Major Causes of Extinction
Hotspots are areas that have rich diversity of species, but many species have become critically endangered because of devastating human activities. The loss of biodiversity in many hotspots was mainly because of habitat loss and fragmentation which in turn have occurred due to pollution, overexploitation of resources, deforestation, increased human population, and introduction of exotic species (Background paper on Himalayan ecology, 2010). For Himalaya, deforestation is one of the main causes of extinction. People living in Himalaya convert the forest into an agricultural land and overuse the timber, fodder, and fuel wood (WWF, 2011a). Moreover, the production of charcoal and over-grazing is considered to be causes of extinction in Himalaya (WWF, 2011a).Many Himalayans depend on farm animals for their living but do not have enough food for them; as a result, large numbers of grazers are found in the forests destroying the future of the forest (WWF, 2011a). In addition, WWF (2011a) claimed that poaching and illegal trade in wildlife is one of the main causes of extinction to the endemic species in the region. Because of high commercial value, some critically endangered species such as tiger and rhino are poached. Other species like deer are poached for their meat (WWF, 2011a). Similarly, fish poaching is considered to be a threat on the biodiversity because the poachers contaminate the river when they use nets and poison to get the fish (WWF, 2011a). Generally, according to Background paper on Himalayan ecology (2010), “Habitat destruction and fragmentation has resulted in the vulnerability of species to inbreeding depression and high infant mortality.” Besides, the creation of some infrastructure, suc...
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... habitats; thus, these more efforts should be made to expand conservation areas in a way that helps to protect the biodiversity for a long time (Conservation International, 2007). In addition, many other projects implemented by the British Aid Agency aims to decrease poverty and increase awareness about natural resources and this will result in biodiversity conservation (Conservation International, 2007). Other projects aim to protect specific species, such as the horned rhinos in India. The Indian Rhino Vision 2020 helped in protecting the species that were on the brink of extinction in 1905 (WWF, 2011c). By protecting the rhinos, the number has increased to over 1,700 individuals today. However, the populations of rhinos live in just one national park, so it might get exposed to disease outbreaks and poaching that could destroy the whole population (WWF, 2011c).
While some people may think that they’re “protecting” the animals from extinction, that’s not something that they should be doing. That is a job for zoos and animal protection facilities. People should just visit the zoo if they want to see the animals that much
... environmental degradation. In this paper the impacts of human activity on the communities of the Himalayas and Mt. Everest proved to increase environmental degradation at the cost of the Himalayan communities. The World-Systems Theory was used to explain the issue of core countries and peripheral countries and how their different roles in the world system have shaped environmental impacts. There is great certainty that our growing population has disrupted the ecosystem in many negative ways, it is just a matter of time before the majestic Mt. Everest is destroyed forever. But for now, as the world continues to grow and Mount Everest continues to be a beacon for those who seek adventure or thrill it will continue to be degraded unless regulation is developed. Until then Mount Everest will continue to be “the highest junkyard on the face of the Earth.” (Barry Bishop)
Years ago, species such as the Pyrenean Ibex, Passenger Pigeon, and the Wooly Mammoth used to roam the very same earth that we humans walk today. These species, along with many others have gone extinct over the course of time and now only fossils remain. However, Scientists are using biotechnology in an attempt to bring these species back from the dead. This process is known as de-extinction. De-Extinction, also known as resurrection biology, is the scientific process of resurrecting species that have died out, or gone extinct (Britannica). Scientists are using three different techniques in their attempt to resurrect these species which includes breeding back, genetic engineering, cloning.
When I started this paper, I had many questions. I wanted to know what all the main theories of dinosaur extinction are and how many there are. I also wanted to know what factors in each theory would have killed these massive beasts. Other questions I had are: had dinosaurs been dying out before the event? Did any dinosaurs survive the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) event? What religious beliefs contradict the dinosaurs’ very existence? The last question I wanted to address was whether or not an event such as this one could happen to us? After five papers and hours of research, some of the new questions I have are: what happened after the Cretaceous/Tertiary event? I would also now like to know if one of these theories could happen to us and how we would be able to handle it. I came up with these questions because I wanted to know we are living with this present danger. Whether a huge ice age could eradicate an entire population of humans is mind-boggling and would be extremely interesting to research. To come up with these new questions, I let my brain wander. I was joking a...
Over a century ago, humans fought animals for dominance of the landscape and we regrettably won, now they’re in need of our protection. The Government and Organizations have come to the rescue of wildlife species all across the U.S. Their main goal is to protect wildlife species from over harvesting and also their loss of habitat due to industrial and residential development. The beauty and curiosity of wildlife captivates all of us for different reasons. For certain species, they are the link to our existence Animals are not being hunted into extinction because the government is protecting certain wildlife areas and are controlling the animal populations within those certain areas. While increasing a wildlife species population and removing from the endangered species list, a predator such as the gray wolf, is sure to be seen as a success to some and a threat to others.
.... Some animals face endangerment because of human’s hunting activities and because of the climate changes. Due to the endangered rare species, people solve this problem by bringing these animals back to their natural habitat.
NEED AND PURPOSE FOR CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity conservation is about saving life on Earth in all its forms and keeping natural ecosystems functioning and healthy. Biodiversity is being depleted by the loss of habitat, fragmentation of habitat, over exploitation of resources, human sponsored ecosystems, climatic changes, pollution, invasive exotic species, diseases, shifting cultivation, poaching of wildlife etc. Since the human beings are enjoying all the benefits from biodiversity, they should take proper care for the preservation of biodiversity in all its forms and should prevent the degradation as well as the destruction of the habitats, thereby maintaining the biodiversity at its optimum level which will ultimately conserve the biodiversity for the future generation. The United Nations designated 2011-2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. In biodiversity, each species, no matter how big or small, has an important role to play in ecosystems.
of species due to a variety of causes. Included is out competition, depletion of resources
According to World WildLife Fund, many ecosystems around the world are being destroyed, eliminating many plant and animal species that inhabit them (“Pollution”).
One of the big causes of extinction or the endangerment of species is foreign species entering a habitat. This species that are not native to the land can disrupt the food web in that community. These species take control of the food web and endanger some of the other species. The native species become endangered and over the course of many years they either adapt to their new way or life, the foreign predator leaves or is killed off due to the different environment, or the species is killed off and becomes extinct. Organizations like the “World Wild Li...
One of the reasons for loss in biodiversity is alteration of habitats. A habitat is the natural environment in which a species of living organism lives. If the habitat of a species is changed, it will cause the species to die or migrate to other places where it can find its natural habitat. There are many ways in which the habitat of plants and animals can be altered. One of them is land use changes. Since the beginning of human life, human beings have been changing land use for farming. Large areas of forests have been cleared by humans to increase the area of farming to satisfy their growing needs. Many biodiversity-rich landscape characteristics have been lost due to intensive farming (Young, Richards, Fischer, Halada, Kull, Kuzniar, Tartes, Uzunov & Watt, 2007). For example, traditional farming was replaced by private farms in Europe after the First World War causing an immense change in land use patterns. Another major proble...
Some main causes of Endangerment are habitat loss, pollution, hunting, competition from non-native plants and animals, plant collecting, logging, clearing forests, and trading animal parts. The growing population also causes some effect because man cause most problems. Diseases or viruses are al...
The planet earth is a complex environment in which various organisms have cycled through their time of existence for millions of years. All species that have lived are destined for extinction at some point in time, and this is a natural process and cycle. Mass extinctions are this process at an extreme rate. In fact, many scientists today suspect that earth is on the verge of the sixth mass extinction. In order to better analyze this, one must understand what a mass extinction is, the history of mass extinctions, the evidence that earth is nearing the next extinction, and how humans are affecting the extinction.
Shah, Anup. Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions. Global Issues, 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.
(2) All the economically important organisms in protected areas should be identified and conserved as protected areas are an extremely important part of programs to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems, mainly for sensitive habitats. (3) Species in critical habitats should be identified and safeguarded. (4) Priority should be given at its outmost level to preserve ecosystems which appear to be unique. (5) There should be sustainable utilisation of natural resources. (6) International trade in wild life should be prohibited and highly regulated. (7) The poaching and hunting of wildlife should be prevented as far as practicable. For example in Assam on horned rhinos are facing extinction on account of poachers trading them at an international level for monetary gains. (8) Care should be taken for the development and improvement of reserves and protected areas. (9) Efforts should be made to reduce the level of pollutants in the environment which causes an adverse