This is a free excerpt from one of Shortform’s Articles. We give you all the important information you need to know about current events and more.
Don't miss out on the whole story. Sign up for a free trial here .
What’s causing the sixth mass extinction of species? How are endangered animals tracked? Can humans do anything to help?
Scientists say we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction—but it’s hard to determine when a species is actually gone for good because endangered species are difficult to track. But new technology and techniques can help.
Keep reading for a comprehensive look at the current mass extinction.
The Sixth Extinction
As long as species of animals, plants, birds, insects, fish, and other creatures have existed on Earth, countless species have gone extinct. In fact, scientists estimate that 99% of all the species that have ever existed have gone extinct. These species have died out over the course of five mass extinctions. Some experts argue that we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction. Unlike mass extinctions earlier in our planet’s history, this one is our fault.
How Humans Are Involved in the Sixth Extinction
Scientists say that human activities have dramatically accelerated the natural rate of species extinction, bringing about a mass extinction crisis. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) evaluates and categorizes the vulnerability of species in the wild on its Red List of Threatened Species. According to the IUCN, many species are classified as critically endangered, extinct in the wild, locally extinct, functionally extinct, or extinct based on their population status and risk of extinction.
Experts estimate that the current rate of species loss is hundreds or even thousands of times higher than the natural rate. This means that while natural extinction cycles have occurred throughout Earth’s history, the scale and pace of the current crisis are unparalleled. Habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, disease, overfishing, and hunting—all factors created by humans—are among the major drivers of the trend.
| Sensory Pollution Is Fatal to Animals—But We Can Change That In his book An Immense World, Ed Yong argues that because it can be hard for humans to imagine how other animals perceive the world, we often contribute to sensory pollution, which causes significant damage to all kinds of animals. It forces animals to adapt to attacks on their senses or perish—and for many species, adaptation in a short time frame isn’t possible. Human-caused sensory pollution of animals’ environment is one of the factors contributing to a mass extinction crisis. By understanding how animals sense the world, however, we can help save animals and their environment. Light Pollution: Yong says that humans have artificially lit the night: About 83% of the world lives under light-polluted skies. Blue and white lights are particularly disruptive to animals, but they’re also the cheapest and easiest to produce. Researchers say these problems can be mitigated by better lighting design, such as by using LEDs that are less blue-rich and ensuring outdoor lighting is targeted and low-level Noise Pollution: Human activities such as transportation and construction have also altered our quiet places. Yong explains that this affects animals in many ways. Birds have difficulty finding mates because their songs aren’t loud enough to be heard over human noise. Various animals can no longer hear their prey or predators, which can cause them to lose weight and become weaker, or to abandon their normal habitat altogether. Unfortunately, there isn’t always a quieter place for them to go, as 83% of the continental US is less than a mile from a road. Other Senses: Besides vision and hearing, every other animal sense is also impacted by human activity. Yong cites a few examples: Bats crash into windows because smooth vertical surfaces, which don’t exist in nature, produce echoes that sound like open air. About 90% of seabirds eventually swallow plastic because it contains DMS. DMS is also precisely the smell that—when it occurs naturally—helps seabirds locate krill. Yong argues that understanding how animals sense the environment can help us save it. He adds that, unlike other more permanent types of pollution, such as chemical or radioactive pollution, sensory pollution can be addressed quickly and easily by simply removing the sensory stimuli that humans have added to the natural environment. |
Monitoring Endangered Species
Monitoring and tracking species extinction is a crucial part of planning conservation efforts and policy decisions aimed at protecting endangered species. By understanding the rate and patterns of species loss, experts can prioritize and target their efforts to protect remaining habitats and endangered populations. Keeping track of extinctions helps scientists quantify the rate at which species are disappearing. They estimate that since 1800, more than 800 amphibian, bird, mammal, and reptile species haven’t been seen by scientists in at least a decade.
But scientists say that determining when a species is truly extinct presents significant challenges. That’s especially true for elusive or rare species, on whom experts may have only incomplete data. Determining definitively that a species has gone extinct requires extensive search efforts over a prolonged period of time, as well as rigorous criteria and definitive evidence to confirm the absence of any remaining individuals. Declaring a species extinct when it hasn’t yet disappeared can have major consequences: Scientists warn that premature declarations of extinction can lead to the actual extinction of species if they cause conservation efforts to be abandoned.
Extinction Tracking Methods
Experts say that advances in technology and new approaches to research can improve the tracking of species extinction and inform conservation strategies. Tools such as camera traps, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, remote sensing, and citizen science initiatives can help gather data on species presence and distribution, even for species that are rarely spotted in the wild. These techniques can also aid in the detection and rediscovery of lost species.
The involvement of local communities is also crucial in efforts to track and stop extinctions. Indigenous and local communities often possess invaluable knowledge about the native habitats and behaviors of species, which can guide search efforts and provide insights into their potential survival.
Scientists also use mathematical models that consider various factors to assess the likelihood of a species’ extinction. For instance, researchers have developed a model that accounts for threats posed to species and the extent and reliability of search efforts to determine the species’s conservation status.
Additionally, scientists have introduced new metrics like PERIL (Paleontological Extinction Risk In Lineages). This method uses fossil records to predict extinction risk for species that are difficult to track and monitor, such as certain sea creatures. By analyzing the history of extinctions in these groups, researchers can identify predictors of extinction risk and inform conservation efforts.
As the biodiversity crisis intensifies, accurately tracking species extinction rates has become a critical endeavor. Experts say that despite the challenges, accurately tracking extinction rates is crucial for understanding what’s happening in the current wave of extinctions—and for trying to stop more species from disappearing.
Want to fast-track your learning? With Shortform, you’ll gain insights you won't find anywhere else .
Here's what you’ll get when you sign up for Shortform :
- Complicated ideas explained in simple and concise ways
- Smart analysis that connects what you’re reading to other key concepts
- Writing with zero fluff because we know how important your time is
