Take a look at some reputable sources and discuss what is in immediate danger of extinction and the ripple effect on the ecosystem with the loss.
The World Wide Fund (WWF) for nature categorizes the following two animals as the most critically endangered of all known species.
1. Amur Leopard:
The Amur Leopard is a rare species from the Russian Far East and can run at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour. Unfortunately, there are only about 84 of these leopards left in the world. The Amur leopard is culturally, ecologically, and economically important and conservation of its habitat benefits other species, including Amur tigers and prey species like deer. Yet, this species faces a constant threat from poachers because its beautiful spotted fur can be sold for up to $1000.
2. Black Rhino:
Black rhinos are the smaller of the two African rhino species and are distinguished by their hooked upper lip. Due to European hunters and settlers in the 20th century, the Rhino population declined dramatically. From 1960 to 1995, black rhino populations dropped by 98% and although the numbers have gone from 2500 to almost 5600, the species is still classified as critically endangered. According to WWF, “Rhinos are one of the oldest groups of mammals, virtually living fossils. They play an important role in their habitats and in countries like Namibia, rhinos are an important source of income from ecotourism. The protection of black rhinos creates large blocks of land for conservation purposes. This benefits many other species, including elephants”. Poaching and habitat loss are two of the main causes for this species being endangered as in China and Vietnam, there is a huge market for a black rhino horn as it is used in folk remedies and due to human activities such as agriculture, settlements, and infrastructure development, there are losses and fragmentations of rhino habitats, which increases the risk of poaching and inbreeding.
The extinction of even one species of animals can have devastating effects on the Earth’s ecosystem because all species are connected through their interactions. This interconnectedness creates a balanced and diverse ecosystem that is healthy, productive, and thus more resistant to disruption. Recent research has found that extreme environmental change can have the ability to trigger an “extinction domino effect” and that losing even one specifies affects the ecosystems as everything becomes a bit more fragile in its struggle to adapt. Kelsey Wooddell, assistant director of the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability states, that “even if it’s not a keystone species [a species that others in an ecosystem depend on], its loss will weaken the functionality of the entire ecosystem, which just makes it easier for that ecosystem to stop working.”
Extinction can have the following dire consequences:
1. Ecosystems can be altered through cascading effects because if a species has a unique function then its loss can affect the food chain, harming other species and the ecosystem. Wooddell gives the example of Guam where after the accidental introduction of the brown tree snake, 10 of the island’s 12 endemic bird species went extinct. She explains the harm to the ecosystem by stating that “typically birds eat seeds and spread seeds elsewhere on the island but that is no longer a functioning ecosystem. So the forest and the trees have decreased a lot. And Guam is covered in spiders because the birds are not there to eat them.”
2. Loss of ‘apex species’, large predators that reside at the top of the food chain can have serious detrimental effects on nature. Research shows that large species are more vulnerable to extinction as they have a longer life span, a slow reproduction rate, and a larger habitat area along with small populations and the need for more food to survive. Scientists argue that the loss of such species can have a hand in pandemics, fires, the decline of valued species and the rise of invasive ones, the reduction of ecosystem services, and decreased carbon sequestration.
3. Loss of pollination and a consequent loss of nature’s therapeutic remedies. 75% of the world’s food crops are partially or completely pollinated by insects and other animals, and practically all flowering plants in the tropical rainforest are pollinated by animals. The loss of pollinators could result in a decrease in seed and fruit production, leading ultimately to the extinction of many important plants which could impact medicine production as more than a quarter of prescription medications contain chemicals that have been discovered through plants or animals.
Sources Used:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181129122506.htm
https://people.clas.ufl.edu/rdholt/files/255.pdf
https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2019/03/26/endangered-species-matter/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?sort=extinction_status&direction=desc#
1. Amur Leopard:
The Amur Leopard is a rare species from the Russian Far East and can run at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour. Unfortunately, there are only about 84 of these leopards left in the world. The Amur leopard is culturally, ecologically, and economically important and conservation of its habitat benefits other species, including Amur tigers and prey species like deer. Yet, this species faces a constant threat from poachers because its beautiful spotted fur can be sold for up to $1000.
2. Black Rhino:
Black rhinos are the smaller of the two African rhino species and are distinguished by their hooked upper lip. Due to European hunters and settlers in the 20th century, the Rhino population declined dramatically. From 1960 to 1995, black rhino populations dropped by 98% and although the numbers have gone from 2500 to almost 5600, the species is still classified as critically endangered. According to WWF, “Rhinos are one of the oldest groups of mammals, virtually living fossils. They play an important role in their habitats and in countries like Namibia, rhinos are an important source of income from ecotourism. The protection of black rhinos creates large blocks of land for conservation purposes. This benefits many other species, including elephants”. Poaching and habitat loss are two of the main causes for this species being endangered as in China and Vietnam, there is a huge market for a black rhino horn as it is used in folk remedies and due to human activities such as agriculture, settlements, and infrastructure development, there are losses and fragmentations of rhino habitats, which increases the risk of poaching and inbreeding.
The extinction of even one species of animals can have devastating effects on the Earth’s ecosystem because all species are connected through their interactions. This interconnectedness creates a balanced and diverse ecosystem that is healthy, productive, and thus more resistant to disruption. Recent research has found that extreme environmental change can have the ability to trigger an “extinction domino effect” and that losing even one specifies affects the ecosystems as everything becomes a bit more fragile in its struggle to adapt. Kelsey Wooddell, assistant director of the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability states, that “even if it’s not a keystone species [a species that others in an ecosystem depend on], its loss will weaken the functionality of the entire ecosystem, which just makes it easier for that ecosystem to stop working.”
Extinction can have the following dire consequences:
1. Ecosystems can be altered through cascading effects because if a species has a unique function then its loss can affect the food chain, harming other species and the ecosystem. Wooddell gives the example of Guam where after the accidental introduction of the brown tree snake, 10 of the island’s 12 endemic bird species went extinct. She explains the harm to the ecosystem by stating that “typically birds eat seeds and spread seeds elsewhere on the island but that is no longer a functioning ecosystem. So the forest and the trees have decreased a lot. And Guam is covered in spiders because the birds are not there to eat them.”
2. Loss of ‘apex species’, large predators that reside at the top of the food chain can have serious detrimental effects on nature. Research shows that large species are more vulnerable to extinction as they have a longer life span, a slow reproduction rate, and a larger habitat area along with small populations and the need for more food to survive. Scientists argue that the loss of such species can have a hand in pandemics, fires, the decline of valued species and the rise of invasive ones, the reduction of ecosystem services, and decreased carbon sequestration.
3. Loss of pollination and a consequent loss of nature’s therapeutic remedies. 75% of the world’s food crops are partially or completely pollinated by insects and other animals, and practically all flowering plants in the tropical rainforest are pollinated by animals. The loss of pollinators could result in a decrease in seed and fruit production, leading ultimately to the extinction of many important plants which could impact medicine production as more than a quarter of prescription medications contain chemicals that have been discovered through plants or animals.
Sources Used:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181129122506.htm
https://people.clas.ufl.edu/rdholt/files/255.pdf
https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2019/03/26/endangered-species-matter/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?sort=extinction_status&direction=desc#
You raise some really interesting points. I hadn't heard of the situation in Guam, which is unsettling if other habitats follow. I'm also fascinated at the different rates small animals vs larger species have to adapt. I hadn't thought of the increased reliance on food and a larger habitat, not to mention the longer life span for larger species.
I was also surprised to learn how much prescription drugs rely on plants and flowers. I wouldn't have connected the pandemic with climate change in such a concrete example, so that's really interesting. Your other statistic on 75% of food crops being partially or completed pollinated by insects or other animals leaves me to believe that even small disruptions in those ecosystems could cause widespread food shortages.
I was also surprised to learn how much prescription drugs rely on plants and flowers. I wouldn't have connected the pandemic with climate change in such a concrete example, so that's really interesting. Your other statistic on 75% of food crops being partially or completed pollinated by insects or other animals leaves me to believe that even small disruptions in those ecosystems could cause widespread food shortages.
It is quite surprising, Mary and I was somewhat scared of all the statistics and articles I found stating that if something isn't done now then it might be too late.
It makes me anxious to think about all the 'small' things we unknowingly or sometimes knowingly do that have a huge impact on our ecosystem. An impact that maybe we aren't even aware of yet. It is all very scary...
It makes me anxious to think about all the 'small' things we unknowingly or sometimes knowingly do that have a huge impact on our ecosystem. An impact that maybe we aren't even aware of yet. It is all very scary...
I looked at an article called "Ecological Consequences of Extinction," by Madhu Rao and Trond Larsen out of the Network of Conservation Educators & Practitioners from the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation by American Museum of Natural History.
Through an evaluation of trophic interactions, this article shares some important findings on the consequences of losing predators compared to other animals in the food chain to extinction. A loss of predators would lead to an increase in herbivores. An increase in herbivores would result in a significant decrease in plants. A lack of plants would then cause a lack in pollinators. A loss of pollinators would cause plants to die, which in turn would cause herbivores to die off. Therefore, it can be concluded that in order to maintain healthy ecosystems, there needs to be a presence of all the different trophic systems in the environment.
In a global issues such as climate change, different levels of animals can be directly affected. In turn, this would cause entire ecosystems to be shifted, including with humans. I think we forget that humans are also a part of the delicate ecosystems around us. When we breed animals for food, kill trees for paper and lumber, etc., we in turn are disrupting ecosystems. I would be interested to see how mass deaths of humans would change ecosystems in this way as well. Would a genocide have an impact on the environment? Or would a genocide have an impact on the production of animal and plant products?
Through an evaluation of trophic interactions, this article shares some important findings on the consequences of losing predators compared to other animals in the food chain to extinction. A loss of predators would lead to an increase in herbivores. An increase in herbivores would result in a significant decrease in plants. A lack of plants would then cause a lack in pollinators. A loss of pollinators would cause plants to die, which in turn would cause herbivores to die off. Therefore, it can be concluded that in order to maintain healthy ecosystems, there needs to be a presence of all the different trophic systems in the environment.
In a global issues such as climate change, different levels of animals can be directly affected. In turn, this would cause entire ecosystems to be shifted, including with humans. I think we forget that humans are also a part of the delicate ecosystems around us. When we breed animals for food, kill trees for paper and lumber, etc., we in turn are disrupting ecosystems. I would be interested to see how mass deaths of humans would change ecosystems in this way as well. Would a genocide have an impact on the environment? Or would a genocide have an impact on the production of animal and plant products?
It is interesting to note just how significant a difference a lack of predators can create. I never really thought about it, but it makes total sense. I hadn't really thought of your second point, in the way humans effect ecosystems. Obviously I am aware of killing animals for food or forests that have been clear-cut, but your note on mass extinction of humans is particularly interesting. I wonder as well what effects we would see if this happens.
As devastation and consequent extinction are ravaging the planet at this very moment, I decided to focus my discussion post on the effects from the fires in California and Australia.
According to Vox News, swaths of Australian forest have been burned, destroying ecosystems and natural resources. Part of this devastation are nearly one billion animals that have died. Koalas are now endangered, as 30% of their habitats were consumed in wildfires. The fires are said to have been started at least in part by climate change, which is extending and worsening the fire season in Australia.
In California, an area nearly the size of Connecticut has burned. Throughout the CNN article, which I have included below, they made mention to a lack of government aid and leadership from President Trump. This is no surprise, and I think it's relevant in connecting Clade’s extinction to the fires in California. It is evident the fires were started at least in part by climate change, and it is not only the climate and the forests that are suffering. 35 people have died and over 4000 structures have been destroyed - this is not just an issue of the environment but of the safety of human lives, and I think that is where this situation in particular relates back to Clade.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/1/8/21055228/australia-fires-map-animals-koalas-wildlife-smoke-donate
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/us/california-wildfires-monday/index.html
According to Vox News, swaths of Australian forest have been burned, destroying ecosystems and natural resources. Part of this devastation are nearly one billion animals that have died. Koalas are now endangered, as 30% of their habitats were consumed in wildfires. The fires are said to have been started at least in part by climate change, which is extending and worsening the fire season in Australia.
In California, an area nearly the size of Connecticut has burned. Throughout the CNN article, which I have included below, they made mention to a lack of government aid and leadership from President Trump. This is no surprise, and I think it's relevant in connecting Clade’s extinction to the fires in California. It is evident the fires were started at least in part by climate change, and it is not only the climate and the forests that are suffering. 35 people have died and over 4000 structures have been destroyed - this is not just an issue of the environment but of the safety of human lives, and I think that is where this situation in particular relates back to Clade.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/1/8/21055228/australia-fires-map-animals-koalas-wildlife-smoke-donate
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/us/california-wildfires-monday/index.html
Hi Mary,
Your last point really stood out to me in mentioning that "it's not only the climate and the forests that are suffering." The effects of climate change are vast, and the detrimental impacts on the environment are only continuing to worsen. This is an issue that has been ignored for so long however, it is clear even today in 2020, that there is still a lack of initiative in working to alleviate the problem to protect the earth, and its habitants. As you mention, climate change is negatively impacting the environment, but it is also putting human populations at risk which is evident in the case of the California fires where 35 people lost their lives. In an age where several species are at risk of extinction, and humans are being threatened by the impacts of climate change, it is clear that work needs to be done to ensure that protection of the environment is a top priority.
Your last point really stood out to me in mentioning that "it's not only the climate and the forests that are suffering." The effects of climate change are vast, and the detrimental impacts on the environment are only continuing to worsen. This is an issue that has been ignored for so long however, it is clear even today in 2020, that there is still a lack of initiative in working to alleviate the problem to protect the earth, and its habitants. As you mention, climate change is negatively impacting the environment, but it is also putting human populations at risk which is evident in the case of the California fires where 35 people lost their lives. In an age where several species are at risk of extinction, and humans are being threatened by the impacts of climate change, it is clear that work needs to be done to ensure that protection of the environment is a top priority.
Hey Mary! The fires in California and Australia are perfect examples and comparisons to issues seen in Clade!
Reading over the answers in this discussion were really interesting to me, but one thing that I noticed is that for the most part people have overlooked what is happening in New Brunswick in regards to extension and what that means for our own province and ecosystems. In Bew Brunswick, the following species are at risk of becoming endangered or extinct:
- Bald Eagle
- Atlantic Salmon
- Canada Lynx
- Tri Coloured Bat
https://www1.gnb.ca/0078/speciesatrisk/results-e.asp
If any of these animals go extinct we are in trouble as the animals who prey or depend on these extinct animals are now endangered as well.
Another really interesting thing that I have learned is that connections are being made between the loss of nature and illness/pandemics. If we do not start taking better care of our ecosystems, more and more diseases are going to spread and we as a society will begin to become sicker and sicker. Overall, if we don't start taking better care of our planet we are going to be in deep water.
This is a great thing to bring up! When people think extinction they don't think it's happening here in Canada, but it absolutely is, not just in the Amazonian Rainforest!
Mass extinction is an incredibly big and worrying problem. Currently, we are in Earth's 6th mass extinction event, an event that is wholly man made in that we are polluting the air and oceans, clear cutting rainforests, overfishing our oceans, destroying river ecosystems through mining and much more. On an average day, we lose approximately 150-200 animal species everyday, a rate that is 1000 times the natural average and is the greatest rate of extinction the world has seen since the Cretaceous-tertiary extinction 65 million years ago. If the lowest number of animal species is a correct estimation (2 million), then an average year could see a loss of 200-2000 animal species. And as one of my classmates mentioned earlier, the ripple effect from loss of species is huge. If predators die, herbivores prosper, causing plants to decrease, a decrease in plants means insects decrease, if insects decrease, plants die and if the plants die the herbivores die.
These roles are called ecological niches and every species evolution within their ecosystems is tailored to these specific niches. If a species in a specific niche dies out, it allows for another species to move into that space, thus disrupting the balance that has been created over thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years. (I must note that this may not happen and the niches could be filled without problems, but it's still something we need to be cautious about as it can change an ecosystem entirely)
Ecological niches are also where we must also worry about invasive species. These species evolved for their ecosystem to survive and thrive, and when they get into stuff we import and goes to a far off land, that species may be able to take root in that ecosystem and disrupt everything. The Murder Hornets are a good example of this. Just a few of these hornets can massacre a hive of bees within minutes, and in Japan the bees have mechanisms to deal with these hornets. However, here in North America, our bees do not have the means to defend themselves, and will therefore go extinct if left to defend themselves.
The effect extinction has on our planet is huge, and at the rate species are going extinct, it's extremely detrimental to the healthiness of our planet.
These roles are called ecological niches and every species evolution within their ecosystems is tailored to these specific niches. If a species in a specific niche dies out, it allows for another species to move into that space, thus disrupting the balance that has been created over thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years. (I must note that this may not happen and the niches could be filled without problems, but it's still something we need to be cautious about as it can change an ecosystem entirely)
Ecological niches are also where we must also worry about invasive species. These species evolved for their ecosystem to survive and thrive, and when they get into stuff we import and goes to a far off land, that species may be able to take root in that ecosystem and disrupt everything. The Murder Hornets are a good example of this. Just a few of these hornets can massacre a hive of bees within minutes, and in Japan the bees have mechanisms to deal with these hornets. However, here in North America, our bees do not have the means to defend themselves, and will therefore go extinct if left to defend themselves.
The effect extinction has on our planet is huge, and at the rate species are going extinct, it's extremely detrimental to the healthiness of our planet.
Hi Jordan,
The consumerism culture and the means of producing and transporting these item are extremely bad for the environment. We destroy habitats to create farm lands but waste billions of dollars yearly in food. If there is no change in consumption, production and transportation we will be heading down the road of extinction.
The consumerism culture and the means of producing and transporting these item are extremely bad for the environment. We destroy habitats to create farm lands but waste billions of dollars yearly in food. If there is no change in consumption, production and transportation we will be heading down the road of extinction.