Jean Christophe Balouet and Eric Alibert, in their book, Extinct Species of the World (New York: Barron's, 1990), suggest that experts are forecasting "the disappearance of more than 100 species a day by the end of this century" (12). This tome overviews the reasons for species extinction at the hands of humans, the areas of the globe where species have become extinct and concludes with a jeremiad on the future of all species.
Animal, bird and plant species became extinct long before human beings lived on the earth. The dinosaurs, for instance, disappeared more than 60 million years before people arrived on the scene. However, prior to humans, extinctions were rare, infrequent and caused by natural disasters. Since humans, extinctions have been increasing rapidly. Hundreds of species, many of these in tropical rainforests, are becoming extinct every day.
Reasons for Human-Caused Extinctions
Agriculture
The human impact on other species, Balouet and Alibert assert, was first felt through the creation of agriculture. Prior to this, humans were itinerant, their populations were low and they generally took from the land what they needed, rather than altering the landscape to suit their needs.
Agriculture domesticates particular animals, causing the eradication of others. It fences off the land, preventing the migration of species (14). It fells trees, leading to the diminishment of the vulnerable bird population. And it poisons the water and air with chemicals and toxic gases, such as those emitted by cattle.
Agriculture has also introduced animals like pigs and goats into the ecosystem. As foreign elements, these species have done immense damage to the flora and fauna that previously existed (15).
Hunting
While small scale hunts do little damage to rapidly breeding populations of species like deer, hunting, including fishing, has become so widespread, and such a profitable industry, that it has created species extinctions.
Animals thought to be dangerous, like wolves, bears and tigers, have been hunted to extinction as supposed safety measures (14), their eradication causing not only their own deaths, but the extinction of other species dependent on them.
Bird species, like the passenger pigeon, destroyed by large-scale hunts in 1914 (160), are especially vulnerable. Birds often travel and nest in flocks. They can thus very quickly be weakened and sent into extinction.
Deforestation
The permanent removal of trees has been one of the most thorough causes of extinctions, according to the authors (15). Deforestation is undertaken for many reasons. Farmers burn the land for crops. People cut down trees to build property developments. Loggers obtain profit from the sale of trees.
Even when reforestation occurs, it is often done with no sense of the organic nature of the ecosystem. Only one species of tree is replanted, usually the one that grows the fastest and thus will prove most profitable. No concern is shown for the other flora and fauna that previously made their homes in this unique niche.
Deforestation is another primary cause for the loss of bird populations, most of whom depend on forested areas for their nesting sites. By the early 1980s, they claim, "41 percent of the world's original rainforest had already disappeared" (15), leading to the loss of multiple species, many of which, especially beetles and other insects, have never yet been officially discovered.
Pollution
As humans have expanded across the globe and their populations have swollen to out of control numbers, pollution of the land has inevitably occurred. Human dependency on oil and gas in particular has caused a high number of species extinctions or devastations.
From the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl which led to the slaughter of 100 000 reindeer (Balouet and Alibert 13), to oil spills across the globe that devastate bird and fish populations, human indifference to where they put their wastes is a significant issue, the authors underline.
A Geographical Overview
After the authors discuss the reasons for species extinction, mainly at human hands, but also as a result of droughts, eruptions or flooding, they conclude with an evaluation of why it is crucial to protect all forms of life. Balouet and Alibert then proceed to describe the major areas of the globe in which species have been rendered extinct by humans.
Commencing with The Indian Ocean and the disappearance of the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus), the authors provide a comprehensive survey of all the major extinctions across the five oceans and six continents. At the beginning of each section, they provide a map. Throughout, the stories and statistics of extinction are illustrated with stark photographs and exquisite paintings. Excerpts are provided from historical accounts, such as those by Charles Darwin of the passenger pigeon or Alphonse Daudet of the Tarascon Lion.
Their Vision of the Future
Balouet and Alibert close their encyclopedic venture with a passionate tone. After recounting tragic tales of the continued pollution and despoilation of the natural world by humans, the authors underline, "Humans are responsible for Nature and for living creatures. The facts are there. Let each one judge" (178).
The authors' tone is never entirely objective, however. Determined to give narrative life to sterile statistics and thus inspire action or at least empathy, Balouet and Alibert do not try to keep their approach free of emotion. As a result, the text is highly readable but perhaps too biased in approach. They state that the choice is: "Protect or destroy" (178), a dictum far too black and white for the multiple factors at play in the balance between conservation and the economy.
Providing a list of sources at the end of the book would also have been helpful while increasing authorial credibility. Apart from these criticisms though, Extinct Species of the World is a vital foray into the history of vanished creatures and human complicity in causing their obliteration.
Reference: Balouet, Jean-Christophe and Eric Alibert. Extinct Species of the World. New York: Barron's 1990.
Catherine Owen - Catherine Owen, MA 2001, has published ten award winning books of poetry/prose. Her writing is lyrical, well-researched and fully ...
Join the Conversation