“The speed with which birds, mammals and amphibians are dying out today allows us to speak about the sixth mass extinction in the history of the Earth,” the authors of the leading scientific journal Nature believe. The previous five extinctions were caused by natural cataclysms: impacts of meteorites, volcanic activity and other catastrophes.
A significant increase in the number of people on Earth and a growing demand for resources increase the negative impact of mankind on the natural world.
To date, 25% of all mammals and 13% of birds are threatened with extinction due to excessive hunting, poaching, pollution, habitat loss, invasive species and other human-induced problems.
Of course, the mass extinction of species will not go unnoticed for humanity itself. Loss of biodiversity prevents people from getting the usual benefits from wildlife.
The authors of another scientific article note that the extinction began when humanity barely settled on the Earth. Over the past 3000 years, the planet has lost half of large mammals and 15% of birds.
Researchers note that people still have a chance to stop extinction, but for this they will have to dramatically change their way of life.
