Latest figures confirm biodiversity threat
3 November 2009
If proof were needed that our conservation work is more urgent than ever, the newly published 2009 ‘Red List’ of Threatened Species makes the situation very clear.
The Red List, from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), highlights the alarming ongoing rate of biodiversity loss around the world.
More than one third of the 47,677 species assessed in the latest list are currently threatened with extinction.
The harsh truth is that this decline is mostly being caused by human activity – from things like deforestation, overfishing, pollution and our copious, climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
The good news is, this means it’s largely in our control, and we can stop it. But only if we all work urgently and together.
WWF’s conservation science advisor, Mark Wright, makes the point: “The loss of species must not be accepted as just a sad reality we can do nothing about. We must act to halt this decline.”
The importance of biodiversity
Why should we care about biodiversity? Well, over and above the loss of any individual species – which is tragic in itself – there are complex relationships between species, and any loss has knock-on effects that can be hard to predict and potentially catastrophic in long-term impact.
As Mark Wright puts it: “Biodiversity loss is an alarming indicator of the general health of our planet – and for the wellbeing of our own species.”
Through WWF’s global initiatives, we’re doing all we can stop the decline and recover populations of some of the most endangered species, such as tigers.
As tigers require a large home range, protection of the species and its habitat bring huge benefits to thousands of other species.
Amphibians at most risk
This year's Red List assessment includes a special focus on freshwater species which are being hit hard by pollution, loss of wetlands and water diversion.
Amphibians are the most endangered of all the world’s species – 1,895 of 6,285 assessed species are threatened with extinction.
More than a third of freshwater fishes are under threat of extinction, and almost half of all molluscs.
There are rays of hope. For instance, one freshwater fish, the Australian Grayling, has been downgraded as a result of conservation efforts, which included putting fish ladders on dams, improving streamside vegetation and policing anglers.
There are also some significant international meetings in the coming year to address biodiversity loss and the threats to life support systems, including a major Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
You can…
find out more about the 2009 IUCN Red List
Comments
Add your comment