Wildlife in Crisis

Archived

Friday, 19 March 2004

Two new studies of UK wildlife provide alarming evidence that many animal and plant species in Britain are in sharp decline due to human activity.
The authors of one report claim their findings support the hypothesis the world could be in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.

Falls in numbers of butterfly, bird and plant species could be due to habitat destruction and climate change. Details of the studies are outlined in the latest issue of Science magazine.

In one study, researchers analysed data from six surveys of UK butterfly, bird and plant species produced over the last 40 years. They found the majority of butterfly species, a total of 71%, had declined over 20 years. They also found 54% of British bird species fell over 20 years and 28% of native plant species decreased over 40 years.

While there is abundant data supporting declines in birds, until now there has been no comparable data for species loss in insects. Yet insects comprise 54% of the world's described species, with birds making up only 0.6%.

If this situation is reflected elsewhere in the globe, say the authors, it strengthens the view that the world is heading for the sixth mass extinction.

Habitat loss through changes in land use by humans is one of the major factors effecting the decline in animal species, researchers believe.

Another study, published in the same issue of Science indicates the deposition of nitrogen in British grasslands through intensive use of fertilisers in agriculture and fossil fuel combustion is leading to a reduction in plant species.