AR-News: (U.K.) studies suggest mass extinctions

[Mary Finelli]

JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
New Studies Suggest Onset of Sixth Major Mass Extinction
Grist, March 19, 2004


New evidence suggests that the Earth is on the verge of its sixth major mass 
extinction -- the last one having occurred 65 million years ago, wiping out 
the dinosaurs.  This one is likely to be caused not by a meteorite, say 
researchers, but by habitat destruction resulting from human activity.  Two 
U.K.-based studies in the current issue of the journal Science prompted the 
speculation.  One was a study of butterfly populations in the U.K. involving 
more than 20,000 volunteers and data gathered over a 40-year period.  The 
second was a study of plant biodiversity in U.K. grassland sites.  Both 
studies came to similar conclusions:  Species are declining and dying off 
like it's going out of style.  While we haven't reached the 65 to 95 percent 
death rates of previous mass extinctions, the numbers are increasing 
rapidly.  With regard to biodiversity, says grasslands study author Carly 
Stevens, "If you keep taking enough bricks out of the wall, the wall's going 
to fall down."

straight to the source:  New Scientist, Anil Ananthaswamy, 18 Mar 2004
http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2174

straight to the source:  Nature Science Update, Michael Hopkin, 19 Mar 2004
http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2175

straight to the source:  The Independent, Steve Connor, 19 Mar 2004
http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2176

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