How does animal extinction affect nature?

Answer 1

Allot of the affects will depend on the animal that becomes extinct, and the ecosystem they inhabit. In an extreme case, if plankton was wiped out of the oceans, most whales would die out from lack of food. All the species that depend on plankton, such as Sea Turtles, coral beds, and the young creatures that rely on both to thrive would starve without this broad group to feed from. As the food chain collapsed, species further down the chain would suffer as prey became scarce, populations, and births would drop, increasing the decline. Species like the seal and shark would have to hunt further for prey, if it could be found at all causing strain and eventual die off. The cycle would go on and on. Most of the time, if an entire species becomes extinct, then all the animals depending on that animal will suffer the same fate.

Now, if things happen the other way around, and the predator species becomes extinct first. For example, say Sharks die out, seals would overpopulate their habitat and consume all their prey causing the same type of collapse, but starting smaller, then snowballing as the affects multiplied through out the environment.

Answer 2

If an animal becomes extinct, it could alter the balance of an ecosystem. And it becomes one less awesome creature to look at in the zoo.

Answer 3

It affects the food chain if a predator or prey becomes extinct then that species overpopulates or dies out.

Answer 4

animal extinction effects mostly the meat-eaters in their diet for example humans helped the mammoth die out so then the humans found it harder to survive without them