Extinction Factors Guided Notes
Is the next mass extinction finally here?
The Cretaceous extinction event killed off about ________ % of species on Earth.
The deadly Permian-Triassic extinction killed _______% of species.
Scientists have deemed this “Human-caused animal decline” meaning that
HUMANS are a HUGE reason that species are going extinct.
We are losing ____ ____ thousand species each YEAR just because of the tropical
rainforests being cut down.
We are losing animal species in LARGE numbers.
In the last 35 years, _________ % of invertebrates (butterflies, beetles,
spiders) while the human population has _______________________.
Mega fauna (elephants, rhinos, polar bears, etc.) are declining at a rate that
matches ___________________ in the past.
Humans have sped up the rate of extinction by ________________ times.
Extinctions can be natural because they can clear the way for new __________.
Make a T-Chart!
Natural Factors
Man-made Factors
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ANSWER KEY
Extinction Factors Guided Notes
Is the next mass extinction finally here?
The Cretaceous extinction event killed off about _75_ % of species on Earth.
The deadly Permian-Triassic extinction killed _90_% of species.
Scientists have deemed this “Human-caused animal decline” meaning that
HUMANS are a HUGE reason that species are going extinct.
We are losing 27 thousand species each YEAR just because of the tropical
rainforests being cut down.
We are losing animal species in LARGE numbers.
In the last 35 years, _45_ % of invertebrates (butterflies, beetles,
spiders) have gone extinct while the human population has doubled.
Mega fauna (elephants, rhinos, polar bears, etc.) are declining at a rate that
matches _extinctions_ in the past.
Humans have sped up the rate of extinction by __1,000__ times.
Extinctions can be natural because they can clear the way for new life.
Make a T-Chart!
Natural Factors
Man-made Factors
1) Ice Ages
1) Cutting of Rainforests
2) Volcanic Eruptions
2) Removing natural habitats
3) Global Warming
3) Over-harvesting
4) Comets/Asteroid Impact
4) Pollution
Man-made factors have caused extinctions in more recent times, such as the cutting of
the rainforest regions, removing natural habitats, over-harvesting, and pollution.
• Many plants and animals are likely to become extinct in the near future if humans do
not make changes in way they are damaging Earth, and removing the survival needs of
many organisms.
• Human effects on the environment could threaten some biological resources that
humans may need.
Species that have recently become extinct or that are endangered can be studied to
discover what natural or man-made survival resources caused the extinction or
endangerment and what could have been or could be done to prevent it from happening