| Range |
current 1,000: future likely to be 10,000 times higher than background extinction rate
|
| Organism |
Biosphere |
| Reference |
Khan S et al., Overview on the Role of Advance Genomics in Conservation Biology of Endangered Species. Int J Genomics. 2016 2016: 3460416. doi: 10.1155/2016/3460416 p.1 left columnPubMed ID28025636
|
| Primary Source |
[1] De Vos JM et al., Estimating the normal background rate of species extinction. Conserv Biol. 2015 Apr29(2):452-62. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12380PubMed ID25159086
|
| Method |
Primary source abstract: "Familiar statements are that these are 100-1000 times pre-human or background extinction levels. Estimating recent rates is straightforward, but establishing a background rate for comparison is not. Previous researchers chose an approximate benchmark of 1 extinction per million species per year (E/MSY). [Investigators] explored disparate lines of evidence that suggest a substantially lower estimate.... [They] selected data to address known concerns and used them to determine median extinction estimates from statistical distributions of probable values for terrestrial plants and animals. [They] then created simulations to explore effects of violating model assumptions. Finally, [they] compiled estimates of diversification-the difference between speciation and extinction rates for different taxa." |
| Comments |
P.1 left column: "Anthropogenic activities have changed the global environment, reducing the biodiversity through extinction and also reducing the population size of already surviving species. Due to man-made activities and interruptions, the current rate of species extinction is 1,000 times higher than natural background rates of extinction and future rates are likely to be 10,000 times higher [primary source]." Primary source abstract: "On the basis of these results, [investigators] concluded that typical rates of background extinction may be closer to 0.1 E/MSY. Thus, current extinction rates are 1,000 times higher than natural background rates of extinction and future rates are likely to be 10,000 times higher." |
| Entered by |
Uri M |
| ID |
117272 |