What area of the world do you think has the worst extinction rates (Amazon, Southeast Asia, etc.)? I have also noticed patterns of extinctions in certain areas across places such as in Africa. When a species goes extinct, the Northern and Western parts of Africa is where it usually goes extinct first, it then vanishes from the Eastern and Southern parts. This has always captured my interest for some reason.
Worst Extinction Rates
- Thread starter Potto
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Fossa dude
Well-Known Member
South Pacific Islands did had a hard time I think about the time of Cook?
And if the bird experts are right then we could be in for another wave of extinctions soon. It has been noticed that Many of the small inland woodland birds are in rapid decline throught out their range, disapearing in places where they were once common.
Jay I read much of that is due to land clearing by farmers
Since the 80's when we started planting large belts of trees on our place bird numbers have increased a lot and many species I rarely or had never seen appeared.
We also have a lot of Supurb Parrots which until about 15 years ago I had never seen on our place. I think these are due to improved habitat on farms and also batter managment of the red gum forests along the Murray where they breed. Nesting areas and habitat trees with hollows were protected while selective logging and thining improved grass areas they feed an and prevented large fires. Unfortunatly these forests have now been closed and made national parks so they will soon burn due to lack of managment. Many species such as Supurb Parrots and Koalas who have been booming are now doomed.
The fox and cat are our two introduced animals which have caused most of out small mammal extinctions. Protecting habitat while ignoring these destructive pests is a waste of time if we are trying to prevent more extinctions.
Australia has had mass extinction in the past of our megafauna, which coincided with the arrival of Aborigines, weather this is is a coincidence or cause is still debated.
I'm glad that you are reporting greater numbers with your increased planting Monty, Unfortunately it isn't happening everywhere. Not that I blame the farmers as it would be an expensive business for them, especially if they are struggling to survive. I have just finished reading a book by a farmer called John Fenton called the Untrained Enviromentalist. He too revegetated large areas of his sheep farm and noticed a corresponding increase in birds. But he is realistic in saying that what he did would not be done on a large scale which is what is need for the survival of the small woodland birds. Many if not most farmers want to look after their land but they just are not able to exonomically. Short term survival wins out over long term sustainability, which is the case in most parts of the world.
As for mass extinctions of Mega Fauna that happened in the Americas as well, again the exact xause is debated,
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Certainly the case as there was a very high percentage of endemics, and half are extinct:
Hawaii: extinction capital of the world