Publish at March 17 2021 Updated October 03 2024
The consequences of human activity on the environment and our planet are far-reaching: global warming, resource depletion, aquatic ecotoxicity, deforestation, pollution, habitat destruction, massive disappearance of plant and animal species, especially flying ones. According to futura-sciences.com, 1 to 2% of insects, larks, turtle doves and partridges disappear every year, and this figure is rising all the time.
Some people are trying to do something about it on a small scale, by sponsoring beehives, opting for organic produce or choosing products without packaging. Some associations, such as the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), are setting up action plans for the preservation of flying species, and founding rescue centers and nature reserves. And others, such as Christian Moullec who accompanies migratory birds on their journeys to preserve them (see voleraveclesoiseaux.com), are tending to raise awareness.
But it has become urgent for humans to take action on a much larger scale to save flying species from extinction. In this article, we'll look at how we can help birds, butterflies, bees, etc. and prevent their extinction.
Man's impact on biodiversity is considerable, particularly in urban environments. Light pollution in cities is leading to the decline of certain insects such as fireflies and mayflies, according to a study published in the journal "Biological Conservation"; buildings with smooth facades prevent birds from nesting, which directly affects bird reproduction, since 40% of swallows have already disappeared, according to ornithologist Frédéric Jiguet.
To this we must add the elimination of wastelands, the construction of apartment blocks, land drainage, the gradual disappearance of the surrounding countryside, and the use of pesticides in gardens and balconies, all of which amplify the extinction of certain flying species. It is becoming essential for mankind to curb urban sprawl and encourage biodiversity in cities.
Agriculture is having a serious impact on biodiversity, with the intensification and simplification of farming practices leading to soil exhaustion and a decline in the number of flying species. The use of chemical and synthetic products is the main factor in the disappearance of flying insects, with some 80% of them having already disappeared in the space of 30 years, according to a study published in the journal PLoS One.
According to an article in Au Jardin, it would be enough to reduce the use of pesticides and replace them with biological control, such as the cultivation of insects like ladybugs, which can neutralize aphids. This is just an example, of course, but implementing targeted agri-environmental measures would enable mankind to preserve biodiversity and save endangered flying species.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to deny it: the impact of hunting on biodiversity is significant, with a third of huntable species under threat and massive game farming. Some twenty bird species are in decline due to hunting, including the ortolan bunting, which, according to findings published in 2019 in the journal "Science Advances", is becoming increasingly rare worldwide, and particularly in Western Europe, due to its gastronomic delicacy.
The Turtle Dove is also an endangered species, with 80% of its population believed to have disappeared in Europe, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (cf.parismatch.com). Hunting is also responsible for significant genetic pollution in certain birds, such as Asian Japanese quail, European corn quail, red-legged partridge and rock partridge, due to the aberrant number of generally exotic bird farms, as SFEPM member Pierre Rigaux explains in an article for Reporterre. These birds are released in August and September, struggling to reproduce and feed themselves. There are around 1,500 farms in France, producing 14 million pheasants, 5 million grey and red partridges and 1 million mallard ducks. Better regulation of hunting could greatly improve the lot of endangered species.
Poaching is one of the main factors in the extinction of animal species, along with global warming and the destruction of natural habitats, according to UN expert John H. Knox (see cnews.fr). Birds are the hardest hit, with the goldfinch population in France declining by 40% in ten years, according to the IUCN, and the blue-throated macaw almost extinct, with only 350 left in the world, according to the IUCN.
Yet it is possible to save these numerous bird species by more strictly controlling poaching and making their activity economically risky, or by implementing species protection laws like the one for raptors in 1972, which succeeded in putting an end to their decimation, as Nathalie Picard explains in her article on "Ça m'intéresse".
Birds, bees, butterflies, etc. are threatened by human activity, whether in terms of the destruction of natural habitats, global warming or the proliferation of certain domestic species such as cats, whose numbers have risen from 8.5 million in 1998 to 20 million in 2018 (cf. caminteresse.fr), in France alone.
The League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) counts some 75 million birds killed by France's second-favorite pet, but we shouldn't forget that it also kills insects and small mammals. So it's a good idea to create protected areas in forests and parks, so that flying species can live out their lives undisturbed, while other flora and fauna are left to evolve freely. In other words, it's essential to let nature take its course in certain forest areas to ensure the preservation of flying species.
Source:
https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Environnement/Sauvons-les-oiseaux-1641139
https://www.caminteresse.fr/environnement/pourquoi-les-oiseaux-disparaissent-11107163/
https://reporterre.net/La-chasse-nuit-a-la-biodiversite-demontre-un-naturaliste
https://www.especes-menacees.fr/ara-a-gorge-bleue-ara-glaucogularis/
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