According to the analysis of scientists from WWF and the Zoological Society of London, the number of wild animals on Earth has halved over the past 40 years! Species on land, rivers and seas are dying out due to habitat destruction, killing for food or other purposes.
We have very little interest in what happens to nature. there's very little discussion of environmental issues in fashionable programs. and that we do even less to unravel these issues. As prof Nor Nor author, a member of the analysis team, says:
"If 0.5 the animals had died in a very London installation, it might have appeared on the front page of the news next week. This injury isn't inevitable, however a consequence of our manner of life."
Thanks to nature, we've got the food, clean water and air we want for our well-being.
The rate of decline within the range of animals, fish, and birds was calculated by analyzing 10 000 totally different populations of 3 000 species. This information was wont to calculate the Living Planet Index (LPI) for all 45 000 celebrated vertebrates.
LPI may be a clear and reliable indicator that has been adopted by the global organization Convention on Biological Diversity as a key indicator of diversity.
Ecological footprint
The second indicator utilized by scientists is that the "ecological footprint" of humankind, i.e. the life of human impact on the surroundings. I actually have written additional concerning what it's during this article. folks destroy forests quicker than they'll recover, fish catch quicker than the oceans will fill up them, water is wired out quicker than precipitation will form up for its losses. additional greenhouse emission is emitted currently than is absorbed by oceans and forests.
Scientists estimate that the world's average consumption rate for 2014 requires 1.5 planets of Earth, while the US consumption rate requires 4 Earths.
Freshwater systems
The fastest rate of decline in animal populations has been found in freshwater ecosystems. There, the number of populations has decreased by 75% since 1970. Rivers are the bottom of the system," said Dave Tikner, WWF's Chief Freshwater Advisor. "Whatever happens on land ends up in rivers. For example, he said that tens of billions of tonnes of wastewater are discharged into the Ganges River in India every year.
In addition to pollution, fresh systems area unit being destroyed by dams and exaggerated water absorption. There area unit over 45 000 massive dams of fifteen m or additional every within the world. Rivers area unit, therefore, divided into several tiny items, that forestall the natural healthy flow of water. the number of individuals quadrupled within the last century and water consumption exaggerated septuple.
Terrestrial animals
Since 1970, the quantity of animals on Earth has shrunken by four-hundredth. In Central Africa, the amount of cookery by forest elephants is more than the birth rate. environment destruction is reducing populations of hulk gibbons in Asian countries and European snakes like grasslands. And their area unit several such examples. However, there's very little hope that some conservation actions will facilitate to avoid wasting some species, as happened to tigers in Nepal.
Marine animals
The number of marine animals has also decreased by a total of 40%, with sea turtles, in particular, is significantly affected. Hunting, nest extermination and death in fishing nets resulted in an 80% decrease in the number of turtles. Some bird species were also severely affected. Due to the intensification of agriculture, the number of grey partridges in the UK has decreased by 50% since 1970, while the Red-throated Ptarmigan in Australia lost 80% of its population 20 years before 2005.
The largest decrease in the number of animals was observed in low-income developing countries, while the situation in rich countries has slightly improved. But the destruction of wildlife in rich countries had already occurred long before 1970 - the last wolf in the UK was shot dead in 1680.
In addition, by importation of food and different merchandise made by environmental destruction in developing countries, wealthy countries square measure "sucking up" life in these countries, the author says. for instance, one-third of all deforestation products, like timber, beef, and soybeans, were exported to the EU between 1990 and 2008.
So it does not matter if you are fascinated by animal survival or pity, it's regarding the human atmosphere, and that is for everybody. we have a tendency to should take action to keep up nature and our surroundings so we have a tendency to don't suffer the fate of vulnerable animals. And measures should be taken quickly. The pace of environmental amendment is increasing.