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Overexploiting sea otters resulted in cascade effects which destroyed kelp forest ecosystems. Overexploitation of species can result in knock-on or cascade effects. This can particularly apply if, through overexploitation, a habitat loses its apex predator. Because of the loss of the top predator, a dramatic increase in their prey species can ...
The loss of trees from tropical rainforests alone represents a substantial diminishing of Earth's ability to produce oxygen and to use up carbon dioxide. These services are becoming even more important as increasing carbon dioxide levels is one of the main contributors to global climate change . [ 50 ]
Mass extinctions are characterized by the loss of at least 75% of species within a geologically short period of time (i.e., less than 2 million years). [18] [51] The Holocene extinction is also known as the "sixth extinction", as it is possibly the sixth mass extinction event, after the Ordovician–Silurian extinction events, the Late Devonian extinction, the Permian–Triassic extinction ...
Here are 10 of the most devastating animal extinctions in recent history, plus a closer look at the dire impact of human greed and why we need stronger wildlife protection measures.
Biodiversity loss has bad effects on the functioning of ecosystems. This in turn affects humans, [ 45 ] because affected ecosystems can no longer provide the same quality of ecosystem services , such as crop pollination , cleaning air and water, decomposing waste, and providing forest products as well as areas for recreation and tourism .
Beavers may benefit birds frequenting their ponds in several additional ways. Removal of some pondside trees by beavers increases the density and height of the grass–forb–shrub layer, which enhances waterfowl nesting cover adjacent to ponds. [3]
A general consensus is that trophic cascades tend to have a larger effect in aquatic ecosystems compared to terrestrial. However, overregulation in any of these communities has the potential to result in the degradation of the trophic cascade within the system, preventing growth across many species of all levels (2012).
[5] [6] This can be seen for example in the effects of climate change on biomes. This anthropogenic extinction may have started toward the end of the Pleistocene, as some studies suggest that the megafaunal extinction event that took place around the end of the last ice age partly resulted from overhunting. [7]