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In the limited scope of this book I wish to present a brief review of the progressive destruction of nature, particularly in the domain of animal life, and at the same time to ill- trate some of the possibilities by BIII:- Ion-.--------------, which man can prevent this de- 3 ~----------~f_4 struction. As the mightiest creation of na- 2,51-______ a _ ___ ~L...-_j ture, man extends his influence into all of nature's provinces and in- 2 1--- - -------1---; habits all zones of the earth. ,,51----------1'------1 Civilization and technology, ulti mate consequences of his unique 1 cerebral development, have pro moted man to this position of O~,I,.,oo-="'------------I power. An enormous population increase in recent centuries has 1850 1100 1700 1800 1BIIO 1800 .110.2000 made him one of the most numer An ous of all animal forms. A com h parison of the alarming climb of 5 earth's population curve (Fig. la) - ",0 with the graphical representation r-- of exterminated animal species 30 r- (Fig. Ib) establishes a striking conformity. The steeper the human 20 r-- population curve climbs, the higher 10- stretch the bars representing the h -r-- number of exterminated animal 1650 1700 17150 1800 18SO 1900 19SO 2000 species.
List of contents
1. Direct Extermination.- Meat and Eggs.- Hides, Furs and Feathers.- Souvenirs.- Superstitious Beliefs.- Live-Animal Trade.- Trophy Hunting and Morbid Pleasure in Killing.- Animals as Competitors.- 2. Indirect Extermination.- Destruction of the Natural Vegetation.- Drainage of Wetlands.- Ravaged Waters.- Air Pollution.- Radioactive Radiation.- Animal Traffic Victims.- Domestic Animal Diseases.- Animals as Indirect Victims of Biocides.- Denaturalized Fauna.- 3. Local Extermination.- 4. The Biology of Extinction.- "Killed Off and Dying Out".- The Extermination Process.- The Dangers of Island Life.- The Balance of Nature.- Man and the Balance of Nature.- 5. Protecting Nature.- The Necessity of Research.- Nature Protection Through Conservation.- Maintaining and Breeding Threatened Animal Forms in Captivity.- Nature Protection Through Restoration.- Wildlife Management.- In Closing.- Appendix I. List of Bird and Mammal Forms Already Extinct.- Appendix II. List of the Most Gravely Threatened Animal Forms.- Literature.
