World population scenarios

Some factors (such as global population growth) will begin to decline in importance and others (distribution of people, climate change, and changes to nutrient…

Estimated global marine fish catch, 1950 -2001

Fishing production dramatically increase through the century peaking in late 1980s. At this time there were major declines in several fish populations in different…

Changes in agricultural land (pasture and cropland)

For all developing countries over the period 1961–99, expansion of harvested land contributed only 29% to growth in crop production versus the contribution of…

Collapse of Atlantic cod stocks off the East Coast of Newfoundland in 1992

From the late 1950s, offshore bottom trawlers began exploiting the deeper part of the stock, leading to a large catch increase and a strong…

Main direct drivers of change in biodiversity and ecosystems (CWG)

The cell color indicates impact of each driver on biodiversity in each type of ecosystem over the past 50–100 years. High impact means that…

Global production, prices, and undernourishment

Food production more than doubled (an increase of over 160%) from 1961 to 2003. Over this period, production of cereals—the major energy component of…

Marine, coastal, and island systems

Marine systems are the world’s oceans. For mapping purposes, the map shows ocean areas where the depth is greater than 50 meters. Global fishery…

Extent of cultivated systems, 2000

More land was converted to cropland in the 30 years after 1950 than in the 150 years between 1700 and 1850. Cultivated systems (areas…

Number of flood events by continent and decade since 1950

Roughly 17% of all the urban land in the United States is located in the 100-year flood zone. Likewise, in Japan about 50% of…

Locations reported by various studies as undergoing high rates of land cover change in the past few decades

In the case of forest cover change, the studies refer to the period 1980–2000 and are based on national statistics, remote sensing, and to…

Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) average annual growth, 1990–2003

Average annual percentage growth rate of GDP per capita at market prices based on constant local currency. Dollar figures for GDP are converted from…

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment conceptual framework

International demand for timber may lead to a regional loss of forest cover, which increases flood magnitude along a local stretch of a river.…