<p>&quot;Extinction Debt&quot; describes the delayed disappearance of a species following some geologically fast change in an earth system that cannot be escaped. For example, it might takes years of this extinction debt following shoreline submergence to kill off some species of mollusk.</p>
<p>Likewise, the re-routing of winter jet-streams over the deserts watersheds of the American Southwest may lead to the total disappearance of many native fishes.</p>
<p>These are obvious examples of species potentially living with extinction debt. What are other examples where a species, or entire ecosystem, is currently alive but whose fate is already sealed by some fast moving earth system change?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T00:54:46.667Z
this is more a bio question than earth science
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T12:07:10.313Z
Please define what you mean by "whose fate is already sealed". I'd argue that coral reefs aren't inevitably doomed, since fast, decisive actions to reduce GHG-emissions can save them. Same goes for polar bears.
Erik
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-05T00:15:31.257Z
.... pretty sure there's a lot of overlap between extinction and earth science.
Knob Scratcher
<earth-system><evolution>
How, and where, are the unusual occurences of extinction debt playing out?
Knob Scratcher
# How, and where, are the unusual occurences of extinction debt playing out?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-12-14)

"Extinction Debt" describes the delayed disappearance of a species following some geologically fast change in an earth system that cannot be escaped. For example, it might takes years of this extinction debt following shoreline submergence to kill off some species of mollusk.

Likewise, the re-routing of winter jet-streams over the deserts watersheds of the American Southwest may lead to the total disappearance of many native fishes.

These are obvious examples of species potentially living with extinction debt. What are other examples where a species, or entire ecosystem, is currently alive but whose fate is already sealed by some fast moving earth system change?

**Tags:** earth-system, evolution

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: this is more a bio question than earth science  
> **username_2**: Please define what you mean by "whose fate is already sealed". I'd argue that coral reefs aren't inevitably doomed, since fast, decisive actions to reduce GHG-emissions can save them. Same goes for polar bears.  
> **username_0**: .... pretty sure there's a lot of overlap between extinction and earth science.  

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## 0 answers

