Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines
Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines
复制标题
DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1704949114
复制
发表时间：
2017-07-25
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Dirzo, Rodolfo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ceballos, Gerardo;Ehrlich, Paul R.;Dirzo, Rodolfo
我们在这里描述的种群灭绝脉冲表明，从定量的角度来看，地球的第六次大灭绝比只看物种灭绝时所认为的要严重得多。因此，人类需要立即解决人为的种群灭绝和大量捕杀问题。这一结论是基于对27,600种脊椎动物样本的范围收缩的数量和程度的分析（根据国际自然保护联盟，这表明种群萎缩和/或种群灭绝），以及对1900年至2015年间177种哺乳动物种群灭绝的更详细分析。我们发现，陆生脊椎动物的种群损失率非常高——即使是在“不受关注的物种”中也是如此。在我们的样本中，包括近一半的已知脊椎动物物种，32%(8,851/27,600)正在减少;也就是说，它们的数量和范围都在减少。在我们有详细数据的177种哺乳动物中，所有的哺乳动物都失去了30%或更多的地理范围，超过40%的物种经历了严重的人口减少（80%的范围缩小）。我们的数据表明，除了全球物种灭绝之外，地球正在经历人口下降和灭绝的巨大事件，这将对生态系统功能和维持文明至关重要的服务产生负面的连锁后果。我们将其描述为“生物灭绝”，以突出当前地球正在进行的第六次大灭绝事件的规模。
The population extinction pulse we describe here shows, from a quantitative viewpoint, that Earth's sixth mass extinction is more severe than perceived when looking exclusively at species extinctions. Therefore, humanity needs to address anthropogenic population extirpation and decimation immediately. That conclusion is based on analyses of the numbers and degrees of range contraction (indicative of population shrinkage and/or population extinctions according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature) using a sample of 27,600 vertebrate species, and on a more detailed analysis documenting the population extinctions between 1900 and 2015 in 177 mammal species. We find that the rate of population loss in terrestrial vertebrates is extremely high-even in "species of low concern." In our sample, comprising nearly half of known vertebrate species, 32% (8,851/27,600) are decreasing; that is, they have decreased in population size and range. In the 177 mammals for which we have detailed data, all have lost 30% or more of their geographic ranges and more than 40% of the species have experienced severe population declines (>80% range shrinkage). Our data indicate that beyond global species extinctions Earth is experiencing a huge episode of population declines and extirpations, which will have negative cascading consequences on ecosystem functioning and services vital to sustaining civilization. We describe this as a "biological annihilation" to highlight the current magnitude of Earth's ongoing sixth major extinction event.