Reproductive problems are threatening the Sumatran Rhino closer to extinction. Some scientists believe these problems may be caused by habitat loss. The Rhino is one of the world’s most endangered species.

The Beluga population in the St. Lawrence river remains at 1,000, the number it was 20 years ago, despite protection efforts. The failure to bring this number up raises concerns for many scientists.

“The Yangtze river dolphin, until recently one of the most endangered species on the planet, has been declared officially extinct following an intensive survey of its natural habitat.”

Earth has experienced mass extinctions over millions of years when tropical seas see several degrees of warming. Scientists now fear that the trend in warming will cause extinctions once again, but this time at a faster rate.

Two conservation groups, National Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy, compiled a list of birds vulnerable to extinction. Over a quarter of all U.S. bird species are on this list, in part due to global warming.

Richard Peltier, a professor of atmospheric physics at the University of Toronto says that the greenhouse effect 700 million years ago probably prevented the earth to be covered by massive ice sheets and saved primitive life from extinction.

The conversion of Sumatra’s natural forests into pulpwood and palm oil plantations will accelerate greenhouse gas emissions and push endangered species closer to extinction, reports the WWF.