Prehistoric extinctions of Pacific Island birds: biodiversity meets zooarchaeology

Author:

Steadman, David W.

Title:

Prehistoric extinctions of Pacific Island birds: biodiversity meets zooarchaeology

Periodical:

Science

Year:

1995

Volume:

267

Pages:

1123-1131

Subject:

Nature effect of human beings on Pacific Islands Birds extinction

Summary:

This document describes how human activities in the tropical Pacific islands caused major changes in the Earth's biota that created a human-caused "biodiversity crisis" that began thousands of years ago and has nearly run its course. It describes this has been the ultimate change, (that is still occurring across a broad range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats), and how island birds have been lost mainly to predation by humans and non-native mammals, (such as rats, dogs, and pigs). It also describes how the changes that have occurred in the indigenous forests, (through the cutting and burning of trees, the introduction of non-native plants, and the soil erosion that was caused by deforestation), has eliminated nest sites for burrowing seabirds. This resulted in a loss of birdlife in the tropical Pacific may have exceeded 2000 species, (a majority of which were species of flightless rails), and represents a 20 percent worldwide reduction in the number of species of birds.

Label:

Birds - General

URL:

http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2074/10.1126/science.267.5201.1123

Date:

24 February 1995

Collection:

Periodicals