Although the reason for Bombus affinis’ drastic population decline is unknown, current threats, such as pathogen spillover, habitat loss and pesticide use are detrimental to the current population (Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2016). These threats also only affect individual colonies and populations and not necessarily the whole range of the Bombus affinis
Long-term survival of a species depends on its ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions (Murphy, 1994). Genetic diversity within a species, which has taken 3.5 billion years to evolve, makes adaptations to these changing environments possible. Unfortunately, the rate of extinction of genetically diverse organisms is rapidly increasing, thus reducing this needed biodiversity, largely due to the human impacts of development and expansion. What was an average of one extinction per year before is now one extinction per hour and extinct species numbers are expected to reach approximately one million by the year 2000 (WWW site, Bio 65). As a result governmental and societal action must be taken immediately!
We don’t often stop to consider the impact that simply living our human lives has on the other species that once called our neighbourhoods their home. The Fraser Valley, “one of the most important and complex ecosystems in the country” (Thom, p. 171), has been dramatically altered to make a more convenient landscape for housing and farming. In this process, critical habitat has been destroyed and many species that were once abundant have disappeared from our area (Cuthbert p. 24). Urbanization is ongoing and is thought to be the most significant threat to the incredible biodiversity found throughout British Columbia, and particularly the population-dense Lower Mainland (Harding, p. 355). Biodiversity, the “complex web that sustains life on this planet” (Austin, et al., p. 5), is vital for our survival as humans (Cuthbert p. 74). Any loss of biodiversity affects the entire ecosystem and all organisms within it (Fetene et al., p. 52). In the quest to house the ever-expanding human population, we must also consider habitat conservation and seek to preserve the rich biodiversity found in the Fraser Valley that supports and enriches our lives.
Disease, pollution, and limited distribution are factors that threaten various plant and animal species. Also, if the current rate of forest loss continues, huge quantities of plant and animal species will disappear.
The eradication of species numbers average at a toll close to one hundred percent of earths total living creatures. “It is the Earth's most severe known extinction event, with up to 96% of all marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species becoming extinct” (Sahney, and Benton 759). Not only where marine and terrestrial species effected but this catastrophic event is the only recogni...
The luxurious Great Lakes ecosystem has been severely damaged by more than 180 invasive and non-native species. According to Felix Martinez, species such as zebra mussels, quagga mussels, round goby, sea lamprey, and alewife reproduce and spread, ultimately degrading habitat, out-competing native species, and shorting the food webs (Great Lakes Region 2). “Zebra mussels are small, fingernail-sized animals that attach to
Their findings contributed to a further explanation of the definition of an invasive species. It was concluded that invasive species are detrimental to the environment that they are invading. Jackson (2015) mentioned that negative relationships among invaders are a particular concern since it is possible that both of the invasive species would need to be controlled in order for an area to rebound after invasion. Hoopes et al. (2013) concluded that native species on island refuges are more likely to be come extinct during an invasion compared to those of mainland refuges. These results also help to confirm the importance of understanding invasive species from a conservation point of view since invasive species are a major threat to native populations in their
As if there weren’t enough problems for scientists trying to save the Great Lakes Eco System. Many non-native species have entered the eco system and many of them are harmful. Every species in itself has played a role in the eco system. These non-native species make it increasingly difficult for the Great Lakes Eco System to be regulated.
The authors construct a deliberate order to delve deeper into the specifics of the, what, why, and how, to further support the inevitable affect, not only on human health, but also the health of our global ecosystem. Mangosing, quoting the book “Keeping the Bees” makes an impact when using the statement, “We could reach a situation where the number of pollinating species falls below a threshold and the ecological system collapses, becoming less diverse, less aesthetically pleasing, and less ecologically (not to mention nutritionally) productive.” By reiterating this statement, words such as “collapse” and “less”, creates a moment of thought, conceivably even concern for the audience, encouraging the question ‘what
An estimated one hundred species go extinct each and every day, which means that approximately 36,500 species would go extinct every year (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2003). This extinction trend coul...
The golden age for the western Roman empire has long passed. Rome suffered a series of problem that would eventually lead to its demise. Rome was hit with a barrage of political and economic problems along crushing disease and the threat of foreign invasion. The is how the once great superpower finally came to its knees.
"The Consequences of Global WarmingOn Wildlife." Consequences of Global Warming. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. .
Invasive alien species are disrupting and changing the normal ecological functions of biomes, ecosystems, and the biosphere as a whole (CBD, 2009). They are a threat to biodiversity and can cause damage to, or even eradicate native species which natural cycles and other organisms depend on. While disrupting energy flow, food chains, and shaking the structure of ecosystems to the core, invasive species create not only ecological, but also a whole host of social, economical, and health issues that affect the livelihood of almost every organism on earth, including humans (CBD, 2009).
The 2010 meeting will once again return to North America. The University of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, will host Conservation for a Changing Planet, a global discussion on the large-scale environmental changes that are affecting the earth’s ecology. The theme has particular relevance to the host location, as nowhere will climate change be more dramatic than on the ecosystems of the north. The timing of the conference is vital because, as explained by the local organizing committee behind the conference, “developing conservation strategies to cope with our changing planet is arguably the greatest challenge facing today’s world and its biodiversity.”
This drastic and significant change in global temperatures is affecting the species’ food supply through the warming of oceans, while also impacting their environments to the extent of a mass reduction of nesting sites and habitats. This threat that is now evident has scientists looking at the application and limitation to how we can prevent this issue, in order to save these animals from the long-term impacts of this issue and the existential threat.
According to World WildLife Fund, many ecosystems around the world are being destroyed, eliminating many plant and animal species that inhabit them (“Pollution”).