Amphibians are in danger of extinction
A new study suggests that more than 40 percent of amphibians are at risk of extinction due to increased threats from climate change.
According to Moj news agency, scientists warn based on a new study that the situation Amphibians It is rapidly deteriorating all over the world.
More than 40 percent of the world’s more than 8,000 amphibian species may face extinction in the coming decades, researchers have found. This makes amphibians the most endangered group among vertebrates. While by 1980, 23 species of amphibians had become extinct, this number has increased to 37 species by 2022.
The most common recorded threats are habitat loss and destruction, scientists say, with agriculture, timber and plant harvesting, and infrastructure development causing habitat destruction. Meanwhile, agriculture has harmed 77% of species, wood and plant harvesting has harmed 53%, and infrastructure development has harmed 40% of amphibians.
The authors of the study consider the effects of climate change and disease as other common threats. Also, diseases, especially chytridiomycosis caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, have also caused damage to the population of amphibian species.
According to this study, the climate change crisis is responsible for the decline and extinction of more than 40% of amphibian species; The multifaceted effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures and prolonged droughts, challenge the survival of amphibians due to their dependence on moisture. In addition, changing weather patterns can accelerate the spread of diseases.
The findings of this study show that amphibians have the highest risk of extinction among the IUCN conservation red list, and especially salamanders are very vulnerable in this group.
Despite this serious threat, species conservation programs have kept alive a glimmer of hope for amphibian population recovery, scientists say, and over the past 40 years, focused conservation initiatives have restored 60 species, and another 57 species appear to be making a natural comeback.
The results of this study have been published in the prestigious journal Nature.