The world's animal populations have a reduced by more than two thirds since 1970, according to recent research from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The London group provided information on 32, 000 wildlife populations which included more than 5, 000 species(物种). The researchers found that group sizes had gone down by 69 percent in average (平均). They said the loss of forests, human development of the environment, pollution, and climate change were great causes of the loss. Land-use change is still the most dangerous to wildlife. However, the researchers added, "If we cannot limit warming to 1. 5℃, climate change was likely to become the main cause of biodiversity (生物多样性)loss in the coming years.
Wildlife populations in Latin American and the Caribbean Sea area were greatly influenced. The study showed a 94 percent drop in those areas in over 50 years. Wildlife populations in river and lake habitats (栖息地) went down the most. Freshwater populations have gone down by an average of 83 percent since 1970. For example, one population of pink river dolphins in the Amazon River area of Brazil fell by 65 percent between 1994 and 2016.
The findings are a warning of a larger system problem. If the number of one species goes down, there will be a bad influence on others. The situation will make the ecosystem (生态系统) worse. Humans depend on a proper climate, suitable weather conditions, better farmland and fisheries (渔业) to develop. However, now the problems are serious enough to threaten (威胁) many systems to last normally.
Our future depends on preventing the loss of nature, just as it depends on the climate change. Everyone, from oneself to companies and to governments, should play an important role to improve the situation. If nothing is done, the numbers of the wild animals will be smaller and even none left. And at last, the problem will threaten the ecosystems on which we depend.
