background extinction

American  

[bak-graund-ik-stingk-shuhn] / ˈbækˌgraʊnd ɪkˈstɪŋk ʃən /

noun

1. Ecology. the gradual extinction of species, as part of the natural biological and geological history of Earth, by factors that precede the accelerating effects of human activity and occurring without the relative abruptness and intensity of mass extinction.

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background extinction Scientific  

/ băk′ground′ /

1. The ongoing extinction of individual species due to environmental or ecological factors such as climate change, disease, loss of habitat, or competitive disadvantage in relation to other species. Background extinction occurs at a fairly steady rate over geological time and is the result of normal evolutionary processes, with only a limited number of species in an ecosystem being affected at any one time.

2. Compare mass extinction

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Example Sentences

This turnover relies on what scientists consider a normal or background extinction rate.

From Reuters • Dec. 23, 2022

The background extinction rate is considered to be the “normal” amount of extinction that occurs.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018