Wildlife on the edge

A file photo of a fire in the Amazon rainforest on the banks of the BR-230 (Transamazon Highway), near the city of Labrea, Amazonas state, northern Brazil. Habitat loss is among the drivers of biodiversity decline reported by the Living Planet Index. — AFP

WILDLIFE populations around the world continue dropping precipitously, according to an important but limited and often misinterpreted assessment that’s issued every two years.

The declines reported by the Living Planet Index, a collaboration between two large conservation organisations, have been so steep as to feel disorienting.