Polar bears and hippos are among over 16 species of animals and plants that are in danger of extinction. This was stated by the World Conservation Union
Polar bears and hippos are among over 16 species of animals and plants that are in danger of extinction. This is what the World Conservation Union said on Tuesday. World Conservation Union
The Geneva-based conservation group, also known by the acronym IUCN, says the number of species classified as endangered has grown from about 15,500 in the previous Red List published in 2004 to around 16 now.
The list includes one out of every three species of amphibians, a quarter of the mammal species, a quarter of the conifer species, and one out of every eight birds. This is what is written in the new red list that the organization is going to publish later this week.
The loss of genetic diversity is increasing, and there is no sign of slowing down, said Achim Steiner, the group's director. "The impact of this process on the productivity and resilience of ecosystems and on the lives and quality of life of billions of people who are totally dependent on them."
The Red List classifies about 40 species according to the level of danger of extinction and provides a database and search engine for results in the list. The total number of animal and plant species on Earth is unknown, but the accepted estimate is that the number is 15 million, but only 1.8 million are known today.
Human activity is the cause of most of the decline in the number of species, mainly due to the destruction of habitats, say the IUCN.
Polar bears are threatened by global warming and melting ice caps because they depend on the floating ice environment for hunting at sea. Their population is expected to drop by about 30% in the next 45 years.
The hippo population in war-torn Congo has plummeted by 95%, largely due to illegal poaching for meat and ivory.
Regional conflicts in several African countries have created distress for some of the regional habitats, and this has affected the wild population that is suffering from it, said Jeffrey McNeely, the organization's chief scientist. Freshwater fish have suffered the most dramatic drop in population due to human activity that has harmed their habitats, such as deforestation, pollution and drying up of watercourses. In the Mediterranean region, over half of the 252 endemic species are in danger of extinction, seven species, including two species close to the cultivated carp, have already become extinct.
The association warns that the decrease in the variety of animals in the swamps and freshwater bodies also harms the food supply, and the clean water for humans to drink.
Other endangered species also include species of desert deer, sharks in the oceans and Mediterranean plants.
784 species are already marked as extinct - only a slight increase compared to 2004 - while 65 are only in captivity. However, the situation looks better for other species such as the white-tailed eagle and the Indian eagle.
Reversing the trend is possible, the more successful conservation operations are, Steiner said. "Biological diversity cannot be preserved by environmentalists alone. This must be the responsibility of all those who have the power and resources to act." saying.
They know endangered animals
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