A \u201cbiological annihilation\u201d of wildlife in recent decades means a sixth mass extinction in Earth\u2019s history is under way and is more severe than previously feared, according to research.<\/p>\n
Scientists analysed both common and rare species and found billions of regional or local populations have been lost. They blame human overpopulation and overconsumption for the crisis and warn that it threatens the survival of human civilisation, with just a short window of time in which to act.<\/p>\n
The study,\u00a0published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/a>, eschews the normally sober tone of scientific papers and calls the massive loss of wildlife a \u201cbiological annihilation\u201d that represents a \u201cfrightening assault on the foundations of human civilisation\u201d.<\/p>\n Prof Gerardo Ceballos, at the Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico, who led the work, said: \u201cThe situation has become so bad it would not be ethical not to use strong language.\u201d<\/p>\n Previous studies have shown\u00a0species are becoming extinct at a significantly faster rate<\/a>\u00a0than for millions of years before, but even so extinctions remain relatively rare giving the impression of a gradual loss of biodiversity. The new work instead takes a broader view, assessing many common species which are losing populations all over the world as their ranges shrink, but remain present elsewhere.<\/p>\n The scientists found that a third of the thousands of species losing populations are not currently considered endangered and that up to 50% of all individual animals have been lost in recent decades. Detailed data is available for land mammals, and almost half of these have lost 80% of their range in the last century. The scientists found billions of populations of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians have been lost all over the planet, leading them to say a sixth mass extinction has already progressed further than was thought.<\/p>\n The scientists conclude: \u201cThe resulting biological annihilation obviously will have serious ecological, economic and social consequences. Humanity will eventually pay a very high price for the decimation of the only assemblage of life that we know of in the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n They say, while action to halt the decline remains possible, the prospects do not look good: \u201cAll signs point to ever more powerful assaults on biodiversity in the next two decades, painting a dismal picture of the future of life, including human life.\u201d<\/p>\n Wildlife is dying out due to habitat destruction, overhunting, toxic pollution, invasion by alien species and climate change. But the ultimate cause of all of these factors is \u201chuman overpopulation and continued population growth, and overconsumption, especially by the rich\u201d, say the scientists, who include Prof Paul Ehrlich, at Stanford University in the US, whose 1968 book\u00a0The Population Bomb<\/a>\u00a0is a seminal, if controversial, work.<\/p>\n \u201cThe serious warning in our paper needs to be heeded because civilisation depends utterly on the plants, animals, and microorganisms of Earth that supply it with essential ecosystem services ranging from crop pollination and protection to supplying food from the sea and maintaining a livable climate,\u201d Ehrlich told the Guardian. Other ecosystem services include clean air and water.<\/p>\n \u201cThe time to act is very short,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will, sadly, take a long time to humanely begin the population shrinkage required if civilisation is to long survive, but much could be done on the consumption front and with \u2018band aids\u2019 \u2013 wildlife reserves, diversity protection laws \u2013 in the meantime.\u201d Ceballos said an international institution was needed to fund global wildlife conservation.<\/p>\n The research analysed data on 27,500 species of land vertebrates from the IUCN and found the ranges of a third have shrunk in recent decades. Many of these are common species and Ceballos gave an example from close to home: \u201cWe used to have swallows nesting every year in my home near Mexico city \u2013 but for the last 10 years there are none.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers also point to the \u201cemblematic\u201d case of the lion: \u201cThe lion was historically distributed over most of Africa, southern Europe, and the Middle East, all the way to northwestern India. [Now] the vast majority of lion populations are gone.\u201d<\/p>\n