SPECIES EXTINCTION ~PRESENTATION OVERVIEW~

1. SPECIES EXTINCTION~PRESENTATION OVERVIEW~ • Video Clip • The 11th Hour • Define Terms • Extinction • Biodiversity • Major Ecological & Socio-cultural Impacts • Graph • Major Ecological Issues • Lesson Plan • Resources

2. SPECIES EXTINCTION Created By: Linda, & Michelle

3. Video Clip: The 11th Hour LINK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IBG2V98IBY

4. Definitions EXTINCTION: “The death and disappearance of a species . . . Mass extinctions refer to the loss of a large number of species in a relatively short period of time. Episodes of mass extinction occur at times of rapid global environmental change . . . Human activity is causing extinctions on a scale comparable to the mass extinctions in the fossil record . . . of the past 600 million years.” “Explanations for mass extinctions include lowered sea level, climatic cooling, and changes in oceanic circulation. Biotic processes such as disease, predation, and competition may also cause the extinction of species but are difficult to prove from the fossil record because they leave little evidence. Biotic factors usually affect only one or a few interdependent species. Predation and competition are important causes of more recent extinctions, which continue today. Human activities such as hunting and fishing (predation), habitat alteration (competition for space), and pollution have probably destroyed thousands of species. These activities, together with continued tropical deforestation and resulting changes in climate, are likely to cause extinctions that will be comparable to the mass extinctions seen in the fossil record.” Thesaurus : Extinction 1. Utter destruction : annihilation, eradication, extermination, extinguishing, extirpation, liquidation, obliteration. 2. The act or fact of dying: death, decease, demise, dissolution, passing, quietus, rest. http://www.answers.com/topic/extinction

5. Definitionscontinued Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: BIODIVERSITY – “Quantity of plant and animal species found in a given environment. Sometimes habitat diversity . . . And genetic diversity . . . Are also considered biodiversity. The estimated 3 – 30 million species on Earth are divided unequally among the world’s habitats, with 50-90% of the world’s species living in tropical regions. The more diverse a habitat, the better chance it has of surviving a change or threat to it, because it is more likely to be able to make a balancing adjustment. http://www.answers.com/topic/ecosystems-1

6. Food Fuel Clothes Medicine, Purification of water and air Prevention of soil erosion Regulation of climate & pollination of crops Vital resource for economic activities (such as tourism, fisheries and forestry) Significant cultural, aesthetic and spiritual values Loss diminishes quality of our lives and our basic economic security. Ecological & Socio-culturalImpacts http://www.dailygalaxy.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/01/rate_of_extinction.jpg (The 2008 Review of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Gland, Switzerland.)

7. Ecological & Socio-cultural Impacts ★Canada’s five largest banks (RBC, Scotiabank, Toronto-Dominion and CIBC) are destroying Canadian wilderness and communities with: • oil, gas and forestry operations that spoil critical habitat for threatened and endangered species • fueling global warming • contributing to human rights abuses RAN is urging these banks to adopt comprehensive policies that address the environmental and human impacts of their lending. To learn more about RAN visit their website listed below. http://ran.org/campaigns/protect_an_acre/about_protect_an_acre/

8. Ecological Issues • MAIN CAUSES • Habitat destruction • Invasive species • Pollution • Overharvesting • Climate change EXAMPLE • IMPLICATIONS OF RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION Forest clearance for: • Agricultural land use • Cash crop plantations • Cattle ranching • Subsistence farming • Mining and natural resource development • Logging • Panama Canal construction • Plan Puebla Panama http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/Rain-Forest-Destruction.html

10. Initiatives • Plant native flowers and trees in your backyard. • Walk, bike, and carpool. Support alternative transportation and drive less. • Buy a smaller or hybrid car but be aware of phony hybrids! Half of all hybrids vehicles currently found in the market are no more fuel efficient that their non-hybrid versions (source: Union of Concerned Scientists). • Save trees and reduce pollution by reducing your junk mail. • Use both side of paper with 100% post-consumer waste content. • Send all your correspondences or donations to Endangered Species International via email and the internet to avoid unnecessary paper consumption. • Sign junk mail campaign (www.forestethics.org) http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/action.html

11. Initiatives • Recycle all computer diskettes, CD discs, videos and batters. Instead of using regular batteries, shift to less hazardous, rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries. • Don’t buy plastic bottled water. • Do not buy new items made from gold. Gold mining is one of the most damaging industry to the environment by destroying rainforest, polluting rivers with cyanide and mercury, and in some cases displacing indigenous people. • Recycle your aluminum, glass, and plastic products, as well as newspapers and mixed paper. • Make a contribution to save the planet by supporting local, national and internation environmental non-profits. • Take converstation actions in your own community. http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/action.html

12. Initiatives • Don’t use pesticides. They harm humans, animals and the environment. • Buy locally grown and produced food. • Don’t buy products including food that come from endangered animals (ie shark fin soup, tiger meat) • If you see live endangered species on sale as pets, immediately inform relevant authorities. • Avoid using plastic shopping bags. 46,000 is the current number of floating plastic per square mil/ 2.6 square km of ocean. • Do not buy products made from palm oil. Palm oil plantations are replacing large areas of rainforest in many countries including Malaysia and Indonesia. Palm oil increases the risk of CV disease due to high concentrations of saturated fats. • Choose energy efficient home appliances. http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/action.html

13. Lesson Plan

14. Resources

15. Questions or Comments?