Humanity is bringing thousands of species to the brink of extinction. The largest analysis to date of the conservation status of the planet’s reptiles shows that: 21% of these animalsequivalent one fifthfound in danger of extinction with the loss and destruction of habitats, poaching and the progression of the climate crisis. The human footprint on ecosystems also increases the risk of extinction. half the turtles in the world almost 60% of crocodile species People living on Earth.
These worrying datapublished this Wednesday in the science journal ‘Nature’,wide variety of hazards “that these animals are currently facing” and that if they continue in this way, thousands of species could become extinct. According to the scientific team responsible for this analysis, among the 10,196 reptile species analyzed at least 1,829 may disappear due to natural ecosystems and human impact on the planet in the coming years.
This main threat for these animals it has to do with destruction her ecosystems. According to the researchers who made this analysis, natural land for agriculture Y urban development currently stands out among the main risk factors for amphibians. There are also concerns about the impact of such activities. most hunt and Fishingwhat experts define as main threat to turtles and crocodiles of the world”.
The deterioration of ecosystems, which is accelerated by the progress of the climate crisis and global warming, carries the risk of extinction to a serious level. 30% of reptiles who lives forest ecosystems or 14% of animals living in forest and arid environments. In the case of endemic speciesThere are also concerns about the introduction of invasive species, whose populations have been reduced to just a few islands around the world. increase exponentially The risk of extinction of these animals. Especially in the case of lizards.
Loss of natural heritage
“If these reptilian species disappear, the world loses 15.6 billion years of evolutionary history “Infinite number of adaptations are involved to live in different ecosystems,” underlines the science team responsible for this analysis. One of the most revealing examples the experts have explained is, tuatara (or sphenodonts); the only living member of a generation evolved in the Triassic About 250 million years ago and now, it is in danger of extinction due to human invasion.
In the same vein, the Catalan researcher jofre’s butcherHe is one of the scientists who spearheaded the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s massive report on the effects of the climate crisis. “Every time a genre disappears, it’s like losing a work of art in a museum. Unique species are disappearingthousands of years old, contribute to their intrinsic values Ecosystems” commented the expert in an interview he gave to this newspaper immediately after the publication of the analysis.
The latest major analysis of the loss of biodiversity on the planet, led by a United Nations expert group on climate change, shows that if the global temperature rises three degrees, which currently seems like the most likely scenario, 30% of all animals on the planet The risk of extinction will be high. At this time, without going any further, fieldwork, “loss of hundreds of native species“Y”mass death events“Because of the extreme heat in land and marine ecosystems around the world.
Source: Informacion
