Biodiversity Loss

Question: An endangered species is at risk of extinction.

Answer: An endangered species has suffered population declines that put it at risk of extinction.

Question: Roughly 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity alone.

Answer: Human activities, such as overhunting and destruction of habitat, are the major drivers of biodiversity loss.

Question: Species are becoming extinct at a rate 10 times greater than the natural rate would be.

Answer: Scientists estimate that modern human-driven extinctions are occurring at 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate.

Question: Which of the following is not a major cause of deforestation?

Answer: While the development of hydroelectric power does usually flood forested areas, it is not a major driver of deforestation.

Question: Around 40 percent of amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

Answer: Habitat loss, pollution, and disease are major existential threats to amphibians worldwide.

Question: Elephant ivory is the most-trafficked wildlife item.

Answer: Rosewood, used in fine furniture, is the most-trafficked wildlife item.

Question: We depend on bees and other pollinators for about one-third of our food crops.

Answer: About one-third of our food crops depend on pollination carried out by bees and other pollinators.

Question: Marine organisms are largely unaffected by global warming.

Answer: Warming ocean waters and increased ocean acidification are stressors on many forms of marine life.