What are the 5 most common causes of extinction? -Destruction of habitat for development and to obtain lumber, minerals, oil, and other products. -Introduction of exotic species into new habitats -Pollution -Overuse of animals and plants through collecting, hunting, or poaching
Firstly, the Everglades are an important ecosystem which reduces flooding and replenish aquifers but human actions are having a huge impact on the landscape. The rapid urban and agricultural development in the area has decreased the size of the wetlands dramatically which affects the organisms found there. This is especially important as it is home to several endangered species. Not only that, but invasive species that threaten existing wildlife by preying on or competing with them. According to Everglades.org, they’ve “contributed to nearly 70 percent of extinctions in the United States” and are the “primary cause of species endangerment.” The water itself is a major cause of decline to the area, firstly because of poor water management leading to water levels being too low or too high at the wrong times has caused a decline in many species.
On May 11, 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state to join the United States of America (Minnesota). Early on, the state was filled with vast resources and an abundance of wildlife. Most of the wildlife, such as deer, elk and moose, contributed to the settler’s diet. Natural predators created competition and hardships for the new settlers; one of these animals was the Gray Wolf. The decrease in the amount of large mammals that the settlers consumed left wolves’ preying on cattle.
In order for us, the consumers, to get all of our fancy products and up-to-date technologies, a process that we turn a blind eye to takes place. At the source of the process, there is natural resource exploitation. “We chop down the trees, blow up mountains to get the metals inside, use up all the water, and wipe out all the animals.” As consumers, we are running out of resources because we have too much stuff! In the past three decades alone, one third of the planet’s natural resource space has been consumed. We are undermining the planets very ability for people to live here.
Companies have deposited their waste in the lake, which has caused the lake to be shut down because humans are getting sick and even dying from the polluted waters. Viruses, pathogens, chemicals and toxins are all part of this pollution, which affects recreation, jobs, and habitats of animals. Fishermen have not spent money fishing for sport due to the drastic reduction of the salmon population at Lake Huron. Recreational hours at the lake have also seen a drastic decrease. This devastation affects a majority of the U.S. being one of our largest sources of fresh water, and will only continue to deplete, as companies carelessly dump their waste into the lake.
It would interfere with millions of migratory birds that feed on its tundra plains. It would kill plants and animals that are native to the Beaufort Sea area and the environment would take two decades to recover. If there were a major oil spill, it would decades for the ecosystem to recover, since so many organisms would be contaminated and eventually die. Remember the 1989 catastrophe when the Exxon Valdez spilled 35 million gallons into Prince William Sound? The
As a result of this, plants and animals are forced to adapt to significant changes that threaten their way of life. As explained by Suzuki in the article, every year at least twenty thousand species disappear forever and the rate of extinction is speeding up largely due to human activity. Many living things are now paying the price for all the man made pollution that has been created as a result of global warming. Furthermore we as a community do nothing to stop global warming and feel no sense of responsibility or duty to care for the overall well being of our world. Big businesses are releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere and oceans.
Many areas of the taiga have been harvested for wood. Only eight percent of the taiga biome regions are protected from development in Russia and Canada. Removing large numbers of trees requires loud, large equipment that pollutes the area and endangers wildlife by removing homes and vegetation from animals. Another problem that has emerged in recent years have been insect plagues including the Spruce bark beetle and the Aspen leaf miner. Animals are also being endangered by hunting, pollution and logging and some less important
In the last decade the Red Fox population has drastically decreased due the Coyote’s migration East. Coyotes and Red Foxes share similar habitat and diet types. Coyotes are nearly double the size of Red Foxes and have a much more aggressive nature so the competition for prey is not much of a competition. Coyote’s impact on most critters can be predicted easily, expect the White Tail Deer population. Ecologist have yet to anticipate the long-term effect of Coyotes to White Tail Deer.
During these journeys, many polar bears either drown or get lost. Scientists predict that if the movement of sea ice continues, many bears will drift off to an unsuitable habitat, making it impossible for them to return or survive. Polar bears are already suffering the horrible effects of global warming: bears are drowning, birth rates are falling, and fewer cubs are surviving. If global warming continues polar bears could become extinct by the end of this century (Polar bear SOS). Global warming is the result of greenhouse gases.