Aimen Izhar, Green Blogger

In pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it perches

Global extinction  or species extinction is basically refers  to the loss of species or other taxonomic units  i.e genus, species or family. It refers to the loss of survival of species. The extinction of the species is irreversible loss of that h biological area. When species loss their habitat they loss their food, shelter and things that need for their survival. Extinction could be natural caused by unpredictable catastrophic environmental stress or due to ecological interactions like disease, predation and competition. But nowadays the extinction is due to dramatic increase in human population and human activities which cause the environment to change it’s natural state and global change.

It is estimated that since the beginning of life on Earth, an average of 0.01-2 out of every million species have been extinct every year. Current evidence suggests that at least 829 species have become globally extinct in the past 300 years.  Extinction ratios in the past centuries are 10-1000 times greater due to human activities. The major portion of extinction are terrestrial species. There are also evidence of marine species extinction. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) make criteria for extincted species i.e  Red List criteria which indicate the extinction of three mammals  and a recent survey has uncovered evidence to suggest the global extinction in the wild of a further six species comprising two fishes, two corals and two algae. The extinction rate in the marine environment is thus probably more than 10 times lower than in the terrestrial environment.

The main causes of species extinction are overexploitation of marine and terrestrial resources and species, Habitat disturbance, chemical and physical alterations, ocean acidification, trawl fishing, eutrophication and major climate change.The importance of biodiversity in maintaining a stable ecosystem implies that species extinction should be avoided.

Biological diversity is messy. It walks, it crawls, it swims, it swoops, it buzzes. But extinction is silent, and it has no voice other than our own.

It is very important to manage the species habitat not only for their survival but for the well-being of nature .There should be proper management of endangered species and rare species through strategic planning. Government should play their role in awareness programs regarding to species important and their management at local and national level.

Wildlife conservation is termed as protection of wild species and their habitats in order to maintain their natural habitat restore and enhance natural ecosystems. There are many species which are under threat due to human induce activities which lead to extinction of wild species. There must be proper management of wild flora and fauna with involvement of government polices. There should be proper implementation of wildlife agreements and policy in order to promote the wildlife management.

“No matter how few possessions you own or how little money you have, loving wildlife and nature will make you rich beyond measure.” …

About the Author: Aimen Izhar is an Environmentalist who has recently graduated from GC women University Sialkot.