That it defines the disappearance of 75 percent of all species on Earth in less than two million years. To us it seems like a very long time, but in geological time that can be compared with a close-open eye.
Earth for 540 million years has seen five mass extinction cases, which are sometimes caused by natural disasters, and sometimes through hidden changes - such as the sudden proliferation of some invasive species. Many scientists believe that we are on the brink of mass extinction, through which can be erased from the earth life we know on Earth today.
1. Yellowstone could explode
Yellowstone Park in the United States of America, lies at the mega-volcano in which marked changes show that the same volcano could erupt at any moment. The last eruption of this mega-volcano occurred 250 million years ago, and this explosion is not stop for a thousand years. Air is pumped so much carbon and sulfur, as has happened catastrophic climate change, during which disappeared 65 general life on Earth. In the event of an outbreak, such fate awaits humanity.
2. Invasive species are everywhere
People are aggressively expanding in all continents except Antarctica. Are multiplied to seven billion individuals, who eat everything you out on the road. Besides mice and kacabunjve, people are truly invasive species (invasive) to displace other types of natural habitats, which may affect the extinction of other species and damaging the natural balance.
3 Climate Change
Polar ice melts, temperatures are rising. Scientists of different disciplines, worldwide, share the opinion that the climate is warming on Earth. The good news is that people can not be the main culprits for global warming. Planet in its history has survived dramatic changes in temperature. The bad news is that these changes are almost always accompanied by massive deaths.
4. Increasing ocean acidity
Are growing aciditetet the oceans, it causes the destruction of underwater rocks, which are places of many molluscs. High acidity of the ocean was one of the reasons for the mass extinction during trijasit, 200 million years ago, when they were missing about 80 percent of the species. If there is no shellfish, then disappearing species that feed on them. The more animal carcass in the water, increasing acidity.
5. Increase the rate of extinction of species
Disappearances are normal, while those dealing with statistics have proven "disappearance rate", which to them is normal. According to them, this degree, even if it is not at the level of mass extinction has increased in the past 500 years, and this trend continues. This is typical for the start of mass extinction.
6. All mega-fauna are disappearing
Another factor that researchers take into consideration when talking about mass extinction, is the observation of fossils. According fossils "new" that are caused in the last 50 thousand years, can be seen in the decline of species diversity. Land recently (in geological terms) was home to the so-called mega-fauna that is now completely gone. When analyzing how in a short time is missing a whole category of animals, it is not just here for a common extinction.
7. The disappearance of amphibians
Today we are witnessing the disappearance of another group, and so fast, it can be observed in the human life cycle. Amphibians, especially frogs, are gone as quickly as some scientists XXI century have described as biodiversity crisis century. Many of them are killed by invasive fungi that spread rapidly in their habitat. Frogs, on the other hand, can spread they also abandoned their habitat. As more and waste animal biodiversity, the closer we are to the world in which invasive species dominate.
As the author - which otherwise mainly deals with the impact of science and technology culture - however there is hope. Although there were many signs of mass extinction, we have still time to take action on this. According to her, can reduce the use of fossil fuels and thus can prevent the worsening of climate change may also preserve biodiversity by preserving natural areas where people would not endanger animals.
The mega-volcanoes and meteors?
To work will be more difficult, but not impossible. According to the author, we can not give life to many species extinct, but we can prevent the extinction of many animal species, including humans.
