[INFORMATIVE] The Dramatic Decrease in Biodiversity Within Ecosystems
The Dramatic Decrease in Biodiversity Within Ecosystems
By: Bella Duncan
For example, the Atlantic Forest in Brazil has the most extinct species of any other ecosystem and the largest decrease in biodiversity of any other ecosystem. According to an Agência Brasil article titled ‘Atlantic Forest: Brazilian Biome with Most Endangered Species’, it states, “According to IBGE (Brazil’s statistic agency), 43 percent of all threatened species find their home within the Atlantic Forest. Moreover, this biome has the highest number of declared extinct species, with eight documented cases.” The forest is struggling to maintain its biodiversity as it is, although with the various extinct species it will be hard to adapt, and many animals may become and have already become endangered due to the extinction of these species.
The white-lipped peccaries are an example of an extinct species in the Atlantic forest. Jaguars, one of the white-lipped peccaries’ main predators, are now suffering due to the peccaries' extinction. Jaguars are now one of the closest animals to extinction on Earth. This shows that a decrease in biodiversity, even if it’s just one animal, can cause a chain reaction and has the ability to affect the whole ecosystem.
Extinction is a dramatic decrease in biodiversity, whether it’s one animal extinct or multiple; the impact of the animal no longer being there could take years or decades just for the ecosystem. However, the first assumed extinction of a species in the forest was in the 1500s, according to a Mongabay article titled, ‘Massive loss of mammal species in Atlantic Forest since the 1500s.’
The dramatic decrease in biodiversity isn’t just happening in the Atlantic Forest; it’s happening all around the world. Whether it’s in Africa, Brazil, or Canada, the decrease in biodiversity is on the rise. According to the World Wildlife Fund article titled ‘Living Planet Report 2022’, “Living Planet Report 2022 is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. This flagship WWF publication reveals an average decline of 69% in species populations since 1970.” This specific quote shows a correlation between the dramatic decrease in biodiversity and the planet's health. As biodiversity decreases throughout the world, the health of the world decreases.
An alternate example of a dramatic decrease in biodiversity is the Coral Triangle, located near Malaysia and Indonesia. The triangle is said to have the most biodiverse reef out of every ocean in the world; however, in recent years, this biodiversity has been decreasing. According to a World Wildlife Fund article titled ‘Coral Triangle,’ the article states,“The Coral Triangle hosts an astonishing amount of marine life. Seventy-five percent of the world’s coral species are found here: nearly 600 different species. Over 2,000 different types of reef fish find refuge in these dazzling underwater gardens, and this is an important place for tuna to spawn.” This quote elaborates on how much biodiversity is within the Coral Triangle; all the fish rely on the coral, the coral relies on the temperature of the ocean, and humans are heating up the world, but humans (such as fishermen and merchants) rely on fish to sell and eat. The World Wildlife Fund article ‘Coral Triangle’ says, “Over 120 million people live in the Coral Triangle and rely on its coral reefs for food, income, and protection from storms.” So far, only one fish within the reef has gone extinct; however, many species within the Coral Triangle face extinction and are close to becoming endangered. If more coral and marine life species go extinct, the people living in the coral triangle will suffer food loss, economic losses, and less protection from storms. Humans won’t be the only ones suffering. The Coral Triangle’s ecosystem’s balance will take the hardest hit; if the marine animals and coral go extinct, the biodiversity will dramatically decrease, and it could lead to other marine life having to leave or becoming endangered as well. At the moment, there are over 25+ endangered types of coral and fish living in the reef. More commonly known species that are endangered within the Coral Triangle, according to the World Wildlife Fund, include whales, dolphins, six out of seven of the species’ marine turtles, and whale sharks. If whales were to go extinct, then sharks would have no main predator. Therefore, sharks would end up reproducing, and there would be larger numbers of shark species, meaning that sharks would end up eating more fish than is sustainable. This will result in other fish species becoming endangered or even extinct.
The result of one animal going extinct in any ecosystem can cause a dramatic decrease in biodiversity within ecosystems, so what can be done to mitigate the decrease?
A solution to minimize the decrease of biodiversity in ecosystems is for countries to put restrictions on how many fish or animals can be killed in a month in a certain area. For example, poacher groups are only allowed to kill 150 animals per month. If poacher groups are restrained from killing unreasonable amounts of animals per month, animal populations will gradually increase along with biodiversity.
Citations
“The 2022 Living Planet Report.” HOME | WWF, livingplanet.panda.org/en-US/. Accessed 7 Sept. 2024.
Abhishyant Kidangoor, Sandy Watt, et al. “Massive Loss of Mammal Species in Atlantic Forest since the 1500s.” Mongabay Environmental News, 7 Nov. 2018, news.mongabay.com/2018/09/over-half-of-atlantic-forests-mammals-disappeared-in-last-500-years/#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20examined%20the,of%20more%20than%2070%20percent.
“Atlantic Forest: Brazilian Biome with Most Endangered Species.” Agência Brasil, 25 May 2023, agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/geral/noticia/2023-05/atlantic-forest-has-highest-number-endangered-species-says-research.
“Coral Triangle | Places | WWF.” World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/places/coral-triangle. Accessed 8 Sept. 2024.
Comments
Post a Comment