It is worldwide knowkn that no creature exists in isolation, ecosystems are dilicate arrangements where plants and animals all depends each other for survival. The removal of a single species can disrupt the balance, conceivably set off chain reaction affecting others by breaking the food chain and altering the habitat where they live. Many animals and plants become endangered or extinct each year. Recently, however, the rate of them dying out increased dramatically. It is estimated that 27,000 species become extinct each year, about 3 an hour. Since 1996, scientists calculated that 124 types of amphibians, 1,108 types of birds, 734 types of fish, 1,096 types of mammals, and 253 types of reptiles became endangered. In Georgia, from total of about 650 species 141 are indengered and listed in Red Book, some of them, like Gazella subgutturosa, already become extinct. Why it happens and what can be done to save them? Animals can become endangered and even extinct for a number of different reasons. Some of them can be named as main, but there is one fundamental reason causing all others, Human.
There are listed many different reasons why particular species become endangered. Although there factors can be analyzed and grouped, there are many causes that appear repeatedly, like habitat loss, pollution, illegal hunting and global warming. An enormous parf of mass extinction is the loss of the animals` natural habitat. The highest rates of deforestation began on the 1990`s at a striking 16 million hectares a year. Commercial deforestation in the amazon rainforest seriosly reduced the population of many species and led to extinction of others. Commercial and Industrial operations may pollute animals`s environment, The baiji, a fresh water ...
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...pecies. National Wildlife Federation is playing a leadership role in identifying and promoting innovative approaches to safeguard endangered species and other wildflife in the face of a changing climate.
To sum up the foregoing, there is big list of animals which are already extinct, and mayabe more which are endangered. Some say that it is cause of human activity, some say that it is natural selection. The fact is that extinction is a natural process, because humans have not been around forever to cause extinction. Nowadays People are dominating on earth and setting up living rules for others, like other dominating animals years ago, and it is not excluded that there will be time when Human will become extintc, by natural selection, by nature will.
Works Cited
www.rollinghillswildlife.com www.wisegeek.org www.nwf.org www.kirstyn31.hubpages.com www.teenink.com
Many animals depend on different environments such as lakes, oceans or the forest in order to survive. However due to human intervention such as pollution of the ocean, or heavy deforestation, many animals are at the risk of extinction. One such example is known as the Gundlach Hawk which due to deforestation is currently on the endangered species list. Due to it being on the list, conservation attempts are being made in order to keep the animal alive and save it from extinction.
Disease, pollution, and limited distribution are factors that threaten various plant and animal species. Also, if the current rate of forest loss continues, huge quantities of plant and animal species will disappear.
Scientists calculate that without humans about one to five species would die a year, which is considered the background rate of extinction. But in our current society human activities are destroying many of the chances these animals need to survive. We as a planet are killing species at a rate 1,000 to 10,000 times more than the expected rate. Unlike previous extinctions 99% of the species, listed on the endangered species list, established by the endangered species act, became threatened due to human activities, such as the introduction of invasive species, habitat destruction, and global warming (The Extinction Crisis).
There were 5 mass extinctions in the past, with the latest one more known to man, the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction that caused the wiped out of the dinosaurs. Though the latest one happened 65 million years ago, something representing this phenomenon of mass extinction is underway in our era. While past mass extinctions were caused by natural forces, and asteroid, climate change and sea level’s changes were thought to be the culprit, this time the actor behind is not natural, and it is us Human Beings. It might occur to many that the current trend of animal extinction has no consequences on us, but in fact it is not true. Many of the endangered species does matter to us significantly. In this paper, using examples of some neglected critical endangered species as main headings, I will look into different forms of human activities that had led to their losses, and also more importantly how these losses could have impacted on us.
The term endangered is used by international and national organizations to define plants and animals currently in danger of becoming extinct. Although the term endangered is universally used, the definition of an endangered species is greatly varied. In most cases, the factors causing an organism to become endangered are human- related. When discussing the causes of endangered species, it is important to understand that individual species are not the only factors involved in this dilemma. Endangerment is a broad issue, one that involves the habitats and environments where species live and interact with one another. Although some measures are being taken to help specific cases of endangerment, the universal problem cannot be solved until humans protect the natural environments where endangered species dwell. Back in the fall of 1973 Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, the point of which was to identify the plants and animals in the most trouble and come up with plans for saving them. The effort has probably been as controversial as it has been successful (Institute of Advanced Studies 39). Of the more than 1,400 species designated as endangered, only 18 have recovered to the point where they've been taken off the list. Upon signing the Endangered Species Act on December 28, 1973, President Nixon stated "Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed" (Environmental Protection Agency). And now that scientists have cloned the last surviving member of a rare breed of cow, some fear that the public's sense of urgency regarding vanishing species might fade. Why not just clone more owls, the thinking goes; but that, say wildlife experts, would be only a quick fix. "Cloning would provide us with individual animals but not the home to introduce them to in the wild," says Jeff Flocken, endangered species outreach coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation. "Whatever's causing a species to decline, whether it's exploitation or destruction of a habitat, would continue to put that species at risk of being exterminated" (National Wildlife Federation ).
“Earth is losing mammal species 20 to 100 times the rate of the past. Extinctions are happening so fast, they could rival the event that killed the dinosaurs in as little as 250 years,” says sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post. Scientists are in agreement, we are teetering on the sixth mass extinction and humans are the cause of this round. Due to the destruction of forests, pollution of the ocean and freshwater sources alike, over hunting, over fishing, and mass amounts of CO2 produced by the human population we are destroying the earth that sustains us.
Think of a world with no adorable red pandas or no grizzly bears. What a world that would be like? Everyday an animal gets hurt or dies because of illegal hunting or habitat loss. Endangered species are when an animal is close to extinction because of over hunting, over fishing, or even habitat loss. Hunting is not okay and it has to stop. Although animals are nice to see and very friendly, nevertheless, killing species is detrimental because it's very bad harming one specie because it can throw off other animals food chain and once a species is gone, there is no way of ever bringing it back.
are at a very high risk of extinction. There are over 3000 endangered species around the world due to many factors including over-fishing, hunting, destruction of habitat, climate change and a decrease in food supply. As the number of endangered species are increasing quickly it is very important that action is taken to preserve them for a number of reasons. If endangered species are not preserved it could easily lead to the species becoming extinct which could upset the food chain and lead to further extinction of other species. This could have not only negative effects on there predators but would eventually lead to having negative effects on species further up the food chain including the human species. Over the years researches have come to discover and find that all species play an important part in looking after our ecosystem and extinction could cause a big hole in the system.
An endangered species is a species of organisms that is likely to become extinct due to natural or man-made changes in the environment. The animal which is most popular for its dangerously small numbers is the panda, which has become the poster child for endangered species. Unfortunately, there are only about a 1,000 pandas left in the wild. However, more than 300 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers throughout the world.
Humans are destructive. Not a lot of us think about how what we do affects the world around us. We almost act like we are the only ones on this planet. We go around polluting and destroying our world with no regard for our actions. The things that live out in the wild are paying the price for it. Every day that passes there is another animal or plant that is placed on an endangered list. This is happening at an alarming rate. Because of man’s desire to expand and conquer their surroundings, there are animals and plants that are on the brink of extinction that will not be around for our kids and future generations to enjoy if something is not done about it now. This problem has been going on for hundreds of years. There are animals and plants that can only been seen in paintings or early photography. It is because of our early ancestors that we have this problem today and we have to do more to prevent more animals and plants from disappearing forever.
Shah, Anup. Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions. Global Issues, 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.
Loss of biodiversity is an environmental issue that is causing a lot of global concern. Some of the main causes for loss in biodiversity are alteration of habitats, increasing levels of pollution and human population growth. There are measures that are being taken worldwide to prevent loss of biodiversity. Many wildlife sanctuaries have been built worldwide to preserve the lives of various endangered species. However, it is important to remember that every individual has a role in the protection of wildlife and biodiversity. Every human being should play his part of the role by following simple rules such as stopping others from the hunting of endangered species, preventing deforestation, encouraging reforestation and creating awareness among fellow human beings.
Imagine a world with barren trees in overgrown fields. The only sound to be heard is the wind blowing through the tall grass. A world once full of life now lays empty do to extinction. This is the result of a world that failed to understand the importance of wildlife conservation. Why is wildlife so important? What steps need to be taken to preserve wildlife? How can one become involved in wildlife conservation? These are all important questions that need to be explored in order to help maintain the delicate ecosystem on Earth. Wildlife plays a vital role in this fragile ecosystem and without wildlife the human race would not survive.
In our world today we have approximately 26,021 endangered species. Endangered species are organisms that may possible become extinct. The term 'endangered species' refers to all species that fits this description. However some conservation biologists and scientists normally use the term ‘endangered species’ to refer to species that are put on the IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature)Red List. Many factors can be looked at when considering the conservation status of a species. Factors such as human threats or environmental threats can cause a species to become endangered.
In the world today there are about five thousand endangered species. Around one specie dies out every year. Some animals become endangered because people are killing them for their horns, as in the case of the Black Rhino of Africa. Others become extinct because pesticides are put on the food we eat, causing the animals that eat the insects off the plant to become contaminated, which causes their predators to become contaminated, which often affects the shell of that organism?s egg. Here is a list of the endangered species, 91 endangered birds, 76 endangered mammals, 36 endangered reptiles, 21 endangered amphibians, 115 endangered fish, 70 endangered clams, 35 endangered snails, 44 endangered insects, 12 endangered arachnids, 21 endangered crustaceans, 594 endangered flowering plants.