Two leading scientists have issued a call for massive swathes of the planet’s land and sea to be protected from human interference in order to avert mass extinction.

Current levels of protection “do not even come close to required levels”, they said, urging world leaders to come to a new arrangement by which at least 30 per cent of the planet’s surface is formally protected by 2030.

Chief scientist of the National Geographic Society Jonathan Baillie and Chinese Academy of Sciences biologist Ya-Ping Zhang made their views clear in an editorial published in the journal Science.

They said the new target was the absolute minimum that ought to be conserved, and ideally this figure should rise to 50 per cent by the middle of the century.

“This will be extremely challenging, but it is possible,” they said.

“Anything less will likely result in a major extinction crisis and jeopardise the health and wellbeing of future generations.”

Most current scientific estimates have the amount of space needed to safeguard the world’s animals and plants at between 25 and 75 per cent of land and oceans.

There is an enormous amount of uncertainty due in no small part to incomplete knowledge about the number of species on the planet and the roles they play in ecosystems.

Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Show all 12 1 /12 Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park “The Stadium,” one of the most impressive geological formations of the Serranía de Chiribiquete. Colombian Amazon Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Forest burns due to the colonisation front near the northern border of Chiribiquete National Park, Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Grandpa Marcelieno and his son, of the indigenous Araracuara people, with sacred plants from the region: mambe and ambil. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Cattle ranching at the agricultural frontier near the northern border of the Chiribiquete National Park Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Oil palm monoculture, Puerto Concordia on the Ariari River, Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Preparation of traditional sugarcane-based beverage by the indigenous Barasano people of Pacoa, on the Apaporis River, near the southeastern border of Chiribiquete National Park Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Tapir in the community of Buenos Aires, Apaporis River. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park (Left) Pictograms over 20.000 years old found on stone in the Chiribiquete National Natural Park FCDS Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park The main “maloca” of the Mutanacua indigenous community of Pacoa, on the Apaporis River, near the southeastern border of Chiribiquete National Park. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park “Vigilant Grandfather,” one of the Chiribiquete National Park’s representative “tepuyes.” Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Aerial view of one of the park's waterfalls FCDS Colombian reserve becomes world’s largest rainforest national park Ajajú River, Chiribiquete National Park. Colombian Amazon Cesar David Martinez

Nevertheless, the scientists dismissed current protection of 3.6 per cent of the oceans and 14.7 per cent of land as way off the necessary targets.

Researchers have warned of a “biological annihilation” as many of the world’s creatures are wiped out due to human impacts like pollution and climate change.

A recent study by BirdLife International revealed that several birds species, including the spix’s macaw, have gone extinct in the wild in recent years.

In the UK experts have warned that many of the nation’s best known species, including garden birds and hedgehogs, are facing alarming declines.

Of the areas that are currently designated as special protected zones, many are so-called paper parks that are not properly managed or are subject to intense human pressure.

A study published in May revealed that a third of the land in the world’s wildlife sanctuaries and national parks – a total area of 2.3 million square miles – faces destruction due to human activities such as road building and urbanisation.

In 2010 at the Nagoya Conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the world’s governments agreed to aim for 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas and 17 per cent of land protected within a decade.