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Extinction of a species may come suddenly when an otherwise healthy species is wiped out completely, as when toxic pollution renders its entire habitat unliveable; or may occur gradually over thousands or millions of years, such as when a species gradually loses out in competition for food to better adapted competitors.
Although the endangered species is protected, habitat loss from human development is a major reason for the loss of green turtle nesting beaches. Wetlands and marine areas have endured high levels of habitat destruction. More than 50% of wetlands in the U.S. have been destroyed in just the last 200 years. [8]
The main drivers of marine species extinction are habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, and overexploitation. [105] [106] Greater pressure is placed on marine ecosystems near coastal areas because of the human settlements in those areas. [107] Overexploitation has resulted in the extinction of over 25 marine species.
An example of how this may happen is through by-catch.These new species will outcompete the native species and take over, therefore causing the local or global extinction of a species. [32] Due to the fittest animals in the species being hunted or poached, the less fit organisms will mate, causing less fitness in the generations to come.
Ecological extinction is "the reduction of a species to such low abundance that, although it is still present in the community, it no longer interacts significantly with other species". [ 1 ] Ecological extinction stands out because it is the interaction ecology of a species that is important for conservation work.
This process is often referred to as Holocene extinction, or sixth mass extinction. For example, it was estimated in 2007 that up to 30% of all species will be extinct by 2050. [4] Destroying habitats for farming is a key reason why biodiversity is decreasing today. Climate change also plays a role.
In reality, an animal that is not native to an environment may have advantages over the native ones, such being unsuitable for the local predators. If left uncontrolled, such an animal can quickly overpopulate and ultimately destroy its environment. Examples of animal overpopulation caused by introduction of a foreign species abound.
When the giant flightless birds called moa were overexploited to the point of extinction, [5] the giant Haast's eagle that preyed on them also became extinct. [6]The concern about overexploitation, while relatively recent in the annals of modern environmental awareness, traces back to ancient practices embedded in human history.