Extinction Flashcards
(3 cards)
1
Q
What is extinction?
A
The dying out or extermination of a species
2
Q
What are the causes of extinction?
A
Environmental changes such as habitat destruction, climate shifts or stochastic events
Overexploitation of species or habitat for human use such as overhunting, overfishing and deforestation or mining
Evolutionary changes in their members such as genetic inbreeding, poor reproduction and competition with other species
3
Q
What do ecologists estimate the average extinction rate to be?
A
Between 1 and 5 species per year
