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"''Paleontologists estimate the background rate of species extinction--the long-term extinction rate exhibited prior to humanity's influence--at between 1 and 10 extinctions each decade among every million fossil species. Assuming from a variety of estimates that 10 million species are alive today (Stork 1993 and 1997, May 1988, Hammond 1992), scientists can expect from 1 to 10 species to go extinct each year from all forms of life, visible and microscopic. '''In fact, species are exiting much faster'''. Based on records of extinction among the best- studied types of animals, ecologist Stuart Pimm and colleagues calculated extinction rates during the past century to range from 100 to 10,000 species per year (again, assuming 10 million species exist). '''That rate is between 100 and 1000 times faster than the background rate of species extinction''' (Pimm et al 1995)."'' [ http://www.arbec.com.my/popbiodiv.htm Reference]- Bold mine. Extinction rates in the tropics are based on rates of deforestation.

''"If we substantially diminish biodiversity on Earth, we can't expect the biosphere to just bounce back. It doesn't do that. The process of diversification is too slow"," Kirchner said. "The planet would be biologically depleted for millions of years, with consequences extending not only beyond the lives of our children's children, but beyond the likely lifespan of the entire human species."''

``"We are predicting the extinction of about two-thirds of all bird, mammal, butterfly and plant species by the end of the next century, based on current trends,." '' said Peter Raven, Peter H. Raven, 2002 President of AAAS, the American Association for the Advancement of Science''.