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Ishani Paul

English 1201

Professor Pedrotti

21 May 2019

Effects of Extinction on Diversity

For as long as I can remember, it feels like there have been hundreds of different species

going extinct every year. This fact would always upset me, because future generations would

never get to see these species outside of pictures and the world was losing amazing creatures

which had made it so much more beautiful. I always knew that there were many species going

extinct, largely due to the actions of humanity. However, while I knew that something terrible

was occuring, I never realized how dangerous this was until I saw the results of humanity’s

actions in a biology course. Looking at how many species have been lost in recent years was

shocking. I learned how the loss of certain species in an environment could catalyze the loss of

other species. As a result, the extinction of a single species in an ecosystem could result in a

major loss of diversity. After learning all of this, I knew I had to find more information on this

topic.

This issue is very concerning, and unless it is resolved the planet could lose many more

vital species, and I feel angry that we have let it go on for so long. The idea of how many more

species could be lost in the near future is absolutely devastating. I think that this issue affects the

ecosystem of the whole planet. Therefore, if this whole ecosystem is destroyed through the loss

of vital species, it is possible that the planet would no longer remain habitable. These other

extinctions could eventually lead to the extinction of humans as well. I believe that more people

must be made aware of this issue facing us. By spreading this knowledge, I think that more
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individuals would be able to take a stand, and advocate for changes, such as habitat protection,

that could reduce the loss of species. I know that, due to the high rate at which species are going

extinct, the planet is on the edge of another mass extinction, similar to the ones that the dinosaurs

once faced. However, this is the only mass extinction that is being caused by a single species—

humans. As more and more species go extinct, the planet loses keystone species which have been

necessary in maintaining a balance in the ecosystem, and allowing all species to thrive. Further

loss of these keystone species could completely alter the state of the planet.

I hope to learn about cases in which a species has gone extinct in an ecosystem, and then

the ecosystem had completely changed following that loss. I want to know how other species

were impacted by the loss and how the trophic levels in the ecosystem were affected, leading to

these changes. I plan to read research papers about these situations to find answers to my

questions. I also want to learn about the primary causes of extinction, and how they can be

prevented.