Fw: [EthologicalEthics] Study Predicts Giant Wave of Extinctions by Sahm Venter,The Associated Press

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Friday, September 12, 2003 7:55 AM

[EthologicalEthics] Study Predicts Giant Wave of Extinctions by

Sahm Venter,The Associated Press

 

 

> JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Sept. 11) - Hundreds of species face possible

> extinction in the next two decades if more land is not set aside to

protect them,

> a study released Thursday said.

>

> The Conservation International study of more than 11,000 species

throughout

> the world has created a global picture of how they are protected.

>

> It was released during the World Parks Congress in the coastal city of

Durban

> where 2,500 international conservationists have gathered.

>

> An urgent addition of 2.6 percent of the world's land area to an existing

> protection system could help stop the imminent extinction of at least

two-thirds

> of unprotected species, the report said.

>

> Still, many other areas also need protection to safeguard the world's

> species, the report said. At least 223 bird, 140 mammal and 346 amphibian

species are

> currently completely unprotected.

>

> ``We need to do something right away. If it's not done, we will probably

see

> the disappearance of many of these populations in the next 10 or 20

years,''

> said Gustavo Fonseca, Conservation International's Executive Vice

President for

> Programs and Science.

>

> ``This will represent extinction to the scale that we have not seen before

as

> a human species,'' he said.

>

> Restrictions on protected land include rules against hunting and

development.

>

> The planned allocation of increased land for protection would focus on

areas

> where biodiversity threats are the greatest, such as the tropical areas,

rain

> forests and islands. These make up 80 percent of the areas identified as

> ``urgent priorities'' for the creation of new protected areas.

>

> 09/11/03 13:36 EDT

>

> Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP

news

> report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed

> without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active

> hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

>

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