The extinction of species is taking on apocalyptic proportions

The consequences of species loss are absolutely incalculable and, not least for this reason, absolutely terrifying. Ecosystems have so-called tipping points at which sudden, irreversible processes can occur. Once these have been passed, the original state of the ecosystem can no longer be restored (or only at great expense).

Definition of species extinction

• Species extinction means the irretrievable disappearance of entire species families. They are considered "extinct" when the last individual of the species has died.
• Species decline begins when the population becomes smaller with each generation. If the population decline continues over the long term, it will lead to extinction.
• Species have always gone extinct. The difference today, compared to the past, is the rapid rate at which we are losing biodiversity.

The current extinction of species has reached a dimension that has led some to speak of a "species crisis".

Some experts are already talking about the "6th mass extinction" due to the alarming figures Just for the sake of clarity: the "5th mass extinction" was the end of the dinosaurs.

So in many respects, we are in the midst of a crisis - probably one of the biggest in human history.

We would like to explain a few things first.

What is the connection between species extinction and the climate crisis as a whole?

At the COP15 World Conservation Conference, which took place in Montreal from December 7 to 19, 2022, everything revolved around the protection of global biodiversity. After all, it is in grave danger if millions of species disappear forever in the coming decades.

Facts and figures

• Species extinction happens every minute. It is estimated that 130 to 150 species die every day.
• According to the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the current extinction rate is several hundred times higher than the natural rate.
• The International Biodiversity Council IPBES estimates that we will lose almost one million of the estimated eight million species of plants, animals and fungi by 2030 - if we do nothing about it.
• In the animal kingdom, mammals in particular are threatened: according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (ICUN), one in four mammal species on land and one in three in water are threatened with extinction (Cordis).
• However, it is not only animals that are affected by species extinction, but also plants and fungi. The global forest area has shrunk to 68 percent of the size that the world's forests had in the pre-industrial age. As the forest area decreases, biodiversity is also declining due to a lack of habitat.
• Wetlands such as coasts, moors and swamps are particularly affected. Over the past 300 years, 85 percent of all wetlands worldwide, including their complex ecosystems with their high biodiversity, have disappeared.

And what does that have to do with us?

All animal, plant and fungal species interact with each other and weave a dense web of life. If an ecosystem is healthy and stable, the tearing of individual threads in this web is not a problem. However, the decline in biodiversity is making it increasingly unstable.

The serious consequences for us:

Species extinction is also jeopardizing the ecosystem services on which we depend.

• We have breathing air and drinking water because the ecosystems provide them.
• Gardens and fields are not viable without being embedded in ecosystems. Pollinators such as bees, wasps, butterflies and other insects are essential.
• Almost two billion people meet their primary energy needs with firewood, so they are dependent on forests and trees.
• Medicinal plants are used as the basis for many medicines. Around 70 percent of the drugs used to treat cancer are natural or synthesized products from nature.

pro.earth conclusion:

There is not much to add to this. It is obvious - we are destroying our most elementary foundations of life with the ecosystems (whose complex interrelationships are very far-reaching) and thus sawing off the branch on which we are sitting. Action must be taken quickly and intensively! 💚

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https://news.pro.earth/2022/12/19/es-ist-vollbracht-das-neue-artenschutzabkommen/