Terms
What is Biodiversity?
The variety and variability of life on Earth. A measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level.
How many extinctions have there been in the past?
Does everyone agree that we are in the midst of the next mass extinction?
No
What is rewilding?
Rewilding is a conservation effort aiming to restore a habitat to the state it would otherwise be in, had it not been modified by human disturbance.
What is a mass extinction?
A mass extinction is a short period of geologic time in which a large amount of biodiversity dies out.
What was the last extinction event?
65 million years ago (Dinosaur extinction event)
How could we get more people to unite on this topic?
More awareness on the topic could help in order to educate more people and and also more conservation advocacy.
What is one mindset challenge we face when trying to address the extinction topic?
Human Apathy- fatalistic way of thinking, "why even try?"
What is the sixth extinction?
There have been five mass extinctions in the past. The sixth extinction is the one experts believe we are currently experiencing caused by human impacts on the environment.
Which mass extinction was the most intense?
The third extinction event.
What are the forces for biodiversity loss?
Plant life reduced 50% since onset of agriculture
Defaunation (reduced species in existence-- global, local, and functioning) as affected by human impact 700 vertebrate species recorded extinct in past 520 years
What is one way to rewild habitats?
Removing dams, reducing management of local wildlife populations, allowing forests to regenerate, or reintroducing native species that have disappeared from a location due to human activity.
What is the Anthropocene?
The current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the main influence on climate and the environment.
How have humans impacted the extinction timeline?
Due to increased human activity- pollution, over consumption, deforestation, etc. we have drastically accelerated the timeline.
What are the negative affects of tree-planting bandwagon?
Trees are often suggested as an important income source for small landholders but may increase social inequality and dispossess local people from land if planting programs are imposed by governments.
What are some conservation efforts brought up in this presentation?
-Coral gardening
-Artificial Reefs
-WWF and WCN
-Sustainable water operations
-Reforesting