It is difficult to explain this unprecedented and accelerating rate of extinction as a natural phenomenon. … What is a weed for Monsanto is a medicinal plant or food for rural people. Where possible, alternative links are provided to backups or reposted versions here. The wildlife we know and love is in decline around the world. A few US states have banned the commercial collecting of wild-caught amphibians and reptiles, some entirely, others with exceptions (Levell 1997). Take the following as an example: Junk-food chains, including KFC and Pizza Hut, are under attack from major environmental groups in the United States and other developed countries because of their environmental impact. Amphibians are the most at risk, while corals have had a dramatic increase in risk of extinction in recent years. Furthermore, in 2006, aquaculture consumed 57 percent of fish meal and 87 percent of fish oil as industrial fisheries operating in tropical regions have been scooping up enormous amounts of fish anchovies, herring, mackerel and other small pelagic forage fish to feed to farmed salmon or turn into animal feed or pet food. Seahorses tend to have low birth rates, with lengthy parental care. General public negativity of commercial whaling has also led to a difference between traditional whaling communities in the arctic region and conservationists. Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF, said: “We are wiping wildlife from the face of the planet, burning our forests, polluting and over-fishing our seas and destroying wild areas. This site’s section on water and development looks into water related issues in more depth. A report from the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development suggests that the forests of the world have been exploited to the point of crisis and that major changes in global forest management strategies would be needed to avoid the devastation. This has an additional ramification when it comes to protecting biodiversity and endangered species. Clearly not all blame should be laid at the international fishing system as it is also individual choice, but the desperation and other geopolitical issues in the region can turn people to do things they normally would not. For example. expanded side notes, shows alternative links), use the print version: 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost, 75% of the world’s fisheries are fully or over exploited, Up to 70% of the world’s known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5°C, Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity, Excessive nutrient load and other forms of pollution. Quoting a number of examples from the report, The report also notes that The number of observed dead zones, coastal sea areas where water oxygen levels have dropped too low to support most marine life, has roughly doubled each decade since the 1960s. Society and the environment, or for the logging companies? Turtles are believed by some to be surviving Anapsids. Amphibians are particularly sensitive to changes in the environment. The nutrients promote the growth of algae that die and decompose on the seabed, depleting the water of oxygen and threatening fisheries, livelihoods and tourism. penguins), and other creatures (e.g. Of those protected areas where effectiveness of management has been assessed, 13% were judged to be clearly inadequate, while more than one fifth demonstrated sound management, and the remainder were classed as basic. Many commercial whaling nations have been part of this moratorium but have various objections and other pressures to try and resume whaling. Following the fall of the former Iraqi regime in 2003 many drainage structures have been dismantled, and the marshes were reflooded to approximately 58% of their former extent by the end of 2006, with a significant recovery of marsh vegetation. Additionally, an estimated 12% of the area of the world’s inland waters are included within protected areas. The UN’s 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook report, mentioned earlier, also notes how indigenous communities can benefit their local environments and is quoted at length: Indigenous and local communities play a significant role in conserving very substantial areas of high biodiversity and cultural value. “I feel frustrated by having to give a stark and desperate message but I think there’s a positive side to it as well.”. Another BBC article notes that biodiversity is fundamental to economics. Slowly, projects are helping at the local level for people to take ownership of their environment and help foster a sustainable development cycle. In the past century, commercial whaling has decimated numerous whale populations, many of which have struggled to recover. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms and all its interactions. This is caused by a combination of causes, including warming of oceans, damage from fishing tools and a harmful infection of coral organisms promoted by ocean pollution. For the poorest, this biodiversity is the most important resource for survival. Originally considered lands unsuitable for productive activities, the resources on Indian lands are currently the resources of the future. Limits to logging in developed countries have led timber transnationals overseas. Noone knows what will be the result of this extremely rapid extinction rate. Vieques, Puerto Rico, the US use live rounds in bombing ranges, and low altitude flying for training. Because industrial agriculture promotes the use of monocultures, rather than a diversity of crops, the loss of biodiversity is leading to more resource usage, as described above. Changes to the climate are reversible, even if that takes centuries or millennia, and conservation efforts can work. Quite often we make blanket statements or generalized conclusions that people are the cause of deforestation. As the Centre for Science and Environment mentions, factors such as climate change and environmental degradation can impact regions more so, and make the impacts of severe weather systems even worse than they already are. Most future scenarios project continuing high levels of extinctions and loss of habitats throughout this century, with associated decline of some ecosystem services important to human well-being. Without sufficient shark numbers the balance they provide to the ecosystem is threatened because nature evolved this balance through many millennia. A combination of geopolitics and economic agreements foster a scenario for such results to occur. He added that If current estimates of amphibian species in imminent danger of extinction are included in these calculations, then the current amphibian extinction rate may range from 25,039–45,474 times the background extinction rate for amphibians. This makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes. By contrast, waiting 10 more years could reduce the net benefit of halving deforestation by US$ 500 billion. For example, Regardless of what one thinks about trying to put a monetary value on parts of the environment, the above numbers add to the case that taking care of the environment is important. In addition, they cited another study that estimated that 3,000 listed companies around the world were responsible for over $2 trillion in environmental externalities (i.e. To learn more about how trade and poverty in general are related, go to this web site’s section on, 'Human footprint too big for nature', WWF, October 24, 2006, 'Erosion of Lizard Diversity by Climate Change and Altered Thermal Niches', Science 328 (5980), 894. …NOTE: The above presentation encompasses only the most important and burning global environmental problems. As John Madeley points out: [T]he [eucalyptus] trees achieve this rapid growth by tapping large quantities of groundwater, impoverishing surrounding vegetation and threatening to dry up local water courses. A major report, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, released in March 2005 highlighted a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction, due to human actions. Added notes on declining amphibian species, on declining shark species and shark fin hunting and on declining ocean biodiversity, including images and a video. What people in the richer countries often fail to realize is that often their very own lending hand has been the one that takes most of what the environment has to offer, often in an unsustainable way. The loss of biodiversity is increasing. By replanting trees that will grow quickly and allow them to be felled for sustained logging sounds like a good strategy. The situation should be of the gravest concern to everyone since everyone will be affected by changes in the ability of the ocean to support life on Earth. The Saving reptiles and amphibians – question bank provides an initial list of questions about saving reptiles and amphibians and places where their answers can be found. What is known, for sure, is that the world ecological system has been kept in balance through a very complex and multifaceted interaction between a huge number of species. Consider the following observations and conclusions from established experts and institutions summarized by Jaan Suurkula, M.D. The above report and the IPS article noted that protected areas show that biodiversity can be restored quickly. The wealthier nations have taken a lot and the time has now come to give.”. export reptiles or amphibians, with the exception of those exporting primarily for the meat consumption trade. Yet because of blanket conclusions that humankind is responsible for deforestation, we risk assuming all types of societies are equally responsible for deforestation that is damaging to the environment. In addition, the waters they live in are often exploited by people – such as for fishing or urban development – … None of the twenty-one sub-targets accompanying the overall target of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 can be said definitively to have been achieved globally, although some have been partially or locally achieved. These are natural and/or modified ecosystems of significant value in terms of their biodiversity, cultural significance and ecological services. (In fact, as an example, a study suggests that the Amazon damage is worse than previously thought, due to previously undetected types of selective logging and deforestation.). …According to the most comprehensive study done so far in this field, over a million species will be lost in the coming 50 years. In the United States, nearly 70 percent of grain production is fed to livestock. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.” — Old Chinese Saying. The debt that the poor countries are in has led to the stripping of resources in order to pay back what is owed. The effects are still being felt. This ecological prediction does not take into consideration the effects of global warming which will further aggravate the situation. They’ve been involved in a decade-long initiative to assess diversity, distribution and abundance of life in the oceans. The UN’s 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook report also mentioned earlier notes that shallow-water wetlands such as marshes, swamps and shallow lakes have declined significantly in many parts of the world. We use water for a variety of purposes from agricultural, domestic and industrial uses. Freshwater turtles alone are at a 50% risk of extinction, as they are also affected by national and international trade. It has also attempted to put a value on the ecological services provided to humanity. Sometimes, the scale of problems they leave when they move out of a training area or conflict is considerable. The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld fantasy novels. In addition to officially-designated protected areas, there are many thousand Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) across the world, including sacred forests, wetlands, and landscapes, village lakes, catchment forests, river and coastal stretches and marine areas. 73% of marshes in northern Greece have been drained since 1930. Fossa Classification and Evolution. Poor fishermen in Somalia have found themselves without livelihoods as international fishing ships have come into their area destroying their livelihoods. Mass soybean harvesting in Campo Verde, Brazil. Accordingly, increased globalization has generally sharpened national conservative opposition to indigenous rights in the Americas and elsewhere in the name of making the world safe for investment. “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Japan is the prime example of hunting whales for the stated aim of scientific research while a lot of skepticism says it is for food. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is an organization — backed by the UN and various European governments — attempting to compile, build and make a compelling economics case for the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. For explanations of key concepts, see Saving reptiles and amphibians – key terms. The BBC reported on a global-scale study published in the journal Science that found climate change could wipe out 20% of the world's lizard species by 2080. Attempts to promote biodiversity outweighed by activities against it, human activity has been causing massive extinctions, irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, Earth is unable to keep up in the struggle to regenerate, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010, Global Biodiversity Outlook 3 official video, natural speed limits constrain how quickly biodiversity can rebound, World-wide cooperation required to prevent global crisis; Part one— the problem, Amphibians are particularly sensitive to changes in the environment, the current extinction rate of amphibians could be 211 times the background amphibian extinction rate, climate change could wipe out 20% of the world's lizard species by 2080, 19% of the world’s reptiles are estimated to be threatened with extinction, Almost one in five reptiles struggling to survive, fish catches are expected to decline dramatically in the world’s tropical regions because of climate change, commercial fish and seafood species may all crash by 2048, Extensive coastal pollution, climate change, over-fishing and the enormously wasteful practice of deep-sea trawling are all contributing to the problem, ecosystems are incredibly productive and efficient—when there is sufficient biodiversity, some fish stocks can rebound, if managed properly, An estimated 100 million sharks are being killed each year, shark fins have little nutritional value and may even be harmful to your health, Latest Review of Science Reveals Ocean in Critical State From Cumulative Impacts, Here’s how to protect the blue heart of the planet, about 12.5% of the world’s plant species to become critically rare, Amazon damage is worse than previously thought, the forests of the world have been exploited to the point of crisis, Participatory Forest Management—Restoring Ecological Health and Enhancing Economic Opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Saving forests: an inspiring success story from India, World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development, floods during the monsoon seasons can be very deadly, impacts of severe weather systems even worse than they already are, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), Indigenous Communities in Latin America: Fighting for Control of Natural Resources in a Globalized Age, the military can be exempt from many environmental regulations, The International Grassroots Summit on Military Base Cleanup, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for National and International Policy Makers 2009. The study noted that the extinction risk is not evenly spread. The figures, the latest available, showed that in all regions of the world, vertebrate wildlife populations are collapsing, falling on average by more than two-thirds since 1970. However, it is not all rosy. Unfortunately, less than 1% of the global ocean is effectively protected right now and where [recovery has been observed] we see immediate economic benefits, says Dr. (p. 32). But this growth is based on robbing the forest of its biodiversity and its capacity to conserve soil and water. One of the summary reports also added that the fact that these threats were reported in all regions indicates their global nature. Worm. Robin Freeman, who led the research at ZSL, said: “It seems that we’ve spent 10 to 20 years talking about these declines and not really managed to do anything about it. In many countries, steps are being taken to restore wetlands, often reversing previous, sometimes recent land-use policies as there is increased recognition of the multiple benefits such as purification of water, protection from natural disasters, food and materials for local livelihoods and income from tourism. It is true that cutting down forests or converting natural forests into monocultures of pine and eucalyptus for industrial raw material generates revenues and growth. Between 56% and 65% of inland water systems suitable for use in intensive agriculture in Europe and North America had been drained by 1985. Reptiles and amphibians share some similarities, so which species belong to which class of animals often causes confusion. Reptiles seek to keep a specific body temperature for any given period of the day, or a specific activity, which varies according to the individual's specific needs and activity. It consists of a large disc (complete with edge-of-the-world drop-off and consequent waterfall) resting on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle, named Great A'Tuin (similar to Chukwa or Akupara from Hindu mythology) as it slowly swims through space. and chairman of Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology (PSRAST), noting the impact that global warming will have on ecosystems and biodiversity: The world environmental situation is likely to be further aggravated by the increasingly rapid, large scale global extinction of species. More generally, 19% of the world’s reptiles are estimated to be threatened with extinction, according to a study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Zoological Society of London. Added a small note from the Millennium Assessment that there has been an irreversible loss in diversity of life, Added information on the impact of global warming to ecosystems. During the summer months, the days receive 24 hours of pure sunshine, but during the winter, the sun is barely seen at all. This includes mammals (e.g. As an example, and assuming a somewhat alarmist scenario, if enough trees and forests and related ecosystems vanish or deteriorate sufficiently: Compare those costs to taking precautionary measures such as protecting forests and promoting more sustainable forms of development. All the indicators of biodiversity loss are heading the wrong way rapidly. A … Traditional indigenous communities have typically hunted whale in far smaller numbers commercially, mostly for local food consumption, but the impacts of large-scale commercial whaling has meant even their hunting is under pressure. Most indicators of the state of biodiversity show negative trends, with no significant reduction in the rate of decline: An example of the positive efforts has been the growth in protected areas in recent years, including more protected marine areas: However, the level of protection in protected areas is mostly basic: Despite more than 12 per cent of land now being covered by protected areas, nearly half (44%) of terrestrial eco-regions fall below 10 per cent protection, and many of the most critical sites for biodiversity lie outside protected areas. These large-scale disruptions have had a major impact on fish migration, freshwater biodiversity more generally and the services it provides. Then the oxygen-producing benefits from such ecosystems is threatened. After all, the short video concludes, our lives are inextricably linked with biodiversity and ultimately its protection is essential for our very survival: In different parts of the world, species face different levels and types of threats.
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