London – World Wild Life (WWF) published a report on the current status of the environment, animals and climate change. The organization stated that from 1970 to 2012, 58 percent of wildlife population has decreased.
The global population of wild animals has been dropping 1.3 percent every year for the last 42 years. If actions are not taken to diminish their extinction, by 2020, it will reduce to 67 percent.
The Director of Science and Policy of WWF in the UK, Mike Barrett, said that the report reveals the impacts of the human kind in the wildlife. Barrett also compared the status of global extinction with the demise of the dinosaurs that happened 65 million years ago, product of a meteorite.
WWF stated that measures could be taken to reverse the mass extinction. This is a warning about the consequences that animal extinction can trigger. The organization recommends to conserve and take care of natural habitats to diminish the emissions of toxic gasses into the atmosphere.
Actions that cause the massive reduction of wildlife
WWF manifested that some causes of the mass extinction are the destruction of their natural habitat, climate change, species overexploitation and food systems.
Every year the population grows 1.1 percent, which translates into 75 million births per year. While the human population is increasing, more natural habitats are destroyed to build new cities.
Migration is also considered a cause of mass extinction. Because of the destruction of habitats, species are forced to migrate to other places which make animals fight for the habitat because of their natural behavior of possessivity.
To stop the destruction of habitats, the WWF is cooperating with different countries to find new alternatives and learn how to conserve the ecosystem.
Climate change affects not only the environment but also the wildlife. The increase of temperature makes that certain species, such as polar bears, cannot survive global warming.
Currently, the black market of animal parts, such as the elephant tusks, is considerably increasing and encourages people to hunt because of the monetary profit. Also, the use of animal skins on clothes and objects, overfishing and recreational hunting made species extinct as the subspecies of wild goats Pyrenean Ibex.
The increase of human population also requires more food. Overfishing is excessively increasing, causing an important reduction of species. Also, food factories release big tons of gasses polluting and affecting wildlife.
The most affected according to the report
The report separated species in different categories according to their habitats and compared their reduction for over the past 40 years.
The Living Planet Report examined terrestrial, freshwater and marine populations by analyzing the threats that cause their reduction.
Terrestrial species are the most affected by the destruction of habitats since they have to invade other habitats, adapt themselves to a new environment and fight with other species to survive. The reduction of these animals in over four decades is of 38 percent of their population.
The elephants are the most affected species because of overexploitation. They passed from 44,806 in 1970 to 15,217 in 2014 representing a 66 percent of decay. Their hunt is attractive due to the high value of their tusks.
The Freshwater system is the most affected and with the greatest risk of danger, according to the report. Its reduction is of 81 percent since 1970, and it only occupies the 0.1 percent of the water in the world.
The phenomenon of climate change does not only involve the temperature but it also triggers the change of the curse of most rivers. WWF organization said that this affects species because of the abrupt change of their habitat.
The marine population decays 1 percent every year, having a total of 36 percent of their entire population. The biggest threat to this system is the overexploitation and overfishing as a recreation or to feed the human population.
Coral Reefs support the 25 percent of fish. Although they only represent a 0.1 percent of the ocean, the are the homes for a big part of marine species.
They are mostly affected by pollution and waste that are thrown into the water. WWF states that the 75 percent of Coral Reefs are threatened.
The unification of database gives a 58 percent of mass extinction, and some species are most threatened because of the consequences of human activity. WWF wants to raise awareness about this problem because, in the long-term, it would directly affect people.
Source: Living Planet Report 2016