Mass Extinctions, Then and Now - Essay Example

Mass Extinctions, Then and Now Introduction Mass extinction is known as a biotic crisis on nature that affects a particular group or species. This situation indicates towards that leads to rapid decease of living creature on earth. The impact of such changes could be detected with the help of a close research of widespread changes that predominantly occur on microscopic life that portrays abundance of diversity. However, the lifecycle of microbes have majority of diversity along with biomass on earth, hence it is difficult to comment on the exact value, and record the same to increase the efficiency of the research thus conducted. The extent of mass extinction or bio-diversity has been evident from previous times but the impact of the same is pragmatic to be more crucial under the current bio-diversity. This severity is majorly pretentious by the changes that are incorporated within the planet reflecting on habitat destruction, climate change, along with the spread of invasive species (Mace & Lande, 1990). With this regard, the essay intends to elaborate on the different discriminations that are applicable by science on the issues of mass destruction. Through the different issues that hint towards mass destruction, the essay elaborates on the needs of management of different attributes related with the concerns that are attached with the severe destructive attribute of mass destruction and provides an insight towards the same. Discussion Phenomenon of Mass Extinction Despite of being acquainted of the fact that biodiversity is of utmost importance, the diverse activities of human being are causing huge amount of impact leading to mass extinction. The different instances of massive extinction of biomass are caused due to geological, astronomical, and climatic changes that are imposed due to several actions undertaken by humans. Human beings often intentionally or unknowingly get involved into certain actions that give rise to hazardous situation for earth and paves way for mass extinctions. Reviewing the different lifestyle of earth, it is evident that an interrelated ecosystem is prevalent and every species depends on others to lead their lifestyle and enhance the life expectancy and lead a proper lifestyle. Climate, atmosphere, land, agriculture are also highly dependent on the different operations of living organisms and can lead to certain amount of adversity as well as vulnerability due to actions that are taken by the same (Holsinger, 2013). Various researches conducted in the field of mass extinctions that was prominent in the history of the earth reflect on reckless mass extinction of global history. These extinctions were severe impact of nature that would already have altered a sensitive as well as interdependent ecosystem. Several amounts of differences that is prominent within the nature in regards to the causes of mass extinctions. The present nature of such scenarios could arise due to the diverse actions taken by human beings causing impact on the ecosystem (Keller, 2005). Causes and Effects In the past years of earth’s history, which is predominantly known as the era of the Phanerozoic system, major extinctions were apparent pointing on risk of extinctions. During the previous years at the time of the mass extinctions the earth and ecosystem has evidences some enormous amount severity hinting towards mass extinctions. These extinctions have even made the ecosystem undergo enormous amount of changes and create a diverse impact on the overall life cycle of the species within the globe (Keller, 2005). Several issues has been predominant that has led to instances of extinctions in the previous eras. During the last 5 phases of mass extinctions there have been volcanic eruptions leading to loss of life of the entire organism that were living. Scientists are of the view that around 1000 species within the flora and fauna withered during preceding 500 years. The most important part of consciousness is that most of the species have gone extinct even before a detailed understanding about them could be developed. The major cause of such extinctions is identified to be changes in the ecosystem and climatic changes along with human actions (Centre for Biological Diversity, 2014). Observably, the world is at the verge of the 6th mass extinctions that could be an outcome of the intensive human actions rather than caused due to any other natural calamities that triggered the previous 5 mass extinctions. It is even noted that 99% of the human actions leads to destructions of the ecosystem and often they unknowingly but enormously disturb the natural happenings of events resulting in a situation of devastation (Centre for Biological Diversity, 2014). The following figure depicts the magnitude of extinctions. Figure: Mass extinction (Source: Barnosky, Matzke, Tomiya, Wogan, Swartz, Quental, Marshall, McGuire, Lindsey, Maguire, Mersey & Ferrer, 2011) This severe situation is going to create a huge amount of impact on the lifestyle of the ecosystem and make the ecological web more complex. The review of microorganism even reflects towards the fact that a huge mass of species are moving towards extinctions at a rapid pace. As an influence of the extinctions the ecological web gets disturbed which may result into unravelling the ecosystem. The aftermath of such mass extinctions reflects towards a devastating situation and lead to creating huge amount of unruly situation within the ecosystem (Centre for Biological Diversity, 2014). Threats and Future prospects The review of the species that are at the verge of extinctions majorly reflects on the fact that the threats of human actions has been creating adversity on the life and endangering them. During the last 500 years, the world has evidenced extinction of around 1000 species some of them are Passenger Pigeon, Rocky Mountain grasshopper, and Puerto Rico’s Culebra parrot among others. Moreover, numerous species are also at verge of extinctions and at a risk of being lost forever in coming decades. Due to such enormous destructions, the complex of ecological system is likely to create an impact on the other species, which are dependent on this endangered ones leading to a disruption of the overall ecosystem. Thus, the mass extinctions of one species are likely to create a direct threat on the lifestyle of the other species and hamper the overall process of ecology at a chain reaction. This would further threaten the complete destruction of the ecosystem leading to a complete destruction of the world (Sodhi, Brook & Bradshaw, 2014). The review of the available situations provides a clear picture of the ecological process that has high chances of being disordered by extinction and might lead to ‘catastrophic co-extinction’ (Barnosky et al., 2011). Unlike normal extinctions, mass extinction leads to loss of life of abundant species forming the different groups of the ecosystem endangering large body of animal as well as other species along with phylogenetic groups. The context clearly state that, the reduction of widespread ranges and disproportionate discarding of certain kinds of species can be informative as well as it indicates towards disruptions of the overall lifestyle and huge impact on the “flora and fauna”. Furthermore, such consequences could lead to instances of future repercussions, like outburst of speciation that could take place in human dominated ecosystem (Butlin, Bridle & Schluter, 2009). Researchers reflect that the current human actions are leading to even more devastating situation and the current mass extinctions that are prominent would have a lasting impact for longer years. Furthermore, reductions of the powerhouses such as “elimination of biomes” can lead to a prolonged bounce back period preventing recovery of ecosystem. The uncontrolled human actions are having a devastating impact on the overall ecosystem and leading the complete race of organism towards a dark future (Keller, 2005). With a huge amount of visible destruction on the lifestyle of the different organism belonging from an ecosystem, it is visible that the sudden occurrence of speciation can lead to disruption and affect the existing balance prevailing within the present ecology. However, the biodisparity starts with the microorganism and finally ends with the speciation of large vertebrates. This could lead to a devastating future and have a huge amount of effect on the lifestyle of species and threatens the bounce back period due to loss of the “powerhouses” that has so far catalyst the evolution process (Myers and Knoll, 2001). Conclusion The prolonged discussion presented above reflects on the fact that the earth is presently at the verge of experiencing 6th mass extinction and there is no doubt that humans are the sole responsible for leading to such destruction. The consequences that are evident from such losses of species as well as biomass may lead to hazardous instances for all the living being. Different human conduct knowing or unknowingly are drawing the complete race towards an uncontrollable phase of extinctions. The elimination of the different species as well as the powerhouses of the ecosystem the chances of re-evolution is nullified. Hence, to prevent from any further destruction the human actions must be controlled so that the instances if devastation could be reduced with the further turnaround of events. Ruthless behaviour of human could crush the planetary life-support systems, so it is essential to understand the importance of extinction. Parallel to the development of notions of extinctions proper importance must also be provided to support development of species in the future years of the ecosystem. References Barnosky, A. D., Matzke, N., Tomiya, S., Wogan, G. O. U., Swartz, B., Quental, T. B., Marshall, C., McGuire, J. L., Lindsey, E. L., Maguire, K. C., Mersey, B. & Ferrer, E. A. (2011). Has the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived? Review, 471, 54. Butlin, R., Bridle, J., & Schluter, D. (2009). Speciation and patterns of diversity. Cambridge University Press. Centre for Biological Diversity. (2014). The Extinction Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/ Holsinger, K. E. (2013). Introduction. Patterns of biological extinction, 2-15. Keller, G. (2005) Impacts, Volcanism and Mass Extinction: Random Coincidence or Cause and Effect? Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 52, 725-757. Lande, R. & Mace, G. M. (1990). Population Viability Analysis and Extinction Factors. Assessing Extinction Threats: Toward a Reevaluation of IUCN Threatened Species Categories, 5(2), 149. Mace, G. M. & Lande, R. (1990). Introduction. Assessing Extinction Threats: Toward a Reevaluation of IUCN Threatened Species Categories, 5(2), 149. Myers, N. & Knoll, A. H. (2001). The Core Concept. The biotic crisis and the future of evolution, 98(10), 5389-5392. Sodhi, N. S., Brook, B. W. & Bradshaw, C. J. A. (2014). Extinction Vulnerability. Causes and Consequences of Species Extinctions, 1, 515-519. Stigall, A. L. (2012) Speciation collapse and invasive species dynamics during the Late Devonian “Mass Extinction”. Retrieved from http://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/22/1/pdf/i1052-5173-22-1-4.pdf Read More