Habitat Destruction
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Notes:
From large mammals to tiny insects, species are becoming extinct at a rate unprecedented since the demise of the dinosaurs 64 million years ago. The cause is not a meteorite but the heavy footprint of a new dominant species on the planet, cutting down forests, fracturing habitats into ever smaller pieces, and deliberately or unwittingly transporting alien species to every corner of the globe. Ecosystems will be discussed in a later lecture.