of sophisticated tools and technologies:
| Tool/Data Source | Function | Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Sensing | Satellite imagery captures ecosystem extent and changes | Global Ecosystems Atlas integrating high-quality ecosystem maps 2 |
| IUCN Red List | Provides species distribution data and threat assessments | Habitat suitability modeling for endangered species 4 |
| GBIF | Aggregates species occurrence records globally | Research on climate change impacts on biodiversity 1 |
| Cellular Automata Models | Simulates future land-use changes | Predicting habitat loss under different climate scenarios 4 |
| High-Performance Computing | Processes enormous datasets | Generating global LIFE metrics at 1 arc-min resolution |
The true value of biodiversity mapping lies in its application to real-world conservation challenges. These maps are already guiding critical decisions:
The Global Ecosystems Atlas supports implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, including targets to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 2 .
Organizations like the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund use biodiversity hotspot analysis to prioritize investments 6 .
Biodiversity maps inform frameworks like the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) 2 .
"The blank spaces on the biodiversity map are not empty—they are filled with questions waiting for answers, and species waiting to be seen."