Arctic Seals and Birds Face Growing Threats
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Environment & Ecology (Conservation, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and its categories, Keystone species, Species in news - Hooded Seal, Green Turtle, Arctic ecosystem and Arctic Amplification).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 3 (Environment & Biodiversity): Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation; Biodiversity and its conservation. The IUCN Red List is the primary global benchmark for assessing biodiversity loss and the impact of climate change on species.
Key Highlights from the News
Key Highlights from the News
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has released its new Red List of threatened species.
Key findings from the new report:
Arctic seals are under significant threat due to global warming. The Arctic is warming four times faster than other regions (Arctic Amplification).
The status of the Hooded seal has changed from 'Vulnerable' to the more critical 'Endangered' category.
The population of 61% of bird species worldwide is declining, mainly due to habitat loss caused by deforestation.
Good news: Thanks to sustained conservation action over decades, the Green turtle has been moved out of the 'Endangered' list, demonstrating the success of conservation efforts.
Species like seals are keystone species in their ecosystem. Their extinction would disrupt the Arctic food web.
This report underscores the increasing impact of human activities on nature and the devastating effects of climate change.
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