Earth faces sixth ‘great extinction’ with 41% of amphibians set to go the way of the dodo

Analysis for prestigious Nature magazine sounds alarm on the way that human activity, from overfishing to agriculture, is forcing a vast number of species to vanish from the wild. A stark depiction of the threat hanging over the world’s mammals, reptiles, amphibians and other life forms has been published by the prestigious scientific journal, Nature. A special analysis carried out by the journal indicates that a staggering 41% of all amphibians on the planet now face extinction while 26% of mammal species and 13% of birds are similarly threatened. Many species are already critically endangered and close to extinction, including the Sumatran elephant, Amur leopard and mountain gorilla. But also in danger of vanishing from the wild, it now appears, are animals that are currently rated as merely being endangered: bonobos, bluefin tuna and loggerhead turtles, for example.

Aichi Targets – Defra Release statistics

Defra ‘This release and publication report on UK progress towards meeting the biodiversity goals and targets ‘the Aichi targets’ agreed in 2010. These targets were set out in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. The UK is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

All of the 2014 Biodiversity Indicators for the UK are available on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee website. Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth. It includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them. Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits we get from the natural environment. It contributes to our economy, our health and wellbeing, and it enriches our lives.  The next release is scheduled for 2015.’