[Lestat]

<font color="blue"> I don't know what scientific opinion is on the number of extant species on the planet at any one time. Has it changed much? </font>

I think this is the crux of it right here and why it's important to conserve natural habitats and preserve other species. There now exists a species (man), which is capable of eliminating enough other species that can cause real harm to the entire biosphere.