The list of known recent extinctions is still a small fraction of all species on the planet but it is far above prehuman levels and the evidence suggests it is rising fast. A recent report indicated that one million species could be threatened with extinction. Since 1500, 1.6% of birds, 1.9% of mammals and 2.2% of amphibians have been recorded as extinct. Between 1990 and 2020, around 420 million hectares of forest (mainly tropical forest) has been lost and a further 10 million hectares, an area the size of Scotland and Wales combined, is being lost each year.
Extinctions have always occurred but the rate at which they are happening now far exceeds the rates at which species have naturally gone extinct over the course of the fossil record. The historical spread of humanity over the planet has been associated with waves of extinctions in other species. Key threats to date have been over-hunting and harvesting of species by people, habitat conversion and degradation, and the introduction of invasive species caused by human migration, settlement, trade, agriculture and resource extraction. These threats have been accelerating since 1500 alongside rapid growth in human populations and increasing growth in per capita consumption of resources. In addition, in the past few decades, climate change has become an increasingly important threat. Estimates suggest that extinction rates in the recent past have been running tens to hundreds of times faster than in pre-human times and that the pace is accelerating.
In those groups of plants and animals that have been systematically assessed under International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List criteria, about 25% are classified as threatened with extinction (that is, Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable). Five groups (mammals, birds, amphibians, corals, and cycads) have been comprehensively assessed two or more times since 1980. In all cases the reassessments show an increasing trend in the proportion of species that are threatened.
Comparing the results of surveys of insects from the 1970s and 1980s to what we have now is helping to create a picture of changes in biodiversity. However, there is a lot more work required to understand these changes and their consequences.
For more on this topic visit Past and future decline and extinction of species | Royal Society and Consumption patterns and biodiversity
At its simplest, biodiversity describes life on Earth – the different genes, species and ecosystems that comprise the biosphere and the varying habitats, landscapes and regions in which they exist. We've answered some of your most popular questions about biodiversity.
introductionBiodiversity is all the living things on our planet – from the smallest bacteria to the largest plants and animals. So far, we have identified around 1.6 million species but that is probably only a small fraction of the forms of life on Earth.
Read the full answerBiodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have healthy ecosystems.
Read the full answerThere is still much we do not know about the complexity of biodiversity on Earth. There are a number of ways that we measure it, with counting species the most common approach.
Read the full answerThe list of known recent extinctions is still a small fraction of all species on the planet but it is far above prehuman levels and the evidence suggests it is rising fast.
Read the full answerEvery year thousands of previously unknown species are discovered, described and named.
Read the full answerBiodiversity loss has been most pronounced on islands and in specific locations around the tropics.
Read the full answerCompared to the 1.6 million species known about on Earth, the number of recorded extinctions can seem very low.
Read the full answerThe UK boasts more than 70,000 known species of animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms.
Read the full answerHumanity impacts the planet's biodiversity in multiple ways, both deliberate and accidental.
Read the full answerSince the middle of the 20th century, the human population has grown dramatically.
Read the full answerThe environmental changes being driven by climate change are disturbing natural habitats and species in ways that are still only becoming clear.
Read the full answerForests contain some of the richest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet. But between 1990 and 2020, around 420 million hectares of mainly tropical forest has been lost.
Read the full answerLoss of natural habitats has been taking place over thousands of years, but scientists are confident that we have ways to help biodiversity recover.
Read the full answerWhile large scale changes in behaviour, policies and measures will be essential, individuals have a vital part to play.
Read the full answerBiodiversity loss is a complex issue involving many overlapping processes. While nature can recover when left to do so, it requires dramatic changes in our behaviour for this to happen.
Read the full answerThe value of the natural world can be interpreted in many ways, from their raw economic value to the inherent social, cultural and emotional benefits they provide.
Read the full answerFind the main authors and reviewers of the questions and answers on biodiversity.
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