mass extinction; It is defined as the periods in which a large number of species disappeared at the same time in a limited time period, experienced at different times in the history of the world. The Earth was not what it was millions of years ago. Different species of living things lived on Earth, but they perished directly or indirectly due to the large asteroid hitting the Earth or changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. The changes experienced affected the climate, caused long-term natural disasters, and many species disappeared during this time.
From the history of the world to the present five mass extinctions Happened. Scientists are considering the possibility that the sixth mass extinction may occur in 2100. Researches made; It is believed that increasing carbon dioxide emissions since the 19th century will cause widespread extinction of life forms on the planet. If this continues, the oceans are predicted to hold enough carbon to wipe out species en masse by 2100. In addition, the warming global climate is expected to warm another 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.
Daniel Rothman, professor of geophysics in the Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, has determined that 310 gigatonnes of carbon entering the oceans is the critical catastrophic threshold. It is said that if this figure is exceeded, an unstable environmental problem will arise, thus causing a mass extinction. If this situation is not brought under control, the carbon cycle will move to an unstable stage. Extinctions will occur in line with the predictions. From a geological point of view, such mass extinctions have occurred on Earth in the past. If emissions can be reduced and warming can be kept to a minimum, mass extinctions are thought to be averted.
At the same time, scientists; states that human activities since the industrial revolution have changed the climate of the earth very quickly. Parallel to this, it is emphasized that the habitats of living things are destroyed. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) revealed the danger faced by living things, whose habitats are rapidly shrinking, in its ‘Living Planet’ report it has recently published. According to the published report, it is stated that the wild animal population in the world has decreased by 60 percent. According to scientists, the sixth extinction has already begun. Marco Lambertini, President of the World Wide Fund for Nature, says that the future existence of the human race, which is a part of the world’s biological diversity, depends on the continuation of biological life on Earth.
