The term “sixth mass extinction/sixth extinction” is often mentioned i

The term “sixth mass extinction/sixth extinction” is often mentioned in the news in the context of the discussion of

Widespread monoculture practices in agriculture and large-scale commercial farming with indiscriminate use of chemicals in many parts of the world that may result in the loss of good native ecosystems.
Fears of a possible collision of a meteorite with the Earth in the near future in the manner it happened 65 million years ago that caused the mass extinction of many species including those of dinosaurs.
Large scale cultivation of genetically modified crops in many parts of the world and promoting their cultivation in other parts of the world which may cause the disappearance of good native crop plants and the loss of food biodiversity.
Mankind's over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change.
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2018
The term “sixth mass extinction” refers to the current ongoing extinction event, also known as the Holocene extinction.
This extinction event is characterized by an exceptionally high rate of species extinction, significantly above the historical background extinction rate. Unlike previous mass extinctions caused by natural phenomena (like asteroid impacts or volcanic activity), the current one is primarily driven by human activities.
The main drivers of the sixth mass extinction include habitat destruction and fragmentation, over-exploitation of resources (like hunting and fishing), pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change caused by human activities. Option D accurately encapsulates these primary causes. Options A and C describe specific aspects of human impact on ecosystems and biodiversity, but are not as comprehensive as D in defining the overall context of the sixth mass extinction. Option B describes a past extinction event.