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Are we on track to cause mass extinction of other species?
Yes
Huge numbers of species to be lost if we don't act now to change course
This includes improving conservation efforts and stopping global heating
Short thread
prompted by this new study https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54034134#
Yes
Huge numbers of species to be lost if we don't act now to change course
This includes improving conservation efforts and stopping global heating
Short thread
prompted by this new study https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54034134#
Here's this week's paper by Andermann et al on human impacts on mammal extinctions
"Based on current trends, we predict for the near future a rate escalation of unprecedented magnitude"
"still a window of opportunity to prevent many species extinctions" https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/eabb2313
"Based on current trends, we predict for the near future a rate escalation of unprecedented magnitude"
"still a window of opportunity to prevent many species extinctions" https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/eabb2313
They focus on the need for improved conservation efforts, which is right, especially for mammals
Habitat loss and degradation due to direct human impact are a huge driver of extinction, currently more than climate change
But climate change adds a further massive risk in future
Habitat loss and degradation due to direct human impact are a huge driver of extinction, currently more than climate change
But climate change adds a further massive risk in future
From my chapter in IPCC AR5:
"A large fraction of terrestrial and freshwater species face increased extinction risk under projected climate change during and beyond the 21st century, especially as climate change interacts with other pressures"
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WGIIAR5-Chap4_FINAL.pdf
"A large fraction of terrestrial and freshwater species face increased extinction risk under projected climate change during and beyond the 21st century, especially as climate change interacts with other pressures"
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WGIIAR5-Chap4_FINAL.pdf
It's not just the amount of climate change that matters - it's also how fast it happens
If it happens too fast, species can't track shifting climates by dispersing (many can't even if change is slow)
Habitat loss makes dispersal harder, so that's a double whammy for extinctions
If it happens too fast, species can't track shifting climates by dispersing (many can't even if change is slow)
Habitat loss makes dispersal harder, so that's a double whammy for extinctions
So yes we are on track to cause a mass extinction both through climate change and direct impacts, but can reduce this by:
Rapidly improving conservation efforts
Halting the human-caused rise in global temperatures by rapidly bringing down greenhouse gas emissions to net zero
Rapidly improving conservation efforts
Halting the human-caused rise in global temperatures by rapidly bringing down greenhouse gas emissions to net zero
