Two-thirds of world species may disappear in 21st century
"Currently, several thousand species are lost every year. Soon the
number could rise."
A biologist from the United States said in Beijing on Sunday that
two-thirds of the world's species may disappear in the 21st century and
'a great majority' of them may be gone before they are even identified
by human beings.
Peter Raven, President of the Missouri Botanical Garden, said in his
keynote speech at the 23 International Congress for Conservation Biology
(ICCB) that species on the earth are disappearing at a rapid rate due to
habitat destruction, climate change and a wide spread of invasive alien
species caused by expanding human activities.
"Currently, several thousand species are lost every year and very
soon the number could rise to more than 10,000", Raven said. The 23 ICCB,
co-organized by the Society for Conservation Biology, the Chinese
Academy of Sciences and the State Forestry Administration of China,
opened here on Sunday will last for five days. This is the first time
the ICCB has been held in Asia. It attracted about 1,200 biological
researchers from 74 countries.
China, thanks to its large territory, numerous mountain ranges and
rich tropical ecosystems along the southern border, boasts about
one-eighth of the world's total species of eukaryotic organisms, said
Raven.
"But China's biodiversity is being destroyed at least as fast as in
other parts of the world", Raven said.
To prevent the rapid loss of world species, Raven proposed that
information on the species be collected and disseminated as fast and as
much as possible to raise public awareness on wildlife protection.
Raven also called for expansions of parks and nature reserves and
more cooperation within the international community to develop new
technologies for maintaining biological sustainability, allowing a fair
number of the population to live where they like and setting acceptable
consumption levels for individuals.
Xinhua The Hindu |