Endangered/Extinct Species

1354 Words3 Pages

Ecology is the study of relationships among organisms and the environment within an ecosystem. (Hoefnagles, 2012) In other words, ecology is all living things together in a specific environment, such as the plants and animals of the rainforest, and how they interact. Mankind has had many impacts on the ecosystem – rapid development, depleting natural resources, overhunting, and pollution of various kinds- all of which have resulted badly for other species within our world. There are also natural occurrences which can affect species – acid rain, natural selection, predators, disease, and asteroid/cosmic radiation. Without ecology, we would not know the affects many of these factors play for species or the balance of ecosystems as they function. For the purpose of this paper, we will focus on the animal kingdom and the interactions many species have within the ecosystems they live in.
There are many factors which go into any ecosystem. When talking about extinction and endangered species of the animal kingdom, we need to look at all factors. When humans dump waste products into rivers and streams it endangers the species living in that environment. The waste is considered an abiotic factor, as it is not living. (Hoefnagles, 2012) Other abiotic factors which can alter the sustainability of a species are sunlight, rainfall, terrain, etc. With many developers looking to the rainforest and mountains to build road, railways, and infrastructures, many species are losing their natural habitat and having to seek refuge elsewhere – adapting to new surroundings. The loss of a habitat is a biotic factor, as the habitat is full of plants, animals, insects, etc. (Samuel, 2010) The study of ecology allows us to better understand the s...

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...om National Wildlife Federation: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Endangered-Species-Act.aspx
Samuel, L. (2010, September 12). Principles of Ecology (Powerpoint Slides). Retrieved from Interactive Biology: http://www.interactive-biology.com/1106/principles-of-ecology-powerpoint-slides-chapter-2/
US Fish and Wildlife Services. (2005, July). Why Save Endangered Species? Retrieved from US Fish and Wildlife Services: http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/pdf/why-save-endangered-species.pdf
World Wildlife Fund. (2011). Jovan Rhinoceros. Retrieved from WWF Global: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/rhinoceros/asian_rhinos/javan_rhinoceros/
World Wildlife Fund. (2012). About Species. Retrieved from WWF Global: http://wwf.panda.org
World Wildlife Fund. (2013). Giant Pandas. Retrieved from World Wildlife Organization: http://www.worldwildlife.org

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