Habitat loss and degradation are currently the main anthropogenic causes
of species extinctions. The root cause is human overpopulation. This
unique volume provides, for the very first time, a comprehensive
overview of all threatened and recently extinct mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, and fishes within the context of their locations
and habitats. The approach takes a systematic examination of each
biogeographic realm and region of the world, both terrestrial and
marine, but with a particular emphasis on geographic features such as
mountains, islands, and coral reefs. It reveals patterns useful in
biodiversity conservation, helps to put it all into perspective, and
ultimately serves as both a baseline from which to compare subsequent
developments as well as a standardization of the way threatened species
are studied.