SEMINAR ON ‘SPECIES EXTINCTION’

Mar 17, 2016Presented by

Mohammed InzamamuddinM.Sc. 2nd Semester Environmental Science

Session 2015-2017Department of Environmental Science

University Teaching DepartmentSarguja Vishwavidyalaya

COURSE TITLE: BASICS OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGYCOURSE CODE: ENV 203

COURSE TYPE: CCC

TumboEncephalartos woodii

CONTENTSHow Many Species on EarthWhat is extinction? How many species are we losing?When do extinctions occurCauses of species extinctionNatural Causes of species ExtinctionHuman Causes of species ExtinctionSpecies Extinction FactsEasy Things You Can Do to Save Endangered

Species and stop species extinctionReferences

Eight million seven hundred thousand (give or take 1.3 million) is the latest estimated total number of species on

Earth and the most precise calculation ever offered, according to a new study co-authored by a researcher with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP,2015)

How Many Species on Earth

What is species extinction? Extinctions occur

when the last individual of a species dies out.

Functional Extinctions occur when individuals remain but the odds of sustainable reproduction are lowi.e. the species is

effectively extinct even though individuals remain.

How many species are we losing?

When do extinctions occur?Extinctions occur when the environment of a species changes faster than

the species can adapt. In other words, a species’ adaptations are no longer sufficient in allowing that

species to acquire and compete for resources.Extinctions can be local, widespread, or global.

For example, the timber wolf was until recently extinct in Wisconsin but not in Minnesota

Wild elk and woodland caribou are now extinct in Wisconsin but may be found on game farms.

Causes of species extinctionNatural Causes of species

ExtinctionHuman Causes of species

Extinction

Natural Causes of species ExtinctionClimatic Heating and Cooling

Changes in Sea Level or Currents

Asteroids Cosmic Radiation

Disease Acid Rain Invasive Species

Human Causes of species Extinction

Climate change/Global warming

Increased human population

Destruction/Fragmentation of habitat

Confiscated Products Made from Endangered Species

Species Extinction Facts 16,928 plant and animal species are known to be threatened with extinction. This may be a gross

underestimate because less than 3% of the world’s 1.9 million described species have been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Only 1.9 million species have been described out of an estimated 13-14 million species that exist. In the last 500 years, human activity is known to have forced 869 species to extinction (or extinction in

the wild). One in four mammals and one in eight birds face a high risk of extinction in the near future. One in three amphibians and almost half of all tortoises and freshwater turtles are threatened. The current species extinction rate is estimated to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the

natural or ‘background’ rate. The total number of known threatened animal species has increased from 5,205 to 8,462 since 1996. Habitat loss and degradation affect 89% of all threatened birds, 83% of mammals, and 91% of threatened plants. All 22 species of albatross are under threat as a result of long-line fishing. A total of 8,457 threatened plants are listed. This is around 2% of the world’s described plants. As only

approximately 4% of the world’s described plants have been evaluated, the true percentage of threatened plant species is much higher.

Indonesia, India, Brazil and China are among the countries with the most threatened mammals and birds.  The frequently asked question of “how many species have gone extinct in the last 100 years” is difficult to

answer because of problems in recording contemporary extinction events. Decline and eventual extinction may take place over many years, or even centuries in the case of very long-lived organisms like some of the large mammal and tree species.

Easy Things You Can Do to Save Endangered Species and stop species extinction

Slow down when driving

Recycle and buy sustainable products

Never purchase products made from threatened or endangered species

Harassing wildlife is cruel and illegal

Protect wildlife habitat

Learn about endangered species in your area

Visit a national wildlife refuge, park or other open space

Make your home wildlife friendly

Native plants provide food and shelter for native wildlife

Herbicides and pesticides may keep yards looking nice but they are in fact hazardous pollutants that affect wildlife at many levels

References http://www.unep.org/newscentre/default.aspx?DocumentID=2649&Article

ID=8838#sthash.pJsaQCJb.dpuf http://www.endangered.org/10-easy-things-you-can-do-to-save-endangere

d-species/ Bird Life International, Data Zone:http://www.birdlife. org/datazone Threatened amphibians: http://www.globalamphibians.org Saving species: http://savingspecies.org. http://www.unep.org/newscentre/ http://www.arkoflife.net/why-species-go-extinct.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction http://www.eoearth.org/topics/view/51cbfc78f702fc2ba8129e5d/ http://www.eoearth.org/topics/view/51cbfc78f702fc2ba8129e91/ http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/biodiversity/ https://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Protect-Wildlife/Endangered-Species.a

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Thanks

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