10/03/2020
ANIMAL EXTINCTION
In biology, extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point. Because a species' potential range may be very large, determining this moment is difficult, and is usually done retrospectively. This difficulty leads to phenomena such as Lazarus taxa, where a species presumed extinct abruptly "reappears" (typically in the fossil record) after a period of apparent absence.
The Philippine Eagle, also known as the Monkey-eating Eagle, is among the rarest, largest, and most powerful birds in the world. It is critically endangered, mainly due to massive loss of habitat due to deforestation in most of its range. Killing a Philippine Eagle is punishable under Philippine law by twelve years in jail and heavy fines.
Over 99 percent of all species that ever lived on Earth have gone extinct. Five mass extinctions are recorded in the fossil record. They were caused by major geologic and climatic events. Evidence shows that a sixth mass extinction is occurring now. Unlike previous mass extinctions, the sixth extinction is due to human actions.
Some scientists consider the sixth extinction to have begun with early hominids during the Pleistocene. They are blamed for over-killing big mammals such as mammoths. Since then, human actions have had an ever greater impact on other species. The present rate of extinction is between 100 and 100,000 species per year. In 100 years, we could lose more than half of Earth’s remaining species.
Causes of Extinction:
The single biggest cause of extinction today is habitat loss. Agriculture, forestry, mining, and urbanization have disturbed or destroyed more than half of Earth’s land area. In the U.S., for example, more than 99 percent of tall-grass prairies have been lost. Other causes of extinction today include:
• Exotic species introduced by humans into new habitats. They may carry disease, prey on native species, and disrupt food webs. Often, they can out-compete native species because they lack local predators.
• Over-harvesting of fish, trees, and other organisms. This threatens their survival and the survival of species that depend on them.
• Global climate change, largely due to the burning of fossil fuels. This is raising Earth’s air and ocean temperatures. It is also rising sea levels. These changes threaten many species.
• Pollution, which adds chemicals, heat, and noise to the environment beyond its capacity to absorb them. This causes widespread harm to organisms.
• Human overpopulation, which is crowding out other species. It also makes all the other causes of extinction worse.
Effects of Extinction:
The results of a study released in the summer of 2011 have shown that the decline in the numbers of large predators like sharks, lions and wolves is disrupting Earth's ecosystem in all kinds of unusual ways. The study, conducted by scientists from 22 different institutions in six countries, confirmed the sixth mass extinction. The study states that this mass extinction differs from previous ones because it is entirely driven by human activity through changes in land use, climate, pollution, and hunting, fishing and poaching. The effects of the loss of these large predators can be seen in the oceans and on land.
• Fewer cougars in the western US state of Utah led to an explosion of the deer population. The deer ate more vegetation, which altered the path of local streams and lowered overall biodiversity.
• In Africa, where lions and leopards are being lost to poachers, there is a surge in the number of olive baboons, who are transferring intestinal parasites to humans living nearby.
• In the oceans, industrial whaling led a change in the diets of killer whales, who eat more sea lions, seals, and otters and have dramatically lowered the population counts of those species.
The study concludes that the loss of big predators has likely driven many of the pandemics, population collapses and ecosystem shifts the Earth has seen in recent centuries.
Thing We Should All Do To Protect Endangered Species:
One thing we humans fail at is seeing the big picture. We are often blind to the connection of everything that supports life, a web so complex and interdependent, we are only beginning to understand it. The food chain, from the tiniest little microorganisms to the largest creatures on earth, keep us humans alive.
So, when we talk about the grey whale, the timber wolf, the black rhino, it’s not just that we should save these endangered creatures for their own good, but it’s also for ours. The current legislation and government bodies that protect wild species from extinction are both being defuse and reorganized. It will be up to ordinary citizens and environmental groups to save these important links on the food chain. Here are some ways to accomplish this.
• Educate your family about endangered species in your area. It’s not just about snow leopards in Russia, it’s about the ecosystem in your own backyard. Teach your friends and family about wildlife, birds, fish and plants that live near you. Just awareness of these species is a critical step. From the worms in the garden to the bats that pollinate and control the mosquito, there are many ways that our daily habits at home affect these creatures.
• Recycle and buy sustainable products. Much of what threatens local populations has to do with development and more and more of the natural world is plundered to product new goods. Never buy furniture made of wood from forests or endangered trees. Recycle your cell phones, because a mineral used in electronic production is mined in gorilla habitat. Don’t use palm oil because forests where tigers live are being cut down to plant palm plantations.
• Grow native plants. It’s a no-brainer but local species rely on local plants. You are providing food and shelter for native wildlife and you can reduce your water usage at the same time. Attracting native insects like bees and butterflies can help pollinate your flowers. And conversely, invasive species compete with native species for resources and habitat, threatening biodiversity. They can even prey on native species directly, forcing native species towards extinction.
• Reduce your water consumption. During droughts, people get better about not watering their lawns, but we need to understand that clean water is a global problem for wild animals, so the less humans consume, the better. Never dump chemicals or pharmaceuticals down toilets, storm drains or into streams or lakes.
• Reduce your personal footprint. Drive less, walk more. Support better public transport, use biodegradable products and eat whole food from your farmers market.
• Do not buy plastic products.Take your bags to the store, reuse containers and properly dispose of lightweight plastics. Wild animals get tangled in these products, and they end up in the ocean being ingested by small fish and killing off beneficial microorganisms.
• Pressure your civil servants. It cannot rest on the scientific community alone to defend the natural world, voters and consumers must take a stand. This means singing petitions, writing letters and donating.
• Volunteer your time to protect the wildlife in your area. Wildlife refuges, parks, and other places are often underfunded and desperate for help. Volunteering at one of these places to protect the animals might mean just educating visitors, or picking up litter.
• Do not purchase products from companies that are known polluters. Many industries pollute natural water resources and lobby hard so that they don’t have to clean up their own messes. You can do your part by not giving these companies your business, and cast your vote with your dollar. Spread the word about bad business practices and when it dings their bottom lines, these companies will take notice.
• Get in touch with your Fish and Game Department. If you hunt, keep your licenses up to date and stay in touch with your local WFG so that you know which populations of game need culling and which are under threat. Hunting, instituted properly, is a sustainable way of maintaining wild populations like deer and turkey.
• Black out the Black Market. Sometimes when we travel, we don’t realize that the souvenirs we are buying are under threat. Avoid supporting the market in illegal wildlife including: tortoise-shell, ivory, and coral.
• Herbicides and pesticides are hazardous pollutants that affect wildlife at many levels. These chemicals take a long time to degrade and build up in the soils before disseminating throughout the food chain. Critical predators like hawks, owls and coyotes suffered if they eat poisoned animals, and it can rock whole populations. Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to these chemical pollutants and it’s unnecessary!
There is so much we can be doing to protect these animals and vulnerable species from extinction, but we must make these changes now.
“Each and every animal on earth has as much right to be here as you and me”
~ Anthony Douglas William~
~Kylle Crystal T. Cabe~
