How many ants are there on Earth? Scientists have finally counted them!

Ants are a common insect, but how many ants are there on Earth? A recent scientific study estimates that there are at least 200 billion ants.

Researchers from the University of Würzburg in Germany, the University of Hong Kong in China and other institutions published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. In order to more accurately estimate the total number of ants on Earth, they used a standardized method to summarize data from 489 previous studies on ant population density from different parts of the world. Currently, there are about 15,700 known ant species and subspecies on Earth.

After extrapolating these data, they estimated that there are conservatively 300 trillion ants living on the surface alone, and the total number of ants on the earth is at least 200 trillion. The researchers explained that human knowledge of ants is still incomplete, and most current ant statistics are limited to the surface, with less attention paid to trees or underground. In addition, relevant statistics in Africa and northern Asia are also limited.

Although ants are small, they win by their numbers. The international research team introduced in the paper that the total biomass (in terms of dry carbon) of 200 billion ants can reach about 12 million tons, which is larger than the total biomass of all birds and mammals in the wild natural environment.

Ants play a vital role in most ecosystems around the world. They help spread seeds, turn the soil to increase nutrient availability, and are eaten by many animals.

The research team believes that estimating the total number of ants can help scientists understand the number and biomass distribution of ant populations in different regions. Through continuous observation in the future, it will help to timely grasp the changes in ant habitats and numbers caused by factors such as climate change, and better protect the ecosystem.