Animals are going extinct at an alarming rate due to human activities including habitat destruction, pollution, poaching, and climate change.
Although the exact number of species that go extinct is unknown because new species are still being discovered, an estimated 10,000 species are lost every year. Around 7,000 species are considered endangered. The number is continuing to rise as human impact on the environment worsens. For example, the bald eagle, which was endangered until 1995, was greatly affected by rapid human settlement in North America, which disrupted their natural environment. In addition, they were hunted as victims of sporting activities, and the use of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) on nearby farms affected their reproduction rates. Although the bald eagle is no longer on the endangered species list, many other species are dying out due to similar causes.
The impacts of human pollution are not limited to the land; oceanic and aquatic life is also severely affected. Every year, over 1 million animals are killed due to the consumption of plastic, including fishing nets, plastic bottles, and plastic bags. Plastic is the dominant cause of death because it can easily get blown away from landfills due to its lightweight. Sea turtle populations are especially influenced by plastic pollution in the ocean because of their body shape and structure. Once they consume plastic, they float to the surface of the ocean where they are easily hunted by predators and can die of starvation. Other marine animals, such as sharks, are overfished. The fins of the sharks are removed and sold as a delicacy in parts of the world, such as China. In addition, over 50% of coral reefs have died in the last 30 years due to climate change, and 90% of all coral reefs are expected to die in the next century.
Plants and forests have also been severely impacted by human activities such as deforestation. Over one-third of all forests have been lost in total. Since 2010, around 10 million hectares of trees are estimated to be cut down every year.
Because nature is precariously balanced through intricate food webs, drastic changes in the population of one species will also affect another species. Studies have shown that species with populations of under 5,000 are very likely to live in the same area as species with populations of under 1,000. This provides evidence that the endangerment and extinction of one species could potentially lead to the extinction and endangerment of another species. In this domino effect, more than one species will be harmed by the threat of another species.
There are many ways that you can help reduce the human impact on plant and animal species as well as their habitats. First, you can make an effort to use less plastic by reusing plastic bags, bringing a reusable bag when grocery shopping, and securing plastic items to ensure they do not get blown away. Many items that are carelessly thrown away or lost in the wind end up in the oceans, where they act as a threat to marine life. Another way to help limit human impact is by walking or biking instead of driving a car. Cars are a large source of carbon emissions, which contributes to global warming. By making an effort to conserve our environment, you may be saving the lives of countless plants and animals.
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