background extinction rate

.0001%

mass extinction events

five events up to 95% loss

current rate of extinction

.01%

how people accelerate extinction HIPPCO

habitat destruction, invasive species, population growth and increasing use of resources, pollution, climate change, overexploitation

extinction types

extirpation (local) ecological (functional) biological (loss of natural capitol)

example of each kind of extinction

extirpated- American bison ecological- American chestnut biological- passenger pigeon

how to protect species

refuges and conservation land, seed banks and botanical gardens, zoos and aquariums, laws and treaties (endangered species act 1973)

Why conserve wild species and ecosystems

instrumental value- they have economic or ecological usefulness (an anthropocentric viewpoint) intrinsic value- because they exist they have value regardless of usefulness to us biocentric viewpoint ecocentric viewpoint