how are reptiles and amphibians being exploited

Rainforests around the world are subject to overexploitation. This has had terrible effects on indigenous people within such regions. a. Amphibians and reptiles b. Alligators and crocodiles c. Toads and frogs d. Salamanders and lizards e. Snakes and lizards 4. The lead author on the paper summarizes: Reptiles are often associated with extreme habitats and tough environmental conditions, so it is easy to assume that they will be fine in our changing world. Don’t they know how to take care of their environment? could be lost. A combination of geopolitics and economic agreements foster a scenario for such results to occur. Hence, the rapid extinction rates mean that it could take a long time for nature to recover. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1184695], Stephen Leahy, 'Tight Controls Could Save Global Fisheries', Inter Press Service, July 31, 2009, 'Threatened Plants Database', United Nations Environment Programme and World Conservation Monitoring Centre web site, Danielle Knight, 'Many Plants in Danger Worldwide', Inter Press Service, April 8, 1998, Marcela Valente, 'Tree Plantations Are Not Forests, Women Activists Say', Inter Press Service, December 1, 2009. Commercial whaling in the past was for whale oil. Reptiles include snakes, turtles and lizards, while amphibians include toads, frogs and salamanders, according to Mass Audubon. For example. This first Census of Marine Life (CoML) hopes to act as a baseline of how human activity is affecting previously unexplored marine ecosystems. Biodiversity loss in Europe alone is estimated to cost the continent about 3% of its GDP, or €450m (£400m) a year. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook report summarizes, despite numerous successful conservations measures supporting biodiversity. (Emphasis added). Unfortunately, as has been feared for many years now, amphibian species are declining at an alarming rate. We hear more about sustainable forestry practices by the large logging multinationals. Worm. Time is therefore of the essence. Seahorses tend to have low birth rates, with lengthy parental care. It is difficult to explain this unprecedented and accelerating rate of extinction as a natural phenomenon. We are wrecking our world – the one place we call home – risking our health, security and survival here on Earth.”. The Global Biodiversity Outlook report notes that According to a recent study co-ordinated by the World Bank, 20% Amazon deforestation would be sufficient to trigger significant dieback of forest in some parts of the biome by 2025, when coupled with other pressures such as climate change and forest fires. Quite often we make blanket statements or generalized conclusions that people are the cause of deforestation. Timeline. whales, dolphins, polar bears), birds (e.g. This is likely to destabilize various ecosystems including agricultural systems. The BBC summarizes: Lizards, the researchers say, are far more susceptible to climate-warming extinction than previously thought. … Overall, animal farms use nearly 40 percent of the world’s total grain production. Some have argued for whale hunting as a way to sustain other marine populations. A few US states have banned the commercial collecting of wild-caught amphibians and reptiles, some entirely, others with exceptions (Levell 1997). Why are lizards so sensitive to climate change? A 20-year study has shown that deforestation and introduction of non-native species has led to about 12.5% of the world’s plant species to become critically rare. He added that If current estimates of amphibian species in imminent danger of extinction are included in these calculations, then the current amphibian extinction rate may range from 25,039–45,474 times the background extinction rate for amphibians. A variety of other tropical species — including certain insects, amphibians, reptiles, bats, and small and large mammals — have been shown to be similarly leery of roads and other clearings. More than 40% of the global river discharge is now intercepted by large dams and one-third of sediment destined for the coastal zones no longer arrives. Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All, Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions. Added a note on declining species populations by about one-third in the last 30 years, and a new subsection on dwindling fish stocks and massive marine life extinction threatening fish industries, globally. 83-89 Authors: Nijman, Vincent; Shepherd, Chris R.; Mumpuni & Sanders, Kate L. Abstract: We report on the commercial trade in three reptile species harvested for different purposes in western Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan) for international markets: (1) Tokay geckos, Gekko gecko, traded for medicinal uses, (2) Javan filesnakes, Acrochordus javanicus, … Slowly, projects are helping at the local level for people to take ownership of their environment and help foster a sustainable development cycle. Many die accidentally in fishing nets set for tuna and swordfish, while others are caught for their meat or just for their fins. As the cartoon, further above, from the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment notes, logging companies and others can often have a larger impact on deforestation. 192 countries, plus the EU, are now Parties to that convention. During the summer months, the days receive 24 hours of pure sunshine, but during the winter, the sun is barely seen at all. A separate study released today by Newcastle University and BirdLife International says that at least 28 bird and mammal extinctions have been prevented by conservation efforts since the UN Convention on Biological Diversity came into force in 1993. Many commercial whaling nations have been part of this moratorium but have various objections and other pressures to try and resume whaling. The report highlights that 75% of the Earth’s ice-free land has been significantly altered by human activity, and almost 90% of global wetlands have been lost since 1700. The debt that the poor countries are in has led to the stripping of resources in order to pay back what is owed. We can actually help populations recover. By contrast, waiting 10 more years could reduce the net benefit of halving deforestation by US$ 500 billion. “I feel frustrated by having to give a stark and desperate message but I think there’s a positive side to it as well.”. Why Is Biodiversity Important? The G8 nations, together with 5 major emerging economies — China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico — use almost three-quarters of the Earth’s biocapacity. As Suurkula mentioned above, mass extinctions of marine life due to industrialized fishing has been a concern for many years. Then the oxygen-producing benefits from such ecosystems is threatened. But once species become extinct, there is no going back. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) added that Earth is unable to keep up in the struggle to regenerate from the demands we place on it. As a start, there has got to be regulation to get deforestation out of our supply chain straight away. Most indicators of the state of biodiversity show negative trends, with no significant reduction in the rate of decline: An example of the positive efforts has been the growth in protected areas in recent years, including more protected marine areas: However, the level of protection in protected areas is mostly basic: Despite more than 12 per cent of land now being covered by protected areas, nearly half (44%) of terrestrial eco-regions fall below 10 per cent protection, and many of the most critical sites for biodiversity lie outside protected areas. The Census of Marine Life is a global network of researchers and scientists. “Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions.” Global Issues. A demand for shark-fin soup in places like China and Taiwan is decimating shark populations. This has involved activities that alter surrounding ecosystems, such as drainage, diversion of water for irrigation, industrial and domestic use, contaminating water with excess nutrient run-off (e.g. Hylonomus is the oldest known reptile was about 8 to 12 inches long with origins 200 million years ago. But it is a tough challenge since 80 percent of global fisheries are already fully or over-exploited. Many military forces of the world also have an effect on the environment. Several factors have spurred renewed interest in natural resources on Indian lands in Latin America, among them the mobility of capital, ecological limits to growth in developed countries, lax environmental restrictions in underdeveloped nations, lower transportation costs, advances in biotechnology, cheap third world labor, and national privatization policies. They’ve been involved in a decade-long initiative to assess diversity, distribution and abundance of life in the oceans. The Fossa belongs to the Malagasy Carnivores group which are thought to have descended from Mongoose-like ancestors that arrived on Madagascar from Africa up to 24 million years ago. Key terms. Researchers call the massive loss of wildlife a “biological annihilation”. About 80 percent of the world marine fish stocks for which assessment information is available are fully exploited or overexploited. Traditional indigenous communities have typically hunted whale in far smaller numbers commercially, mostly for local food consumption, but the impacts of large-scale commercial whaling has meant even their hunting is under pressure. Only when it is too late can others say told you so — a perhaps very nasty Catch 22. Another BBC article notes that biodiversity is fundamental to economics. Madeley continues by describing the impact that the use of chemicals to treat woodpulp from the eucalyptus has on local fisheries and on food production. The extinction rate of species is now thought to be about 1,000 times higher than before humans dominated the planet, which may be even faster than the losses after a giant meteorite wiped out the dinosaurs 65m years ago. Source: Brazilian National Space Research Agency (INPE), graph compiled by, What the global economy would look like with nature on the balance sheet, The hidden environmental and social costs from corporations, County Climate Risk Profiles Critical and Timely for Kenyas Struggling Smallholders, Jamaica Failing to Cope with Plastic Waste, Climate Crisis: Elephants in the Room are Getting Nastier, https://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions, https://www.globalissues.org/print/article/171, Reptiles threatened by climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, trade, Loss of forests equates to a loss of many species. Global projection models used by the scientists suggested that lizards have already crossed a threshold for extinctions caused by climate change. It consists of a large disc (complete with edge-of-the-world drop-off and consequent waterfall) resting on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle, named Great A'Tuin (similar to Chukwa or Akupara from Hindu mythology) as it slowly swims through space. The UN’s 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook report, mentioned earlier, notes that. Why are reptiles so sensitive to environmental conditions? As Indian activist and scientist Vandana Shiva and others have shown in countless work, indigenous people often have their cultures and lifestyle structured in a way that works with nature and would not undermine their own resource base. “Doing so will require systemic shifts in how we produce food, create energy, manage our oceans and use materials. This makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes. While the data is dominated by the decline of wildlife populations around the world, the index showed that some species can recover with conservation efforts. It noted how a few decades ago, some fishermen campaigned for killing whales because they were apparently threatening the fish supply. For the poorest, this biodiversity is the most important resource for survival. Moreover, biodiversity considerations are often ignored when such developments…. Disease may now be as great a cause of amphibian decline as habitat destruction. With no reason to use whale oil today, commercial whaling is mainly for food, while there is also some hunting for scientific research purposes. A report prepared by the Institute for Policy Studies, April 2000, called. Added notes about 19% of reptiles under threat of extinction and 100 million sharks being killed each year. Throughout the region, as aspects of corporate globalization spread, there is growing conflict between land and resources of the indigenous communities, and those required to meet globalization related needs. In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems. It’s really hard to communicate how dramatic some of these declines are.”. However, the trees that are favored for this (eucalyptus) require a lot of water to grow so quickly. Indian land rights and decisionmaking authority regarding natural resource use on territories to which they hold claim threaten the mobility of capital and access to resources—key elements of the transnational-led globalization model. To learn more about how trade and poverty in general are related, go to this web site’s section on, 'Human footprint too big for nature', WWF, October 24, 2006, 'Erosion of Lizard Diversity by Climate Change and Altered Thermal Niches', Science 328 (5980), 894. It is true that cutting down forests or converting natural forests into monocultures of pine and eucalyptus for industrial raw material generates revenues and growth. 10 years on from the above, Inter Press Service notes similar things, as activists around the Amazon complain about tree plantations. In April 2002, the Parties to the Convention committed to significantly reduce the loss of biodiversity loss by 2010. …NOTE: The above presentation encompasses only the most important and burning global environmental problems. Without plants there would be no oxygen and without bees to pollinate there would be no fruit or nuts. I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are—beyond anything we suspected. As part of the prize, she was able to share a wish, which captured some major concerns about dwindling ocean biodiversity and its importance to all life on earth: Increasing rapid ocean acidification, caused by the oceans absorbing more carbon dioxide than usual (because it is emitted by humans more than it should) also affects marine ecosystems, as explained on this site’s climate change and biodiversity page. Anita Roddick: Corporate Social Responsibility? As they further point out, for poor regions, such as Orissa in India, this is even more of a problem. Mike Barrett, executive director of conservation and science at WWF, said: “Urgent and immediate action is necessary in the food and agriculture sector. (Emphasis added). The above would be a good return on the initial investment. Is this the kind of world we want, it asks? Between 56% and 65% of inland water systems suitable for use in intensive agriculture in Europe and North America had been drained by 1985. The Fossa is a medium-sized, carnivorous animal that is found exclusively on the island of Madagascar. In Papua New Guinea, 44 new species of animals were discovered recently in the forests. What is known, for sure, is that the world ecological system has been kept in balance through a very complex and multifaceted interaction between a huge number of species. export reptiles or amphibians, with the exception of those exporting primarily for the meat consumption trade. After all, the short video concludes, our lives are inextricably linked with biodiversity and ultimately its protection is essential for our very survival: In different parts of the world, species face different levels and types of threats. For example, the current number of known marine species is estimated at 250,000. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes in a video that many species are threatened with extinction. Freshwater turtles alone are at a 50% risk of extinction, as they are also affected by national and international trade. The result has been a growing number of conflicts between indigenous communities and governments and transnational corporations over control of natural resources. A … For more on this aspect of people and biodiversity, you can see also the following: Some possible starting points for additional information include the following: How land is used to produce food can have enormous impacts on the environment and its sustainability. It is not just fish in the oceans that may be struggling, but most life in the seas. Avian brains and a new understanding of vertebrate brain evolution -- A consortium of neuroscientists (Jarvis et al. Extensive coastal pollution, climate change, over-fishing and the enormously wasteful practice of deep-sea trawling are all contributing to the problem, as Inter Press Service (IPS) summarized. Added notes on declining amphibian species, on declining shark species and shark fin hunting and on declining ocean biodiversity, including images and a video. While that is true, unfortunately all people around the world are not equal, and it also also follows that some are more responsible for deforestation than others. Most future scenarios project continuing high levels of extinctions and loss of habitats throughout this century, with associated decline of some ecosystem services important to human well-being. Following the fall of the former Iraqi regime in 2003 many drainage structures have been dismantled, and the marshes were reflooded to approximately 58% of their former extent by the end of 2006, with a significant recovery of marsh vegetation. Brazil, which is estimated to have around 55,000 species of flora, amounting to some 22% of the world’s total and India for example, which has about 46,000 and some 81,000 animal species (amounting to some 8% of the world’s biodiversity), are also under various pressures, from corporate globalization, deforrestation, etc. Malcom MacCallum of the Biological Sciences Program, Texas A&M University calculated that the current extinction rate of amphibians could be 211 times the background amphibian extinction rate . Africa and the Asia Pacific region have also experienced large falls in the abundance of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, dropping 65% and 45% respectively. In addition. Sometimes links to other sites may break beyond my control. Freshwater areas are among the habitats suffering the greatest damage, according to the report, with one in three species in those areas threatened by extinction and an average population drop of 84%. The polar regions are the coldest places on Earth and differ the most from every other habitat on the planet. Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy (not even a necessity) and can be extremely lucrative. In addition, the waters they live in are often exploited by people – such as for fishing or urban development – … Alternatively, copy/paste the following MLA citation format for this page: Shah, Anup. For more information on land and hunger issues, this web site provides sections on: If ecosystems deteriorates to an unsustainable level, then the problems resulting can be very expensive, economically, to reverse. For example, fish stocks are dwindling, forest loss is resulting in the loss of many species, land and other resources are being misused, leading to various long terms costs. The average maximum size of fish caught declined by 22% since 1959 globally for all assessed communities. But even legal, high-tech fishing has caused other social problems. Additionally, as reported by UC Berkeley, using DNA comparisons, scientists have discovered what they have termed as an evolutionary concept called parallelism, a situation where two organisms independently come up with the same adaptation to a particular environment. expanded side notes, shows alternative links), use the print version: 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost, 75% of the world’s fisheries are fully or over exploited, Up to 70% of the world’s known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5°C, Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity, Excessive nutrient load and other forms of pollution. The study, which took 10 years to complete and was published in the international journal Nature, paints a grim picture of the Earth’s current populations of such species as sharks, swordfish, tuna and marlin. . Furthermore, in 2006, aquaculture consumed 57 percent of fish meal and 87 percent of fish oil as industrial fisheries operating in tropical regions have been scooping up enormous amounts of fish anchovies, herring, mackerel and other small pelagic forage fish to feed to farmed salmon or turn into animal feed or pet food. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the Red List to assess the conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties, and even selected subpopulations on a global scale. Sharks are known as the apex predator of the seas. The nutrients promote the growth of algae that die and decompose on the seabed, depleting the water of oxygen and threatening fisheries, livelihoods and tourism. 2000). The respective figures for Asia and South America were 27% and 6%. The blacktail reef shark in Australia and Nepalese tiger populations have both shown signs of recovery. Furthermore. The species affected include the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River, which is down by 97%. Vieques, Puerto Rico, the US use live rounds in bombing ranges, and low altitude flying for training. Amphibians are particularly sensitive to changes in the environment. Greenpeace and other organizations often release findings that argue Japan’s whaling to be excessive or primarily for food, and for research as secondary. These factors are also looked at in further detail on this site’s article on climate change and biodiversity as well as covered in more depth by IPSO’s report, State of the Ocean. A Acklay. Account for more than two-thirds of net primary production on land – the conversion of solar energy into plant matter. Added a couple of videos about measuring environmental costs to society, Added a some notes about the Census on Marine Life cataloging global marine biodiversity, Added additional notes based on the UN’s Global Biodiversity Outlook report, Added short note about activists worried over tree plantations replacing forests, Added short note about climate change and overfishing and amount of fish catch being used as feed for aquaculture, Added short video from IUCN and statistics on some biodiversity indicators. The first true "reptiles" (Sauropsids) are categorized as Anapsids, having a solid skull with holes only for nose, eyes, spinal cord, etc. With massive species loss, the report warns, at current rates, in less than 50 years, the ecosystems could reach the point of no return, where they would not be able to regenerate themselves. Wildlife populations are in freefall around the world, driven by human overconsumption, population growth and intensive agriculture, according to a major new assessment of the abundance of life on Earth. As John Madeley points out: [T]he [eucalyptus] trees achieve this rapid growth by tapping large quantities of groundwater, impoverishing surrounding vegetation and threatening to dry up local water courses. This saves a lot of room on fishing boats. This ecological prediction does not take into consideration the effects of global warming which will further aggravate the situation. (p. 32). Under much secrecy, there is a push from USA and Asian economies to reduce tariffs for wood and paper products. Deforestation, however, continues at an alarming rate, despite recent decreases in several tropical countries. The above report and the IPS article noted that protected areas show that biodiversity can be restored quickly. Europe and central Asia recorded a fall of 24%, while populations dropped 33% on average in North America. Often, in forests of the Amazon, Africa, or Asia, forest protection schemes have been promoted that go against indigenous peoples and cultures, rather than work with them. Reptiles and amphibians share some similarities, so which species belong to which class of animals often causes confusion. It will take hundreds of thousands of years to restore what is now being destroyed in a few decades. Who is it sustainable for? Although it is a large project (in terms of cost, scope and duration), there are still many unknowns that will need further research. The loss of biodiversity is increasing. Also at the WTO Ministerial meeting in November 1999, opening more markets for easier access was the agenda, which included forests. Explore the timeline to … The cost to tackle this and the related illnesses, problems and other cascading effects would be enormous (as it can be assumed that industrial pollution could increase, with less natural ecosystems to. Society and the environment, or for the logging companies? A tiger in Bardia national park, Nepal, a species that is showing signs of recovery. Yet, it rarely makes mainstream headlines. As an example, and assuming a somewhat alarmist scenario, if enough trees and forests and related ecosystems vanish or deteriorate sufficiently: Compare those costs to taking precautionary measures such as protecting forests and promoting more sustainable forms of development. Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF, said: “We are wiping wildlife from the face of the planet, burning our forests, polluting and over-fishing our seas and destroying wild areas. An example of overfishing that has a ripple-effect on the whole fish-food chain is shark hunting. The health of the ocean is spiraling downwards far more rapidly than we had thought. The World Trade Organization (WTO), free trade agreements, and transnational corporations are openly hostile to any legislation that might create barriers to investment or the unlimited exploitation of natural resources on Indian lands. Sir David Attenborough said that humanity has entered a new geological age – the anthropocene – where humans dominate the Earth, but said it could be the moment we learn to become stewards of our planet. The report also notes that water quality in freshwater ecosystems is an important biodiversity indicator, yet global data is quite lacking. As early as the mid-1930s, there were international attempts to recognize the impact of whaling and try and make it more sustainable, resulting in the actual set up of the IWC in 1946. To print all information (e.g. We can be optimistic and believe human ingenuity will solve these kind of problems. Namely, Since newly-planted forests often have low biodiversity value and may only include a single tree species, a slowing of net forest loss does not necessarily imply a slowing in the loss of global forest biodiversity. A better understanding of these complex systems is clearly important given our dependence on the marine ecosystem in various ways. In 18 developing countries with the largest forest cover, over 22% of forests are owned by or reserved for communities. Even though Brazil has now tried to introduce a moratorium on Mahogany logging for two years, this has been slammed by some as too little, too late. In an update to the above story, 3 years later, 2009, Dr. The UN’s 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook report, mentioned earlier, also notes how indigenous communities can benefit their local environments and is quoted at length: Indigenous and local communities play a significant role in conserving very substantial areas of high biodiversity and cultural value. Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features, Up to 48 species saved from extinction by conservation efforts, study finds. … In Indian Agriculture, women use up to 150 different species of plants (which the biotech industry would call weeds) as medicine, food, or fodder. Two years ago, the figure stood at 60%. Turtles are believed by some to be surviving Anapsids. (This hints then, that for sustainable development projects, a more participatory approach can be accepted by local people, reducing the chance for conflict and distrust and therefore be more likely to succeed as well.). …According to the most comprehensive study done so far in this field, over a million species will be lost in the coming 50 years. Clearly not all blame should be laid at the international fishing system as it is also individual choice, but the desperation and other geopolitical issues in the region can turn people to do things they normally would not. penguins), and other creatures (e.g. We use water for a variety of purposes from agricultural, domestic and industrial uses. Explain how reptiles and amphibians are an important component of the natural environment. Large scale commercialized whaling was so destructive that in 1986 a moratorium on whaling was set up by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). But overall patterns show a downward trend in most cases.

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