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Dr David Ulansey, 2014
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Five times the vast
majority of life on Earth has been snuffed out in what have been termed ‘Mass Extinction’ events - often associated with giant meteor strikes. Palaeontologists
characterise Mass Extinctions as a 75 per cent species loss in a geologically
short period that is not balanced by speciation.
Although scientists
are divided over the specific numbers, many believe that the rate of loss is
greater now than at any time in history. There have been predictions that up to
one-fifth of all living species could disappear within 30 years. Nearly all
attributed the losses to human activity, especially the destruction of plant
and animal habitats.
The rate at which species are being lost is far
greater than any events of the past - including those extinctions related to
meteor collisions - causing species to become extinct at least 1,000 times
faster than they did before humans arrived on the scene.
[The last
mass extinction caused by a meteor collision saw to the end of the dinosaurs,
65 million years ago.]
The majority of
biologists are convinced that a sixth mass extinction is underway, yet most citizens are only dimly aware of the issue.
These striking graphical
images may help in visualising the scenario.
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Image source: International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) - Bill Marshall, The New York Times 2012.
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Extinctions
are natural, however what is concerning about the current extinctions is the
rate of which they are occurring. The big deal is that if species are lost,
they are lost forever - meaning that we lose all of what we could have learned.
Furthermore, the loss of one species usually leads to the loss of another as
every life form is linked through complex interrelationships.
While the numbers are alarming, there are solutions and mitigating measures that must be implemented on a large-scale. For instance, sanctuaries and fishing restrictions have been shown to allow populations to rebound and equipment developments reduce by-catch of target fish. It makes economic sense for the fishing industry to adhere to conservation measures and to invest in the expansion of sustainably viable aquaculture as part of the answer to dwindling fish numbers.
Recent substantial progress has been made in determining the identity and distributions of vulnerable species and in understanding where and how human activity is leading to extinctions. Around 1.9 million animal species are described with key statistics about the species, distribution and their status, however the great majority are not. A paper by Pimm et al. review the current state of knowledge and examine what the future rates of species extinction will be, how well protected areas of sanctuary will slow extinction rates, and how the remaining gaps in knowledge might be filled.
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Conserving biodiversity is also
essential for the invaluable provisioning of Earth’s ecosystems that
irrevocably contribute to wellbeing. Human societies are dependent on the
biodiversity of ES, which is the foundation of economic value and human
welfare. Subsequently, anthropogenic values on ES has led to the vast
destruction of ecosystems and resource over-exploitation, and hence
biodiversity loss, which necessitates critical sustainable management. For the
maintenance of human societies for our future generations’ welfare, it is
therefore critical that we protect biodiversity, including its genetic
resources.
Biodiversity is also cherished
for its aesthetic values, and constitutes moral and ethical reasons for its
conservation. Moreover, moral reasoning and respect for living species as
unique co-inhabbitors of the Earth, that have also resulted from millions-of-years
of evolution and the right to existence, are ethical reasons for conserving
biodiversity.
Although there is growing
public awareness for the importance of species variation in an ecosystem or throughout
the biosphere, human actions are continuing to dismantle Earth’s ecosystems; eliminating
genes, species and biological traits at alarming rates, spiralling towards extinctions.
It has been confirmed that current extinction rates, in regards to geological-time,
are exceeding those caused by previous MEs; hence biologists have speculated
that the sixth may be underway. The current extinction crisis is equally
dramatic, as species are being lost at rates far exceeding the balance of
speciation, and in contrast to previous ME events, this one is mainly due to
human activities. Moreover, Barnosky et al.’s findings (2013) reveal the
urgency of relieving the pressures that are pushing extant species towards
extinction and therefore intensifying the need for effective conservation
measures for biodiversity. These alleviating preventions will contribute to the
sustainability and functioning of ecosystems in their entirety. This is
therefore a major motivation for conserving biodiversity, which in turn,
contributes to human welfare.
It is now evident that
societies are responsible for the welfare of the planet’s biosphere through
sustainable management to maintain the vital healthy functioning of its
ecosystems. Biodiversity loss, therefore, has dynamic effects on the function
of ecosystems, and thus ultimately affects society. These principle explanations
for biodiversity conservation involve social and economic factors that require
sustainable management. Urgent measures are therefore necessary for
biodiversity conservation, with our fundamental objectives constituting its
sustainable use to ensure the health and functioning of ecosystem services for
future generations. We have the capacity for conscious protection and
management of ES which necessitates biodiversity conservation.
This is a fantastic example of what should be
getting air-time on T.V. in order to get these messages across...
instead of the
consumerism garbage that fuel these issues in the first place.
From the Academy Award winning filmmakers of
THE COVE comes the movie “6”… [6themovie.opsociety.org]
I feel that it is a “tip of the ice-berg”
situation, and we must take cautious action now, to mitigate the disastrous
outcome that is underway. We
may be maintaining biodiversity until eternity.
Nevertheless, it is not all bleak news of doom
and gloom. There are occurrences of many positive efforts of conservation and
sustainable management that I believe need to be highlighted. These
reinforcements of awareness, perspective and action set a positive example to
be followed. Everyone should take some part in conserving species and their
habitat.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Barnosky, A., Maguire, K., Mersey, B., Ferrer, E., Matzke, N., Tomiya, S., … Lindsey, E. (2011) Has the earth's sixth mass extinction already arrived? Nature, 471(7336), 51-57.
Barnosky, A., Maguire, K., Mersey, B., Ferrer, E., Matzke, N., Tomiya, S., … Lindsey, E. (2011) Has the earth's sixth mass extinction already arrived? Nature, 471(7336), 51-57.
Cardinale, B. J., Wardle,
D. A., Kinzig, A. P., Daily, G. C., Loreau, M., Grace, J. B., … Tilman, D.
(2012) Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity. Nature, 486(7401), 59-67.
Pimm, S.L., Jenkins, C.N., Abell, R., Brooks, T.M., Gittleman,
J.L, Joppa, L.N., Raven, P.H., Roberts, C.M. & Sexton, J.O. (2014) The
biodiversity of species and their rates of extinction, distribution, and
protection. Science 344(6187), 1095-9203 (online).
