Frog Mass Extinction
In the past 45 years, the world has lost at least 200 species of frogs. And based on this information, hundreds more will disappear in the upcoming decades. A paper written by biology professor John Alroy of Australia's Macquarie University, estimates that at least 10% of all frog species will be extinct by 2100. Currently, we've already lost 3.1%. The main causes for their extinction are habitat loss, pollution, and a deadly fungus. The fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) spreads via trade and other human activities. It interferes with breathing and water intake and is fatal to many frog species. So far, the fungus has been responsible for the extinction of at least 100 frog species. Alroy estimates that it might be even more. Alroy also states that his information may be inaccurate because many amphibians live in remote areas that are hard for researchers to find and study them, so the rate of extinction could be even higher than his estimated 10%.
It's really sad how a lot of frog species are dying off. They're really important for the ecosystem; they serve as indicator species, which indicate the health of an ecosystem. If they were completely gone, then people would have a hard time determining whether an ecosystem was in trouble or not. However, there's some ways that we can fix the problem. I think the most effective solution would be to conserve rain-forests, or wherever frogs are naturally found. The destruction of their habitat would contribute to their extinction, so protecting their habitats and reducing deforestation would really help the frogs. Also, if we could figure out a way to get rid of the fungus without hurting the frogs/environment, then the frogs would have a higher chance of survival since they wouldn't have anything preying on them.
Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/frog-mass-extinction/
Article in source written by John R. Platt on October 13, 2015
It's really sad how a lot of frog species are dying off. They're really important for the ecosystem; they serve as indicator species, which indicate the health of an ecosystem. If they were completely gone, then people would have a hard time determining whether an ecosystem was in trouble or not. However, there's some ways that we can fix the problem. I think the most effective solution would be to conserve rain-forests, or wherever frogs are naturally found. The destruction of their habitat would contribute to their extinction, so protecting their habitats and reducing deforestation would really help the frogs. Also, if we could figure out a way to get rid of the fungus without hurting the frogs/environment, then the frogs would have a higher chance of survival since they wouldn't have anything preying on them.
Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/frog-mass-extinction/
Article in source written by John R. Platt on October 13, 2015