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| Friday, 16 April 2004 |
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by Florence Wickramage The Earth's rising temperatures could force one-fourth of the world's plant and animal species to be on the brink of extinction by 2050, says Popline, a bi-monthly news and feature service of the United States. In a survey conducted worldwide, Popline says that agriculture and the proliferation of invasive species in addition to global warming would leave many plants and animals with vanishing habitats. Meanwhile, Chris Thomas, Conservation biology professor of the University of Leeds is of the opinion that if all the threatened species could be relocated to a more suitable climate, only 15 per cent would face extinction by mid-century. In his study, Thomas states that if none could relocate, the number would rise to 37 per cent. The Popline report also mentions that in general, mountain species are at an advantage since they could simply move uphill to cooler climes, whereas flatland species would face the daunting task of making latitudinal adjustments. In Sri Lanka too, several plant and animal species face extinction due to extensive stretches of land being brought under development and lack of well-planned and researched conservation strategies. IUCN Sri Lanka has prepared a Red Data book where several varieties of plant and animal species threatened with extinction have been listed. In the local scene, deforestation, illegal timber felling, bio-piracy, invasive species and other human activities are considered contributing factors for species extinction. The Popline research has combined the work of 19 scientists studying the decline of more than 1,100 species in five regions on four continents encompassing 20 per cent of the Earth's surface and a wide range of terrestrial zones. This research has not covered oceans. |
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