scholarly journals The Sixth Species Extinction Event by Humans

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Victor John Nazarevich

The number of species becoming extinct has drawn a significant deal of attention from scientists and non-scientists alike. This research reviews recent literature citing evidence for the impact humans have had on our planet and how our biological systems are affected in both known species of flora and fauna as well as unknown species of flora and fauna, the latter lacking documentation as well as sightings by humans. Theoretical research is derived from previous research investigating the impacts of humankind’s use of the land as well as population increases. Though there are many different definitions of what a mass extinction is and gradations of extinction intensity, a conservative approach is used to assess the seriousness of the current ongoing extinction crisis, setting the highest level of recognition for mass extinction, in extreme diversity loss associated with the Big Five extinction events (Barnosky, 2011). Understanding the relationship between extinction and functional diversity over time will be critical for making conservation work (Boyer & Jetz, 2014). If another mass extinction is allowed to progress, it would mean the end of biodiversity as we know it and would also mean that greater pressure would be placed on both humans and flora and fauna to survive in a world completely changed by the Anthropocene. Over the course of 8,000-10,000 years, humans grew in population and changed the landscape of the Earth (Foley, 2013). The research concludes that focus should be on preserving the environment and future research should be performed on the study of unknown species.

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin L. Hughes

SummaryAt the present time the earth is facing an anthropogenic (human-caused) mass extinction event that may eventually rival previous mass extinction events caused by drastic changes i n the physical environment; however, the impact of this event on the earth's biotic diversity remains difficult to predict. Patterns of extinction and endangerment in birds, one of the best known taxonomically among major groups of organisms, showed that the distribution of human impact has been non-uniform relative to phylogenetic relationships. Fifteen major avian lineages differed over 35-fold with respect to the frequency of historical extinction and over threefold with respect to frequency of current threat; and overall rates of both extinction and threat were significantly higher in non-passerine orders than in passerines. Moreover, among both passerines and non-passerines, the rate of historic extinction has been significantly higher for species in monotypic genera than for other species; and in passerines, the rate of current threat is significantly higher for species in monotypic genera than for other species. Thus, the anthropogenic extinction and threat to avian species has specifically targeted species that are phylogenetically and thus, presumably genetically, unique.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Jeannine Suurmond ◽  
Alexandros Lordos ◽  
Prakash Mani Sharma

Recent literature highlights the potential of infrastructures for peace for peacebuilding and violence prevention. An increasing number of studies examine cases of infrastructures for peace, yet little is known about the services individuals actually use when facing conflict. This study investigates local agency in the context of infrastructures for peace in Nepal. Adopting a quantitative approach, we explore the relationship between use of third party support for dealing with conflict (‘peace services’) and individual experiences of peace and violence. Results show that the more respondents reported use of services that actively engage their recipients in dealing with their conflicts, such as mediation, the more peace they experienced in different dimensions of their lives and the lower their propensity for violence was. In contrast, the more respondents reported use of services that require only passive involvement and do not directly focus on the conflict at hand, such as sharing information, the less intrapersonal and intercommunity peace they experienced and the higher their propensity for violence was. Encouraging the use of active peace services could allow more people to enjoy their benefits and ultimately prevent violence and strengthen peace. Future research could further explore the linkages between everyday use of third party support and people's experience of peace and violent behaviour, including direction of effect.


Geology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 1048-1052
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Rodríguez-Tovar ◽  
Christopher M. Lowery ◽  
Timothy J. Bralower ◽  
Sean P.S. Gulick ◽  
Heather L. Jones

Abstract Previous ichnological analysis at the Chicxulub impact crater, Yucatán Peninsula, México (International Ocean Discovery Program [IODP]/International Continental Scientific Drilling Program [ICDP] Site M0077), showed a surprisingly rapid initial tracemaker community recovery after the end-Cretaceous (Cretaceous-Paleogene [K-Pg]) mass extinction event. Here, we found that full recovery was also rapid, with the establishment of a well-developed tiered community within ∼700 k.y. Several stages of recovery were observed, with distinct phases of stabilization and diversification, ending in the development of a trace fossil assemblage mainly consisting of abundant Zoophycos, Chondrites, and Planolites, assigned to the Zoophycos ichnofacies. The increase in diversity is associated with higher abundance, larger forms, and a deeper and more complex tiering structure. Such rapid recovery suggests that favorable paleoenvironmental conditions were quickly reestablished within the impact basin, enabling colonization of the substrate. Comparison with the end-Permian extinction reveals similarities during recovery, yet postextinction recovery was significantly faster after the K-Pg event. The rapid recovery has significant implications for the evolution of macrobenthic biota after the K-Pg event. Our results have relevance in understanding how communities recovered after the K-Pg impact and how this event differed from other mass extinction events.


2021 ◽  
Vol 186 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 502-505
Author(s):  
Justin J Stewart ◽  
Diane Flynn ◽  
Alana D Steffen ◽  
Dale Langford ◽  
Honor McQuinn ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Introduction Soldiers are expected to deploy worldwide and must be medically ready in order to accomplish their mission. Soldiers unable to deploy for an extended period of time because of chronic pain or other conditions undergo an evaluation for medical retirement. A retrospective analysis of existing longitudinal data from an Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center (IPMC) was used to evaluate the temporal relationship between the time of initial duty restriction and referral for comprehensive pain care to being evaluated for medical retirement. Methods Patients were adults (>18 years old) and were cared for in an IPMC at least once between May 1, 2014 and February 28, 2018. A total of 1,764 patients were included in the final analysis. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the impact of duration between date of first duty restriction documentation and IPMC referral to the outcome variable of establishment of a permanent 3 (P3) profile. Results The duration between date of first duty restriction and IPMC referral showed a curvilinear relationship to probability of a P3 profile. According to our model, a longer duration before referral is associated with an increased probability of a subsequent P3 profile with the highest probability peaking at 19 months. The probability of P3 declines gradually for those who were referred later. Discussion This is the first time the relationship between time of initial duty restriction, referral to an IPMC, and subsequent P3 or higher profile has been tested. Future research is needed to examine medical conditions listed on the profile to see how they might contribute to the cause of referral to the IPMC. Conclusion A longer duration between initial duty restriction and referral to IPMC was associated with higher odds of subsequent P3 status for up to 19 months. Referral to an IPMC for comprehensive pain care early in the course of chronic pain conditions may reduce the likelihood of P3 profile and eventual medical retirement of soldiers.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Hajar Boutmaghzoute ◽  
Karim Moustaghfir

BACKGROUND: This study builds on the little guidance in the existing literature to analyze the relationship between employee-oriented CSR actions and employee retention in a business context, while using Freeman stakeholders’ model as a theoretical research framework. This research also aims to shed light on significant behavioral factors facilitating the relationship between CSR endeavors and turnover rate. OBJECTIVE: This paper builds on the existing research gap in the literature and suggests that behavioral factors, including job satisfaction, organizational identification, and motivation facilitate the relationship between employee-oriented CSR actions and employee retention, which contributes to laying the foundations of a theoretical framework that has the potential to advance both theoretical and practitioner debates and disentangle the complexity of such a relationship, while offering strategically-focused development venues in CSR and HRM fields. METHODS: This research uses a single case study design to ensure an in-depth and detailed analysis of the phenomenon under scrutiny, while relying on a triangulation methodology for data collection, including a questionnaire used as exploratory approach, interviews to generate explanatory data, and archival data to bring confirmatory insights. Data analysis followed the procedures of a deductive approach. RESULTS: The research results show a positive relationship between employee-oriented CSR actions and employee retention, while demonstrating the facilitating role of job satisfaction, organizational identification, and motivation in moderating such a relationship. The findings also stress the importance of framing CSR interventions within the organization’s strategy and goals, while ensuring employee participation in such decision making processes to maximize the effect of CSR interventions on employee commitment and reduce turnover. CONCLUSIONS: This research has the potential to better clarify the nature of the relationship involving CSR interventions, from an employee perspective, retention, and turnover, while laying the foundations of a theoretical framework linking such constructs and other behavioral factors that underpin and support such a relationship. Building on the study’s findings and assumptions, future research is needed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how HR-related CSR actions affect behavioral performance dimensions, resulting in employee commitment and retention. Future research should also consider multiple case study, multicultural, and ethnographic approaches for the sake of generalizability and theory building.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-204
Author(s):  
Muhammad Shoukat Malik ◽  
Muhammad Kashif Nawaz

Organizational scholars concurred that positive workplace relationships with others can helps employee to gain from these relationships but, they lack insights into how or why this occurs. Moreover, the relationship dynamics focus on what the relationships provide without considering the how these relationships initiated, builds and maintains. To line of this, the current study aims to find the impact of mentoring functions (career, psychosocial, role modeling) and employee performance (career success, organization citizenship behavior, and job performance) via mediating effect of relational self-efficacy. For this purpose, the data were gathered from 310 branch banking employees of Pakistani conventional banks. PLS-SEM was used for data analysis. The results indicate that there is direct relationship between mentoring functions and employee’s performance. Moreover, the finding also shows that employee relational self-efficacy mediates the relationship between mentoring functions and employee performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with suggestions for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 4358-4365
Author(s):  
Mingxu Peng ◽  
Jiawen Huang

Objectives: Finance is the core of the national economy. The development of modern rural economy is inseparable from financial support. The relationship between finance and economic growth has always been one of the hot topics in theoretical research and empirical analysis. Methods: Under the background of the development of Internet e-commerce, the maximum flow algorithm was based on the empirical research on the relationship between China’s financial development and economic growth. Results: Based on this, the two-element discrete choice model of Probit and Logistic for economic growth was constructed. Discrete particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was used to estimate the parameters of the model. The significant degree of the influence factors was calculated. Conclusion: Finally, it was calculated that concurrent business was the decisive factor of economic growth.


2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher N. Johnson

Since the 1960s, Australian scientists have speculated on the impact of human arrival on fire regimes in Australia, and on the relationship of landscape fire to extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna of Australia. These speculations have produced a series of contrasting hypotheses that can now be tested using evidence collected over the past two decades. In the present paper, I summarise those hypotheses and review that evidence. The main conclusions of this are that (1) the effects of people on fire regimes in the Pleistocene were modest at the continental scale, and difficult to distinguish from climatic controls on fire, (2) the arrival of people triggered extinction of Australia’s megafauna, but fire had little or no role in the extinction of those animals, which was probably due primarily to hunting and (3) megafaunal extinction is likely to have caused a cascade of changes that included increased fire, but only in some environments. We do not yet understand what environmental factors controlled the strength and nature of cascading effects of megafaunal extinction. This is an important topic for future research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Randall P. Settoon ◽  
Sang H. Lee

Prior research focusing on the impact of individualistic orientations on the performance of cooperative behaviors has produced mixed results. Researchers have concluded that the self-focused orientation of individualists will lead them to be less cooperative than others. On the other hand, some scholars have argued that helping others is core to individualists’ self-concept and that competently assuming the role of help-giver is a source of intrinsic satisfaction. In this study, we test this proposition by examining individualistic orientations within employee help-seeking networks. Results from a sample of 107 employees within a regional medical center indicate that the level of individualism in helping-seeking networks is positively associated with help-seekers’ perceptions of support. Further, the results suggest that the relationship is stronger in dense networks. Implications of this work and directions for future research are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon L. Boring ◽  
Kaitlyn T. Walsh ◽  
Namrata Nanavaty ◽  
Vani A. Mathur

The experience of pain is subjective, yet many people have their pain invalidated or not believed. Pain invalidation is associated with poor mental health, including depression and lower well-being. Qualitative investigations of invalidating experiences identify themes of depression, but also social withdrawal, self-criticism, and lower self-worth, all of which are core components of shame. Despite this, no studies have quantitatively assessed the interrelationship between pain invalidation, shame, and depression. To explore this relationship, participants recounted the frequency of experienced pain invalidation from family, friends, and medical professionals, as well as their feelings of internalized shame and depressive symptoms. As shame has been shown to be a precursor for depression, we further explored the role of shame as a mediator between pain invalidation and depressive symptoms. All sources of pain invalidation were positively associated with shame and depressive symptoms, and shame fully mediated the relationship between each source of pain invalidation and depression. Relative to other sources, pain invalidation from family was most closely tied to shame and depression. Overall, findings indicate that one mechanism by which pain invalidation may facilitate depression is via the experience of shame. Future research may explore shame as a potential upstream precursor to depression in the context of pain. Findings provide more insight into the harmful influence of pain invalidation on mental health and highlight the impact of interpersonal treatment on the experiences of people in pain.


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