Pending 6th Mass Extinction... Calling for Conservation of Biodiversity!

Dr David Ulansey, 2014

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.

Image source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - Bill Marshall, The New York Times 2012.

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.

Armonah Deviant, 2012 deviantART

'Call of Life' Facing the Mass Extinction Trailer

This is the lengthy trailer ... for the shorter version that only goes for a couple of minutes, click HERE :)

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.

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).