Sixth Mass Extinction

Published on 04 Apr 2025

The ongoing loss or extinction of the planet's flora and fauna, commonly referred to as the Sixth Mass Extinction or the Holocene Extinction, is mostly caused by anthropogenic factors like overpopulation, climate change, and unsustainable land and water use, among others.

Factors contribute to the concern about a sixth mass extinction

• Accelerated Extinction Rates: It is believed that the rate of extinction of species is significantly greater than the background, natural rate of extinction.

• Example: only 34 extinctions have been documented with a high level of certainty since 1500, yet >100 species have likely disappeared since 1980.

• Anthropogenic activities: Human activities, such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change are the main cause of the current biodiversity crisis.

• Example: Tasmanian tiger was hunted to extinction by humans.

• Major changes in Earth’s carbon cycle: Heat-trapping gases, like carbon dioxide, were ejected during volcanic eruptions, causing global warming, ocean acidification and loss of dissolved oxygen in the water.

• Change in ocean circulation pattern and climate cooling: A cooling climate can alter the ocean circulation pattern which results in the extinction of marine creatures due to disruption of oxygen flow.

• Example: UNESCO warns that more than half of the world’s marine species may stand on the brink of extinction by 2100

• Spread of invasive species: Native vegetation is frequently replaced by dense monocultures of invasive plants, which deteriorate wildlife habitats.

• Example: According to the National Wildlife Federation, approximately 42% of threatened or endangered species are at risk due to invasive species.

Steps to be taken to prevent the sixth mass extinction

• Cloning the species: Cloning species will help to combat the extinction of endangered species.

• Example: Scientists had successfully cloned a black-footed ferret which was thought to be extinct in North America.

• Habitat Restoration: To restore damaged ecosystems, fund habitat restoration initiatives and also involve the community in restoration projects to increase ecosystem resilience.

• Legislation: Legislation will always be at the front lines of the fight against mass extinction.

• Example: From addressing the world's pollution emissions in the 2016 Paris Agreement to combating deforestation through the United Kingdom's Global Resource Initiative.

• Monitoring species population: It is possible to prevent a species from going extinct by keeping an eye on its population and detecting issues early on.

• Example: Using camera traps and drone surveys will help to check on population decline.

• Regulating wildlife markets: Wildlife market regulation is critical for public health, biodiversity conservation, and preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases.

• Research and Monitoring: Invest in research to understand the origins and effects of biodiversity loss and establish monitoring programs to keep an eye on biodiversity changes.

Tags:
Environment

Keywords:
Biodiversity Habitat loss Mass extinction Ecosystem

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 3

Topics:
Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation