The Paper's comprehensive report
According to a report by the Biodiversity Platform, an independent intergovernmental science-policy body supported by the United Nations, about 1 million species are facing extinction. Giraffes, parrots and oaks, as well as cacti and seaweed, are on the list of threatened species.
Macaws inhabit tropical forests at altitudes of 450 to 1000 m above sea level, often in humid tropical lowlands below 1,000 m. They are tropical American birds that are native to forests, especially in Mexico and Central and South America.
macaw
Due to the severity of poaching, habitat destruction and lack of nests, they are all included in the IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species.
On September 13, 2020, local time, aerial photography of the Pantanal Wetland Fire in Brazil, which reached one-tenth of the total area.
Seaweed is one of the largest "long-lived centenarians" on Earth, and some of the relatives of modern seaweed date back about 1.6 billion years.
Seaweed forests in Mexico (Macrocystis)
The waters off San Benito Island, fish in kelp.
Seaweed plays a vital role in marine ecosystems, providing habitat and food for marine life, while large species – such as kelp – are underwater "nurseries" for fish. However, mechanical dredging, rising sea temperatures and the construction of coastal infrastructure have led to a decline in the species.
On June 29, 2022, local time, Malé, Maldives, affected by plastic waste and global warming, the rising sea temperature threatens the survival of marine life.
Richard Horner, a 45-year-old former mechanical design engineer in the United Kingdom, took pictures of him swimming near the coast of Indonesia's Lembongan island, where the water was full of bottles, wrappers and bags, reflecting the severity of marine pollution.
At the same time, the world's trees are threatened by different sources, including logging, deforestation for industrial and agricultural purposes, the provision of firewood for heating and cooking, and climate-related threats such as wildfires.
On July 23, 2022, local time, a fire broke out in the oak forest in Mariposa County, California, USA.
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, it is estimated that 31% of the world's 430 oak species are at risk of extinction. 41 per cent have "conservation concerns", mainly due to deforestation to develop agriculture and fuel for cooking.
On April 18, 2022, local time, Utrecht, the Netherlands, in order to widen the A27 road, Ameris Verde another forest will be destroyed. At least 800 trees were cut down on both sides of the road. The problems faced were mainly the destruction of a number of precious tall ancient trees, some of which were more than 150 years old.
On October 12, 2020, local time, in Ankara, Turkey, workers were firing oak into charcoal, and billowing smoke was billowing from the operation site.
Giraffes target their meat, and their habitat is gradually disappearing due to unsustainable timber harvesting and increased demand for agricultural land. It is estimated that there are only about 600 West African giraffes in the wild.
Giraffes in Senegal's national parks
Giraffe cubs on the steppes of Nigeria
UN experts say the current biodiversity crisis will intensify unless humans interact with nature in a more sustainable way, with disastrous consequences for humans.
Source: United Nations official website, Visual China, The Paper
Editor-in-Charge: Ying Zhang
Proofreader: Liu Wei