Where our data comes from
Every number on Eco Animal Life — in an article or in the Comparator tool — is checked against a scientific or institutional source. We draw primarily from:
- IUCN Red List — conservation status of species
- NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) — ocean, coastal, and climate data
- NASA Earth Observatory — satellite-based land cover and climate data
- USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) — freshwater, geological, and habitat data
- Smithsonian — biodiversity and natural history reference data
- UNEP (UN Environment Programme) — global environmental assessments
- Ramsar — wetland-specific data and policy
Where one of these organizations doesn't publish a relevant figure, we use another peer-reviewed or government source and name it explicitly in the article.
Why we use ranges, not single numbers
Ecosystems vary by region, season, and measurement method. A hot desert in the Sahara and one in the American Southwest don't share identical rainfall, and a rainforest's productivity differs between sites within the same country. Rather than presenting a single average as if it applied everywhere, we describe typical ranges and name the source behind them, so you can see the real variation.
Why every figure is dated
Conservation status, population estimates, and habitat-loss figures change as new assessments are published. A species listed as "Vulnerable" today may be reassessed in a future IUCN update. That's why every data point on this site is paired with the date we consulted it — so you know exactly how current the figure is, rather than assuming it's permanent.
The comparator dataset
The Biome and Ecosystem Comparator is powered by a structured dataset covering about eighteen major ecosystem types, each with its own sourced entries for climate, soil or substrate, productivity, typical flora and fauna, food web structure, adaptations, and threats and conservation status.
Photographs and licenses
The photographs on this site come from Pexels and are used under the Pexels License, which allows free use. Each photo is credited to its photographer, with a link to the original page, in the caption under the image. A photo illustrates the topic of its page and is not evidence for any claim in the text; where a photo shows a general scene rather than the exact subject, its description says only what is visible. The full list of credits is available in the image credits file.
Limitations
This site presents typical patterns, not a substitute for site-specific scientific surveys or official conservation assessments. For a decision that depends on precise, current data — conservation planning, policy, or academic citation — always consult the primary source directly, linked wherever we reference it.
Something looks wrong?
Tell us through our contact form with "Correction request" as the subject, or read our corrections policy to see how we handle reports.