Aaron Whatastudent

Dr. Cassel

English 101

5 April 2018

Annotated Bibliography

My topic is concerned with how the extinction of plants and animals is affecting or will

affect our planet, other plants and animals, as well as humans. How has the rate of extinction

changed within the last century? What are the major factors causing the loss of these organisms?

What affects will extinctions, past, present and future have on humans and how we live our

lives? Extinction rates of plants and animals have exponentially increased in recent years, and

not much is being done to recognize and thwart the components that are destroying our planets

wildlife. How will mass extinctions of plants and animals affect our ecosystems, and the quality

of life humans know today?

Boissoneault, Lorraine. “Are Humans to Blame for the Disappearance of Earth’s ...”
Smithsonian.com, 31 July 2017,
www.bing.com/cr?IG=0D71CF6B69A2423E9C6055A9285A9D99&CID=1D9BA529E9
5E66B80A1BAE91E8F1674E&rd=1&h=nJ1bfrbRTFa9iW6denPofNNiw3Lqv-
zU1a6SNSoLbdU&v=1&r=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-
happened-worlds-most-enormous-animals-180964255/&p=DevEx,5069.1.
Nearly two million years ago, our planet was home to massive creatures like wooly

mammoths, dire wolves, and saber tooth tigers. Fast forward to today, and less than half of our

megafauna still exists. Archaeologists are beginning to wonder if many of these organisms would

still be alive today if humans had never existed. In 1966, paleontologist Paul Martin proposed the
 Whatastudent 2

“overkill hypothesis”. He stated that when humans spread to all continents they either hunted or

outcompeted many of these large creatures to the point of extinction.

One major counter argument is that global timing, not humans could be to blame for

many megafauna extinctions. New discoveries are finding that humans made home to continents

like Australia and North America tens of thousand years earlier than what was originally

thought. This puts a large gap between the arrival of humans and the extinction of these

organisms which could point the finger of blame in an entirely different direction. Some believe

that it was the natural climate changes that took place during this era that could have been

responsible for wiping out these species.

This is another valuable source for my research paper because it brings up a strong

counter claim to my topic. Discussing both sides of the argument will help better illustrate how

vast the topic of extinction is and its possible perpetrators. This article aims to start the

discussion of the possibility that humans may not be entirely to blame for the extinction of many

of the Earth’s species.

Content extracted from this article will be very useful in addressing a counter argument.

It provides solid facts and evidence that are not swayed towards a particular position on the

argument. This article has changed my views on the topic by not immediately assuming humans

are to blame for all the destruction occurred onto wildlife species. Thousands of years ago, our

planet was a very different place with natural but drastic changes in climate such as the ice age

that may have played a large role in wiping out much of Earth’s megafauna.
 Whatastudent 3

The Extinction Crisis,

www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_
crisis/
Extinction is a natural occurrence, but usually happens at a background rate of less than

one percent a year. Scientists now estimate that our extinction rate is 1,000-10,000 times greater

with dozens of organisms going extinct every single day! Future projections estimate that

between one third and one half of the total species on the planet could be gone by the mid-21st

century. Currently, 99 percent of all endangered species are human-caused, ranging from

deforestation and habitat loss, to invasive species and global warming. Because many organisms

have closely intertwined relationships with other plants and animals, when one becomes extinct

it poses a real danger to the other species that interact with it, thus creating the possibility for

exponential extinction rates to occur.

Species conservation and preservation usually focuses on highly diversified ecosystems

such as coral reefs and rainforests where the occasional extinction of an organism wouldn’t be

horribly detrimental to the overall ecosystems strength and resilience. More scientists are

beginning to look at regions with less biodiversity like artic tundras or grasslands. The loss of a

vital organisms in these ecosystems would be catastrophic to it’s inhabitants. Specific species

extinction statistics are given for birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

This article is a strong source because of the very specifics statistics laid out for various

birds, reptiles, mammals, and other organisms. This article is one of two that I am using that was

published by the Center for Biological Diversity which is a reputable organization. All data and

statistics are presented from a neutral stance without any opinionated material. I feel that the goal

of this article is to illustrate how far the reach of human-caused extinction can stretch by

addressing various kinds of species and the threats imposed onto them by us.
 Whatastudent 4

The well-researched and very specific extinction rates given for amphibians, reptiles, insects,

birds, and mammals will provide me with an in-depth look at how climate change and humans

have threatened so many aspects of the animal kingdom. By now having detailed information

about my topic, it will give the reader a better perspective when looking at the bigger picture of

the issue and vice versa. Article provides me with good candidates for solid claims to be

discussed.

Hannibal, Mary Ellen. Citizen Scientist: Searching for Heroes and Hope in an Age of Extinction.
Th Experiment, LLC, 2017.
Toby Ault, a climatologist, assembled a large group of researchers to help monitor and

record how lilac trees are adapting to our current climate change crises. By observing how lilac

trees respond to atmospheric changes will in turn provide information about how well the rest of

nature is coping with climate change. Ault and his team members compare their newly recorded

data with previous projects throughout the 20th century to get a sense of the long-term growth

patterns of these trees.

David Inouye is another citizen scientist covering ground in the research of plants and

climate change. Based at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Crested Butte, Colorado, he

was originally focused on bumblebees and hummingbirds. Eventually he became interested in

these organisms’ food source and began studying the flowers on which these organisms depend.

Inouye draws attention to the Rocky Mountain region’s plant life depending on the snow melts.

Buried under the deep snow, insects lie dormant, and when the snow melts these insects become

active; affecting the local plants. Unusually warmer temperatures will melt snow faster which

will awaken insects quicker and could have serious affects on local plant life.
 Whatastudent 5

I feel that this novel is a credible source from which to derive research content. This

source differs from my other sources because it’s focus is on plant life and climate change,

where as most of my other sources are concerned with effects on our animals. All contributors

are successful researchers in fields pertaining to wildlife and ecosystem studies. The content is

not biased in that these scientists make observations, collect data, and draw conclusions with

what they’ve found. The goal of this novel is to shed light on how not only animals, but plants

are in severe danger from climate change, and in a way encourages all citizens to play their part

in observing and collecting data to study how our wildlife is being affecting by humans.

Upon reflecting the validity of the information this novel provides, I believe it will

broaden my scope of knowledge and understanding on the issue at hand. It helps further shape

my argument by having strong facts pertaining to both plants and animals that I can address in

my research. I can use this information to show how humans and climate change have put a

target on virtually every species on the planet in some aspect. It also improves my approach by

drawing awareness to the organisms that aren’t commonly thought of when the word extinction

is brought up life polar bears, rhinos or other large “poster children” that usually get addressed.

How the Current Mass Extinction of Animals Threatens Humans.” National Geographic,
National Geographic Society, 30 Apr. 2016,
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140820-extinction-crows-penguins-
dinosaurs-asteroid-sydney-booktalk/.
This last article focuses on how and why humans have become so destructive with little

to no consideration for the rest of the species we share our planet with. Figuring out how to break

down the wall of difference many people have towards our suffering ecosystems is a major

factor in the possibility of trying to reverse much of the damage we have caused. Many

researchers are concerned with the figures and rates of our dying species, but perhaps our energy
 Whatastudent 6

should focus on the possible solutions to our problems rather than sulking in sorrow. The author

then covers a series of questions and answers pertaining to the topic discussed.

This article will be valuable because it covers many commonly thought of questions

about the topic of extinction. Discussing some of these questions and possible answers than may

very well be asked by the reader may make the research paper more interesting and easier to

connect with. Not very many statistics are given but the series of questions covered illustrate

how broad this topic is, and what our future could like if we continue living this way or decide to

make a change.

“Human Population Growth and Extinction” Center For Biological Diversity.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/extinction/.
Accessed 20 March 2018
Humans are in the wake of a sixth mass extinction of known history. It is estimated that

an average of three species per hour, or 30,000 organisms annually are being wiped off of the

face of the Earth. Our current mass extinction is distinct from other previous extinctions because

it is driven by the actions and behaviors of only one species, Homo-Sapiens, rather than a

collective group of organisms or nature climatic or global changes. There have been three waves

of human-caused extinction in recorded history. The first wave exploited larger vertebrates that

were targeted by early homo-sapien hunters. The second, much larger wave of extinctions

occurred during the agricultural boom that exploded human populations. The third and current

wave of extinction has to do with the harnessing of fossil fuels. With abundant amounts of a

cheap source of energy, the human population has exploded.

 Whatastudent 7

In planetary history, there has never been a larger vertebrate population boom than our

own. In the year 1700, only seven percent of the earth’s surface was used to propagate food for

humans, and now nearly forty percent of total land surface is used. Half of the mass of the entire

planet is now being exploited in one form or another to benefit humans. Worldwide, 12 percent

of mammals, 12 percent of birds, 31 percent of reptiles, 30 percent of amphibians, and 37 percent

of fish are threatened with extinction. Not enough plants and invertebrates have been assessed to

determine their global threat level, but it is severe.

Personally, I feel that this is a very valuable source. The information given is coming

from a wellknown organization and content is cited properly. This source is also objective in it’s

presentation of the article, only laying out facts and statistics instead of painting a picture to

sway their audience one direction or another. The goal of this article is to spread awareness about

the dire extinction threats made by humans.

This article will improve the strength of my paper. It shed light on a much longer history

of human-caused extinction than I was even aware of. I feel this information would be helpful in

giving some history to my topic, explaining how and when our first extinctions began versus

where we are today. My source has altered my approach to my topic because with a long history

of extinction of animals, is it possible that our selfish and disastrous lifestyles have become so

ingrained in who we are that saving what wildlife we still have might be out of our control?
Whatastudent 8