“The world is emptier than we think”: about 12% of bird species have become extinct due to human activity – scientists
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About 12% of bird species have died out as a result of human activity over the past 120,000 years, which is twice the previous estimate of scientists.
According to a new study by scientists from Sweden, the United States and Great Britain, deforestation, uncontrolled hunting and fires are the main reasons for the loss of many species of birds, which is likely to have serious ecological and evolutionary consequences, writes The Guardian.
About 1,430 species of birds have gone extinct since the late Pleistocene, which began about 120,000 years ago, scientists say.
“We know we’ve lost iconic bird species like the buzzard. It was important for us to get more information about other extinct birds“- says the lead author of the study, Dr. Rob Cook from Britain.
| Photo: kamchatka/Depositphotos |
To find out the number of unrecorded extinctions, Cook and his team examined information on 640 species of extinct birds in New Zealand, which has the most complete bird record based on fossils and observations. The study focused on island bird populations.
“Islands – best place to study bird extinctions: 90% of extinctions occur on islands because these birds have nowhere else to go“, – adds Cook.
According to him, the total number of species of extinct bird species can be up to 1,430.
“The losses could be even higher, probably up to 2k, but we wanted to be conservative“, says the scientist.
According to scientists, the greatest number of extinctions among birds occurred in the 14th century in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean, which “almost 100 times exceeds the natural rate of extinction.”
The death of birds was caused by deforestation and construction.
“The large number of extinctions is a loss to our understanding of bird species richness, ecological diversity, and evolutionary history. The world is emptier than we think“, says Cook.
According to scientists, the role of birds in Earth’s ecosystems is extremely large. They spread seeds, pollinate plants, eat dead animals, and help fertilize coral reefs and land with their droppings.
Future extinctions, Cook said, will continue if the world doesn’t act. Previous research by the same group of scientists suggests that Earth is at risk of losing another 669 to 738 bird species over the next few hundred years.
“We must increase efforts to protect birds by restoring their habitat. The future of bird species “depends on us“, – adds Cook.
We will remind, scientists believe that since 1500, 73 genera of animals have disappeared in the world.
Read also: After decades of interbreeding: how geneticists are saving Scottish wildcats from extinction
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