Biodiversité

There have been five mass extinctions in Earth’s history, but are we already in the midst of a sixth? At least one million animal and plant species are currently threatened with extinction, many within decades – a rate unprecedented in human history.

To what extent, however, can we measure loss of biodiversity across scales, or accurately identify the causes of mass extinction? And how will this development affect the planet? More importantly, perhaps, is the question of whether scientific and societal interventions can effectively tackle this issue.