THE EXTINCTION CRISIS Right now, ancient forests, free-flowing rivers, living oceans and deserts and the abundance of life they all contain are in danger of vanishing from the world within decades. In the midst of an explosion of extinctions unprecedented in history, we are now seeing the disappearance of biological and habitat diversity across the globe as more and more wild lands and waters are taken for development and species driven extinct. Current extinctions are brought about by humans with 99 percent of all threatened species now at risk from human activities. Though extinction is a natural phenomenon, occurring at a rate of approximately 1 to 5 species per year, experts now believe we are losing dozens of species per day, anywhere from 100 to 10,000 times higher than background rates. Human-induced global warming, in particular, is emerging as a catastrophic driver of extinction. The World Conservation Union has documented the extinction of 849 species in the wild since 1500 A.D. (when historical scientific records began), but this does not account for thousands of species that disappear before scientists can describe them. As of 2006, over 16,000 species worldwide are threatened with extinction, but this is likely a gross underestimate because fewer than 3% of the world’s 1.9 million described species have been assessed by the World Conservation Union Red List. |
Birds One out of every eight bird species assessed by the World Conservation Union is threatened with extinction. Habitat loss and degradation have caused most declines, but the impacts of invasive species and capture by collectors play a role as well. Currently, at least 270 South American birds are listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union, while there are over 60 endangered or threatened owl species worldwide. Amphibians A 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment by the World Conservation Union concluded that one-third (1,856 of 5,743) of the planet’s known amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Frogs, toads and salamanders are disappearing primarily because of habitat loss, water and air pollution, and global warming. Vanishing amphibians are canaries in the global coal mine, signaling subtle yet radical ecosystem changes that could ultimately claim many other species including humans. Marine Species Right now, twenty marine mammals are listed as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Large-scale commercial fishing, shipping and oil drilling have pushed many marine species to the brink of extinction. Oceans and the extraordinary life they contain are under growing assault from pollution, massive overfishing and runaway development along fragile coastline ecosystems. |
