By process of climate cycles and competition extinction seems an inevitable force of nature, and fact of life. Despite some groups surviving for longer periods, many taxa that once dominated their environments simply could not adapt to rapidly changing conditions. The obvious, classic example of this is the non-avian dinosaurs, extinct at the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary. But due to human exploitation and change of our environment rate of species loss has increased such that many now believe we are living at the time of a ‘sixth mass extinction’.
My choice to look at our actions altering Earth's biodiversity is likely down to my environmentalist way at looking at things, as I am deeply interested in our amazing world and its evolution, and preserving natural selection while improving our consciousness of it. I would however say I am likely to come down on the side of preservation of animal life (being a soppy person, but also thinking of associated consequences).
Over the course of this blog, I hope to talk and learn more about the following points:
· Humans affecting species indirectly by climate change is quite widely known. However we still impact species in many direct ways, such as hunting, destruction of habitats, bringing in invasive species and other processes, and it is these current ways I intend to focus on.
· The current state of Earth's biodiversity.
· To what extent are humans having an impact, with case studies of positive and negative actions.
· What the impact of high levels of extinction might be.
A cute little video teaching about the key human threats to biodiversity!
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