Ten per cent of world's major species 'at threat'
 
 
September 29, 2009


An Arctic Fox near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Polar bear cubs, the 
Arctic fox and caribou herds are among the victims of dramatic changes 
in the Arctic due to climate change. Almost 10 percent of the world's 
mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are in danger of 
extinction due to climate change and other factors, according to an 
Australian report released Tuesday.
 
An Arctic Fox near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Polar bear cubs, the 
Arctic fox and caribou herds are among the victims of dramatic changes 
in the Arctic due to climate change. Almost 10 percent of the world's 
mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are in danger of 
extinction due to climate change and other factors, according to an 
Australian report released Tuesday.
Photograph by: Eric Post, AFP

SYDNEY – The "Number of Living Species in Australia and the World" 
study found 0.9 per cent of the world's 1.9 million classified species 
were at threat, including 9.2 per cent of major vertebrate species.

Australia's government-funded Biological Resources Study, the world's 
only census of animal and plant life, found 20.8 per cent of mammals 
were endangered, as were 12.2 per cent of birds and 29.2 per cent of 
amphibians.

Of reptiles, 4.8 per cent were considered threatened, along with 4.1 
per cent of fish species.

"In Australia and around the world, biodiversity is under huge and 
growing pressure," said environment department secretary Robyn Kruk.

"The pressures are pervasive and chronic in many places; invasive 
species, habitat loss and climate change in particular."

Australia was found to be home to 7.8 per cent of the world's known 
species. Environment Minister Peter Garrett said the study had shown 
its wildlife was highly unique, with 87 per cent of mammals and 93 per 
cent of reptiles found nowhere else in the world.

However, the study also showed Australian species accounted for 9.1 per 
cent of the world's threatened flora and fauna, and Garrett said 
vigilance was essential.

"We have a long way to go, we have discovered and named only about a 
quarter of Australia's estimated number of flora and fauna," said 
Garrett.

"We need this essential information to do a better job of managing our 
biodiversity against the threats of invasive species, habitat-loss and 
climate change."

According to the report there were likely to be some 11 million species 
on Earth of which only 1.9 million had been discovered, with millions 
of invertebrates, fungi and other organisms yet to be found and named.