SPECIES EXTINCTION

PRESENTED BY: Neenu, Doris, Thomas & Andrew

DEFINITION:

•Complete termination of a plant or animal species

CAUSES:CAUSES:

NATURAL• Natural Disasters

• Natural Selection

HUMAN• Deforestation – Lumbering• Pollution – Air & Water• Over fishing• Coastal Development• Acid Rain• Introduction of new competing species• Desertification – Global Warming

-- Ozone Depletion -- Overpopulation -- Lack of International Agreements

• Expanding Agricultural Land--Pest & Predatory Control For Protection

IMPACT / CONSEQUENCES / RESULTS:IMPACT / CONSEQUENCES / RESULTS:

ATMOSPHERE: - less photosynthesis (deforestation & lumbering) more CO2 this causes ozone depletion

HYDROSPHERE: - less vegetation allows for less transpiration of water into atmosphere

IMPACT / CONSEQUENCES / RESULTS:IMPACT / CONSEQUENCES / RESULTS:

LITHOSPHERE: - Mass Wastage

- Surface Erosion

- Wind Erosion

- Loss of soils as groundwater cover

is lost

IMPACT / CONSEQUENCES / RESULTS:IMPACT / CONSEQUENCES / RESULTS:

BIOSPHERE: - loss of oxygen generating organisms- Stability of ecosystems will be upset- Loss of biodiversity could result in eradication of entire

species, which would threaten out food supply- For every plant lost due to extinction, 20 to 40 animals

are threatened- Loss of genetic resources- Reduction of species mean diff. Species of plants for

improving agriculture may be lost- Disruption or alteration of the food chain will impact

food supply- Disruption of cultural icons or belief systems

POSSIBLE SOLLUTIONS & ASSESSMENTS

SOLUTION PRO’S CON’S

•Halting assault of biodiversity

•Less extinction •Businesses will loose money

•More money into educational programs

•People will be more knowledgeable

•More money mean more taxes

•Banks should not provide funds for projects that destroy habitats

•Less loss of habitats •Industries will loose money b/c some require to destroy in order to make money

•Selective logging •Only some types of trees will be logged leading to less of that specific type of tree

EXAMPLES OF THIS ISSUE:

GLOBAL

• BRAZIL – rain forests (Amazon Region)

• NORTHERN HEMISPHERE – lumbering, development, acid rain

• MARINE ECOSYSTEMS – threatened by pollution, over fishing & coastal development

EXAMPLES OF THIS ISSUES:

REGIONALS• CANADA – Pacific & Atlantic – gray whales

- Queen Charlotte Island – Caribou

- Great Plains – wolf, swift fox• BC – Grizzly Bears

- Bird Species,

- Coho, Chinook Salmon, Steel Head Fish

- Resident Orca Whales