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Agenda - Discussing causes and solutions to animal extinction

Mandate

The UNGA, United Nations General Assembly, is in charge of electing members for the different organs of the UN as well as initiating studies and solutions for environmental issues, humanitarian issues, and more. In July 2022, the UNGA recently passed a vote to make a healthy and sustainable enviorment, a right for all. Due to this recent law being passed, this organ has worked tirelessly to find solutions for environmental issues, and continues to find new ways to achieve this goal.

Introduction

Extinction of species has been occurring naturally throughout the millennia for million of years. Extinction occurs when there is complete disappearance of a species. It is driving force behind Evolution and can be categorised by the number of species extinct per time into background extinction rate and mass extinction.

When fairly constant species extinct occur over a period of time ie. few species gets extinct over a long period years. This is called background or natural extinction rate. They are calculated through fossil records to determine background extinction rate. They are used to compare current extinction rate.

There is another severe mode of extinction : Mass extinction. This is when high percent of species gets extinct in a short duration. The latest extinction over 66 million years ago - Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction had 76 % of species extinct including Dinosaurs. There were 5 were major extinction caused by major caustotrophies events like complex volcanic eruptions in Permian-Triassic extinction - 252 million years ago.

So how is today’s extinction different from the previous one ?

We are currently living in the Anthropocene period (period of time during which human activities have impacted the environment enough to constitute a distinct geological change according to the national geographic)

We are heading to the Holocene Extinction or commonly known as Anthropocene Extinction (named due to the human intervention causing biodiversity loss)

99% of all the species that ever existed on earth are now extinct but the extinction that happened or will happen due to human pressure are estimated and recorded in IUCN Red list

What is extinction rate ?

The extinction rate for any group of organisms is expressed as the number of extinctions that would occur each year among a million species (or equivalently, the number that would occur in a century among 10,000 species). Standardizing rates in this way allows comparison of extinction rates in different groups of organisms and time periods.

Pre-human extinction rates are inferred from the fossil record, recent values from documented extinctions in selected groups, and near-future extinctions are projected from the current rates at which species are transitioning between IUCN categories

Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation.

Animal extinction is defined as a type of organism or species that is considered extinct or death of all that type of organism. This extinction is irreversible and what is lost is lost for ever.

Although animal extinction does occur naturally (due to evolution and change over time), majority of recent extinctions are due to anthropogenic (human activity).

Usually before an animal is extinct, they are classified by the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) as endangered. The IUCN also keeps “

Red List of Threatened Species.⁠

”

DESCRIBE THE RED LIST

It was established in 1964 by IUCN and now it is a critical indicator of world’s biodiversity, and act as tool for policies affecting conservation and protection of current natural resources and biodiversity. Not only this list contains the status of different species, the severity & causes of extinction, it also describe the habitat, population size, range amongst many things of the species.

The red list classify the species according to 9 levels of threats : Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild, and extinct.

Not Evaluated : Species that are not evaluated and are not part of the IUCN Red list

Data deficient : Species whose distribution / population status is not known clearly

Least concern & Near threatened : Species after evaluation are not considered not be endangered or threatened

Vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered : Classify species that are facing high risk of extinction in the wild.

Extinct in the wild : When a species can be found only in captivity and not in their natural habitat

Extinct : When there is no record of the species over a time period it is considered to be extinct

Anthropogenic

Humans have been causing havoc on nature for a long time from the extinctions of giant animals like mammoths. Recent extinctions are resulting from the increasing growth of human population, increased depletion of natural resources and globalisation.

The last of the passenger pigeons died in captivity in 1914. Once these birds were common but they were relentlessly hunted for their meat. They provided a cheaper easier alternate in 1800s. Labrador duck was extinct in 19th century because of severe competition from humans for mussels and other shellfish others like Stellar’s sea cow were extinct because they were hunted for oil and fur. But not all the extinct animals became extinct due to the direct influence of humans, some species were extinct due to the introduction of invasive species, habitat loss, habitat conversion to farmland like deepwater cisco fish was extinct from predation from introduced fishes , Golden toad was extinct due to climate change in 1989.

IUCN red lists suggests that at least 711 species of vertebrates were known or presumed to be extinct since 1500. Total percent extinction since 1500 amounts to 1.6 % of birds, 1.9 % of mammals and 2.1 % of amphibians. These rate of extinction are far higher compared to the pre-human levels. Current rate of extinction is estimated to be 100 or more times faster than pre-human time. If this trend continues, the extinction rate will soon increase further in next couple of decades.

There are two main reasons for this predicted increase rate of extinction.

The current threat of extinction predicts a steep rise in the extinction of many species in the upcoming years. Currently, IUCN red lists classify 3877 species in animalia kingdom alone, as Critically endangered, the most severe category of extinction risk. To be classified in this category the species must belong in at least two of the criteria. The species must have a very small total population (250 adults or fewer) or extremely restricted distribution (10 km2 or less), or have continuing population decline at rates high enough to guarantee extinction within decades.

The second alarming reason is the causes that lead to these extinctions still persists. The main direct causes of extinction are loss and degradation of habitats due to human use of land and sea; overexploitation of wild populations; and the impacts on populations and ecological communities of invasive alien species, pollution, and climate change.

LOSS OF HABITAT

Throughout history humans have had a huge part in making the world that we inhabit today. Humans have shaped this world with consequences that will live on almost indefinitely until we decide to fix them. The loss of habitat, climate change, and invasive species are just a few of the effects that humans inflicted on the environment.

The loss of habitat on Earth has been due to human activity like urbanization, poaching, over fishing, deforestation, and more.

Urbanization

The process of urbanization refers to the transformation of rural or suburban areas into urban environments. Land is being exchanged for buildings, ultimately resulting in the loss of natural space, home for the creatures that live in these environments. Due to the habitats and wildlife species being disturbed by this process of urbanization, there is an increase in the number of threatened species.

Deforestation

With Urbanization comes deforestation, the process of clearing areas in forest and vast areas that inhabited varieties of species, in order to take advantage of its nutrients (wood, minerals, fuel, money, etc) and land. Not only does this impact our land, but the animals living in these habitats. Deforestation is usually a process that is nested under urbanization.

The most common site of deforestation is in the Amazon Rain forest. 66% of the worlds deforestation issues lands in the Amazon. The Amazon Rain forest provides us with 76 billion tons of carbon, food, water, wood, medicines, and so much more products. But most importantly, it provides food and land for the organisms living within the Amazon. With the loss of this environment not only do we loose the amount of oxygen we breathe in, but lose the environment that makes Earth the special place it is. According to the WWF, The Amazon has continued to be threatened as farming, ranching, infrastructure, mining, urban development, unsustainable logging, and climate change, and with this shift in its natural habitat, consequences are developing.

Poaching

Poaching is also another threat that is prompted by humans and their desire to gain wealth. Poaching is when hunters illegally go out to capture wild animals in order to either kill them for their goods like ivory tusks which can be used for medicine. These goods are beyond valuable and are the real reason for why hunters poach. Not only is poaching highly unethical, but endangers species (for example, Rhinos) that without, the food chain would crash.

Over Fishing

Over fishing is yet another event that is caused by human nature. Due to fish being an easy source for profit and solution for hunger, fishers have been sweeping the ocean clean from fish and along to process endangering these fish and species that rely on them to survive (harms the food web). Over fishing is the process of removing a ton of organisms and fish from the oceans in order to feed the population. Although some fish do repopulate quickly, this process kills faster than the environment can replenish. This fishing process ultimately hurts Earth’s oceans and continue to threaten species that would flourish without this threat.

CLIMATE CHANGE

With the loss of habitat comes climate change, another cause of extinction that is deprived off of humans. Some methods like the slash/burn technique used in the process of deforestation, and the deadly release of pollution into our atmosphere are just a few ways that we as humans affect our natural environment and our lives as well.

Pollution

Pollution is the process of introducing harmful substances and gases into the environment which ultimately can lead to the destruction of the ozone layer and land are the world. Air pollution can damage crops and is harmful for the lungs of almost all living things that require oxygen or gases to survive. As pollution increases, the ozone layer slowly deplete and our oxygen is now compacted with harmful materials, which will eventually land in our lungs or the lungs of animals. This pollution is usually caused by the increase of infrastructure and development and progress of new products and urbanization.

Slash and Burn

The slash and burn technique is another development that is greatly affecting climate change and the nature of the animals living in these environments that are being demolished. Slash and burn is a technique that is coined interchangeably with deforestation and climate change. Not only is land being lost from setting a fire on forests, but the environments also change drastically. Slash and burn is usually associated with the end goal to use land for increased farming or urbanization. This technique allows the soil that has been damaged from smoke to come in direct contact with rainfall. This exposed soil can lead to easy erosion to take place and soil that is damaged to travel via wind (Nobowa). The agricultural based research from Nobowa, states the negative effects that come with the slash and burn technique. Nobowa says that this technique is not sustainable, reduces organic matter in the soil (from burning), and can even cause brush fires that can cause even more damage to the environment. With all of these major effects that come from this technique, animals are being harmed and habitats are being destroyed all due to the human population.

INVASIVE SPECIES

An invasive species is another affect that is deprived of humans. Invasive species are any living organism that is not native to a particular area and introduced to that area ultimately leading to an unnatural ecosystem causing harm to that ecosystem. The

National Wildlife Federation⁠

claims that around 42% of endangered species are due to invasive species being introduced to new environments. These invasive species are introduced by humans when taking species to other continents, countries, or exporting them. Causing a spread of these species as well as diseases that come along with it, the damage of the food web, and even extinction.

Food Web

The invasive species can easily out-compete native species for a multitude of resources that maintain survival. Due to invasive species not being native to the area they are introduced in they can easily destroy the food web by either being a dominant predator or prey. These species can spread very quickly and are usually associated with harm.

Diseases

With the exportation of invasive species through human transportation, diseases can easily spread as animals that are native in particular areas may not have been exposed to those diseases to gain the ability to overcome these diseases. The immunity may come through evolution and exposure so we can easily see the reasons for how these species can spread diseases. This shows that native species population can easily decline just from the introduction of invasive species through the spread of diseases and major affect on the food web and environment

Overall, humans are the leading cause of animal extinction and endangerment, ultimately showing the affect that we as humans have on our environment and the damage that we have done to the habitats.

How nations have responded to the concern

To cut back on extinction, cutting back on deforestation, national parks, new laws, and so much more are just a few ways humans are repaying for the harm that they have inflicted.

Due to the high levels of deforestation,

Greenpeace.org⁠

suggests that in order to combat this force, cutting back on plastic usage, consuming less, avoiding single use packaging, eating sustainable foods, and choosing recycled products over wood products are all great ways to help combat this environmental disturbance. Norway has recently ban deforestation (worlds first country to do so) or using resources that were fueled from this process. Not only is Norway protecting the wildlife living in these areas but showing the rest of the world that a country can survive without the need to cut down forests (National habitat of Adventures). Nepal has also recently tripled their wild tiger population due to their drastic efforts to maintain a natural environment. Due to Nepal reducing their needs and reliance of fire wood from areas in this country, Nepal has helped to restore the environment that is for the wild.

National parks are just another way that humans are using to help restore the habitats of wild organisms.

Colombia in South America has been seen as one of the countries to help protect the Amazon by creating a national park, later declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Although threats are still in the way of this national park and the Amazon in general. Brazil’s government has started a project in 2002 known as ARPA (Amazon Region Protection Areas) in order to protect areas. This project has the goal to take 150 million acres of the Amazon and make it like a national park with a multitude of protective measures to ensure the safety of our climate and rain forests. This would allow all the species and organisms living in the ARPA to be able to survive without the threats of deforestation, humans, poaching, and other threats. Peru has had the Paracas National Reserve for years and has protected historical sites, ancient civilizations, and the fragile habitats of species living here. All of these countries, plus a lot more are beginning to develop national parks in order to help endangered species.

With poaching laws, Colombia in South America has made it illegal to hunt jaguars for trade as jaguars are one of the top species on the Red List.

Also with the increase of pollution levels, Bogota, Colombia began implementing electric buses used for transportation and is supporting the usage of bikes for short transportation. Seoul, South Korea has said to be hoping to ban diesel cars by 2025, and has also partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme to also help stop their influence on climate change and pollution (UNEP.org).

According to

Nature.org⁠

the best way to solve invasive species problems is by preventing them from occurring in the first place. They suggest being careful when taking objects from area to area (in a large distance or distinct habitats), as most of these objects will carry some sort of insect or organism that can extremely danger the food web.

Conservation of ecosystems

Example : Global Tiger initiative was first launched in 2008 as an effort to save the wild tigers from extinction which later on included in Snow leopards. In 2010, 13 tiger range countries adopted St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation and endorsed its implementation mechanism, called the Global Tiger Recovery Program. Their aim was to double the wild tiger population by 2022. Following the initiation there has been many improvements, there has been increase of most 30.5 % in just 5 years in India.

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