Species extinction refers to when the last member of a species dies and the species disappears.
Species extinction can happen due to natural causes as well as human actions. Between 1500 and
2007, human actions caused nearly 900 documented species extinction; many more are thought
to have extinct undocumented.
The following human actions or consequences as a result of human actions are considered as
some major causes of species extinction.
Over exploitation. This refers to over harvesting and over hunting a species beyond the level
that can be replenished or reproduced.
Pollution. This is to introduce contaminants that destroy a species or an ecosystem that supports
a species
Habitat destruction. This happens when human actions destroy an ecosystem that supports a
species
Introducing new predators and food competitors. This occurs when humans introduce,
intentionally or unintentionally, a species that dominate and causes other species to extinct
Global warming. Global warming can be a cause of species extinction as rising temperatures
cause certain species to extinct due to drastic changes in the ecosystem they rely on.
Given the above five major causes of species extinction, your task is to find one specific example
for three of the five causes. For each cause, explain what it is first (see the above definitions of
over exploitation, pollution, habitat destruction, etc.), followed by the example. For the examples
you choose, succinctly describe what happened and at what location. Be specific in each
example. Do not use examples that describe the effects of a cause in general terms or worldwide
statistics. Use lecture notes as your guide but do not repeat the exact the same examples used in
the notes.
Type your work. Give the activity an appropriate title. Use 12 point font size. One inch margin
on all sides. You should be able to fit three examples in one page. In any case, do not go beyond
two pages. For each example, cite your source of information.