Global sacred and revered sites mapped

British scientists are creating a global map of lands owned or revered by the world's religions, many of which have some of the planet's richest biodiversity.Researchers at Oxford University estimate 15 percent of the world's surface, much of it covered in forest, is either owned outright by religious groups or is "sacred land" revered rather than being necessarily owned by faith communities, an Oxford release said Monday.Researchers are conducting an effort to scientifically measure the coverage of religious and sacred land, and assess its value in terms of biodiversity and land use by the local community."We urgently need to map this vast network of religious forests, sacred sites and other community-conserved areas to understand their role in biodiversity conservation," Oxford researcher Shonil Bhagwat said. "Such mapping can also allow the custodian communities, who have protected these sites for generations, to secure their legal status."