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Biodiversity

Between the years 1804 and 1905, the US boasted of 7,098 varieties of apples. By 2005, 6,121 or 86 percent of these varieties were extinct. A 2007 report submitted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) observes that, more than 16,000 species worldwide are threatened with extinction. One in four mammal species, one in eight bird species and one in three amphibian species are on the organisation's red list.

Concerns about biodiversity are relatively new. Only during the last quarter of the twentieth century did scientists begin to appreciate the vast number of organisms found on earth and the complex ways in which they interact with each other and with their environments. Biologists have now discovered and named about 1.7 million distinct species of plants and animals. More...

Food chain

The food chain comprises all living things and is a true reflection of their interdependence and the complex balance of life. If one animal's source of food disappears from overfishing or hunting, many other animals in the food chain are impacted and may die. Breaking one link on the chain means all of the organisms above that link are in threat of extinction (like the domino effect). More...

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Endangered species

• According to scientists, more than 1.5 million species exist. However, recent estimates state that at least 20 times that many species inhabit the planet.
• Lemurs are an endangered species of primates found only on the African island of Madagascar and in zoos.
• In the US, 735 species of plants and 496 species of animals are listed as threatened or endangered.
• Only 5% of known plant species have been screened for their medicinal values, although we continue to lose up to 100 species daily.
• There are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide. More...