The current rate of extinction is 1,000-10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. Following that momentum, many of the Earth’s masterpieces will disappear.
According to the IPBES report in 2019, about 75% of the land area and 66% of the sea area on Earth has been “significantly changed” by humans. Livestock and farming are using more than 33% of the land and 75% of the fresh water. Agricultural activities are one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions, due to the use of fertilizers and deforestation for aquaculture. Plants and animals are also threatened by overharvesting and hunting; Climate Change; pollution and the spread of alien species. About a million species of plants and animals are facing extinction. Without strong measures, endemic landscapes and ecosystems on Earth will soon disappear forever Avenue of the baobab (Madagascar) Bao Bap Boulevard is the name of a group of old trees located along the dirt road connecting Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina, in the Menabe region in western Madagascar. Its magnificent scenery attracts visitors from all over the world, making it one of the most popular in the region. Faced with climate change and human farming activities, the fate of these baobab trees is increasingly threatened. At present, many efforts to preserve this place have been made, in the hope of preserving this fairy-tale avenue. Image: Economic Times. Yew Lake Caddo (Texas / Louisiana, USA) The 25,400-hectare Caddo Lake-Swamp, located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, is famous for its submerged conifer forest. Hundred-year old moss-covered larch trees lie on the water’s surface, setting the scene in Tolkien’s novels. Threatened by global warming and alien organisms, the growth rate of yew here has decreased rapidly. This is a protected wetland on an international level. Currently, visitors can explore this place by kayak. Image: Itookapic. Amazon Forest (South America) The Amazon forest stretches across many South American countries and is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, famous for its biodiversity. There are thousands of rivers here, creating an ecological environment for the rich flora and fauna, as well as providing a source of life for people. However, the increasing rate of deforestation and the global climate change have caused the forest area to shrink rapidly. With this momentum, according to a study published in Nature Communications, Amazon forests could turn into deserts within 50 years after their ecosystems reach the point of collapse. Image: Scoop. Dead Sea (Israel and Jordan) As the lowest inland area of sea level, Dead Sea water has an average salinity of up to 35%, 10 times higher than normal seawater, making people float on the water and contain many minerals therapy. Experts believe that this water area will completely disappear in the next 50 years. Over the past four decades, the area of the Dead Sea has shrunk by one third, and the water level has receded more than 24 meters, averaging 30 centimeters per year. The main reason is that the Jordan River – the main water source of the Dead Sea – is increasingly used by Jordan, Syria and Israel for domestic and agricultural purposes. This area is under additional pressure from cosmetic factories exploiting raw materials. Image: Walk My World. Great Barrier Reef (Australia) Australia’s huge coral ecosystem is about the size of Japan, with more than 2,900 separate coral reefs and 900 islands spread across an area of 344,400 square kilometers. However, scientists believe that by 2030, this place will disappear. The Australian Foundation says warming seawater, combined with water with a higher acidity, can kill 97% of the corals in the Great Barrier. Image: CNTraveler. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) Located 1,000km inland, this is home to many endemic plant and animal species. Charles Darwin arrived here in 1835. Observations of species at the Galápagos inspired his later theory of evolution. However, the ecosystem here is threatened by overfishing as well as the warming of the sea water. Coral reefs are dying, and native animals are threatened by tourism. Image: Lonely Planet. Congo Basin (Africa) The Congo Basin spans the territory of 6 African countries, and is the second largest rainforest in the world, only after the Amazon. This place has about 10,000 species of tropical plants, 30% of which are endemic, along with many rare wild animals such as wild elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees … This is also inhabited by humans. for more than 50,000 years, it has provided food, water and shelter to more than 80 million people. Every year, two million hectares of forests in the Congo basin are destroyed, due to illegal logging, cultivation, mining, war … If conservation efforts are not accelerated, Scientists estimate that by 2040, about two-thirds of the forest will disappear. Image: Profor. Alaska Territory (Alaska, USA) The vast ice that covers the western and northern coasts of Alaska are the coldest biomes in the world. However, in recent years, the northern part of Alaska has seen a dramatic rise in temperature – faster than the global average, which has resulted in the melting of permafrost. Catastrophic fires also occurred, making the environment more fragile. The increasing rate of coastal erosion also has a direct effect on polar bears and their prey. Patagonian ice area (Argentina) As the largest subarctic ice in the southern hemisphere, the Patagonian ice sheet consists of three main zones: North, South and Cordillera Darwin. In total, they hold up to 5,500 gigatons of ice, enough to raise global sea levels 15 millimeters if all they melted. Its beautiful scenery has long been a world-famous tourist destination, for nature enthusiasts. However, the glaciers of Patagonia are thinning at an average rate of 1.8 m / year due to climate change and human impacts. Only three of them have expanded in recent years, but the rest – 90% – is shrinking. Image: Pexels.
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