Goodbye Land Animals

                                   Goodbye Land Animals

Endangered species is always an environmental issue that researchers are trying to solve. A recent study in nature suggested that without some form of radical change 25% of the world's land animals will become extinct within the next 50 years.

Habitat loss is by far the most widespread cause of species endangerment. This is usually due to human expansion and construction. Forests are cut down to create more land for agriculture or building and coastal marshlands are drained for the same reason. Agricultural activity such as removal of hedgerows and pesticide spraying have removed both habitat and food supply for many species. As habitat loss combines with other ecological disruptions, many species find it increasingly difficult to breed. This leads to a gradual decline in numbers until the point is reached where the species is no longer sustainable.

Pollution is a major disrupter and destroyer of ecosystems and this was graphically illustrated following the April 2010 Deep-water Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. This devastated many marine ecosystems and caused the death of countless seabirds and marine creatures.

Climate change can alter the delicate balance of an ecosystem. Relatively minor changes in temperature can allow some species to thrive, while others perish. More dramatic climate changes can lead to the melting of ice caps and glaciers. On a worldwide basis, the resulting rise in sea levels can disrupt the ecosystems of many species, including humans.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains a Red List of Threatened Species. This is the most comprehensive inventory of the global status of plant and animal species. IUCN calculates that around 40% of the world's organisms are endangered.

The world and the species that inhabit it are vital to us all. Either directly or indirectly our world provides us with clean air, food, water, shelter, energy, soil, medicines, protection from natural disasters, as well as recreation, diversity, and beauty.

We need to start noticing that this is a fragile world. Many of its diverse species are in danger of being lost forever; basically the choice is ours if we want to save the world, or not.