Cane toads are a notorious invasive species in Australia. They breed year-round and a female can lay up to 35, eggs at one time, and can thrive in a variety of environments. Invasive species , many of which are introduced by humans, are also threatening ecosystems all over the world. Introduced species compete with local species for resources and often diminish the quality of biodiversity in the area, sometimes causing extinction. These are just some of the devastating changes caused by humans.
All life on Earth is finely interwoven. This delicate balance has been established over millions of years. As one species becomes extinct, many other species are affected, putting a number of ecosystems in danger of collapsing.
Naturally, extinction occurs over hundreds and thousands of years which allows nature to slowly replace what has been lost. But humans have sped up this process to a dangerous rate. Katie says, 'The current rate of extinction is between and 1, times higher than the pre-human background rate of extinction, which is jaw-dropping. We are definitely going through a sixth mass extinction. Flooding in Yorkshire. As climate change increases, so do the number and severity of extreme weathers around the world.
Mass extinctions are a large and complex issue. They can be slow burners, taking millions of years to unfold. Right now, it seems likely we are experiencing a sixth, and it is undoubtably the result of human actions, including human-induced climate change.
Research shows that if we change how we use natural resources now, the future could be a positive one for the next generation. Katie says, 'If we can work on reducing the negative impact we've had on the climate, then other things will also improve, such as the number of species that are currently threatened by habitat loss. Habitat loss is a huge problem and land use is tied in with that.
Many believe the changes we need to see now can be achieved fastest by prioritising the protection and preservation of nature over the interests of financial systems. Katie says, 'I know there is a lot of emphasis on individual action but most of the climate-altering pollution and fossil fuel burning is the responsibility of a small number of parties. The future of our world hangs on our making what is perhaps the biggest international effort in history to reduce human impacts.
We all have an active role to play, which requires deep transformation of our values, attitudes and behaviours. In the run up to the global UN conferences of COP15 on biodiversity and COP26 on climate change, join us as we debate why and how our relationship with the natural world needs to change.
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You must be over the age of Privacy notice. Smart cookie preferences. Change cookie preferences Accept all cookies. Skip to content. Read later. You don't have any saved articles. By Tammana Begum. Projects underway around the world will eventually help to fill that knowledge gap. Even that's just a drop in the bucket. Earth is home to something like 1. Estimates of the planet's total biodiversity go as high as 12 million. How many of those species are currently endangered or even going extinct?
That's a number we don't have. Photo by Forrest O. Used under Creative Commons license. The views expressed are those of the author s and are not necessarily those of Scientific American. John R. Platt is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications.
His "Extinction Countdown" column has run continuously since and has covered news and science related to more than 1, endangered species. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore. Follow John R. Platt on Twitter. Meet the people trying to help. Environment COP26 nears conclusion with mixed signals and frustration. Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big.
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