When the congress passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973, it recognized that ecological and scientific valued our nation and its people. It also expressed concern that many of our nation’s native plants and animals were in danger of becoming extinct. The purpose of ESA is to protect and recover species in their ecosystems, for which they have lived on. Under the ESA, species are specified into two categories; endangered or threatened. ‘Endangered’ means a species that is in danger of becoming extinct and has exceeded all of its range. ‘Threatened’ means that a species is likely to become extinct in the near future. The idea of the ESA is to protect all these species, with the exception of the endangered and threatened list, from ultimately going into extinction (fws.org). So, the controversial question that has been pondered for forty years is, is the ESA law one nation needs, or is it just a waste of money?
According to the USFWS, on April 3, 2007, forty-one species have been delisted. Sixteen species were delisted due to recovery, nineteen due to extinction, nine due to changes in taxonomic classification, five due to discovery on new populations, one due to error on listing, and one due to the requirements in the ESA species listing (fws.org). This is why some people are unsure whether or not the ESA law is effective or not.
One success story is with the Aletuian Canada Goose even before the ESA was established. After small populations of geese were found in Alaska, the geese were listed under the endangered species in 1967. It was later found that the geese were going into extinction because of nonnative foxes and hunters. After this, the nonnative foxes were controlled, their nesting habitat was protected with the...
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Miller, Julie K. Scott, Michael J. Miller, Craig R. 2002. The Endangered Species Act: Dollars and Sense. BioScience (Internet). 52: 163-168. Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com.library.aurora.edu/ehost/detail?vid=16&sid=7238f0b4-29d6-4dea-aa14-8230c385b214%40sessionmgr114&hid=120&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVybCx1aWQmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZl#db=bai&AN=503855244
Neel, Maile C. Leidner, Allison K. Haines, Aaron. Goble, Dale D. Scott, Michael J. 2012. By the Numbers: How is Recovery Defined by the US Endangered Species Act? BioScience (Internet). 62: 646-657. Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com.library.aurora.edu/ehost/detail?vid=7&sid=7238f0b4-29d6-4dea-aa14-8230c385b214%40sessionmgr114&hid=120&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVybCx1aWQmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZl#db=bai&AN=77909289 www.fws.gov/endangered/law-policies www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/esa.html
www.esasuccess.org
The Endangered Species Act Introduction: Long-term survival of a species depends on its ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions (Murphy, 1994). Genetic diversity within a species, which has taken 3.5 billion years to evolve, makes adaptations to these changing environments possible. Unfortunately, the rate of extinction of genetically diverse organisms is rapidly increasing, thus reducing this needed biodiversity, largely due to the human impacts of development and expansion. What was an average of one extinction per year before is now one extinction per hour and extinct species numbers are expected to reach approximately one million by the year 2000 (WWW site, Bio 65). As a result governmental and societal action must be taken immediately!
Delisting Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act." Conservation Biology, Vol. 15, No. 5 (Oct. 2001): 1258-68.
Mills, Scott L., Daniel F. Doak, and Michael E. Soule. "The Keystone-species Concept in Ecology and Conservation." BioScience 43.4 (1993): 219-25. Apr. 1993. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.
1973 had the Endangered Species Act which encouraged the conservation of species that are endangered or threated and conservation of their ecosystems.
Soule, Michael E et al. “Ecological Effectiveness: Conservation Goals for Interactive Species.” Conservation Biology 17.5 (2003) : 1238-1250.
Cavendish, M. (2011). North American Wildlife. (p. 109). New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference. DOI: www.marshallcavendish.us
Conservation is needed, particularly in Orange County, because of the large-scale development of homes, businesses, and roads. The listing of the California Gnatcatcher as a "threatened" species and the dwindling numbers of other CSS dependent species are a testament to the need for whole-habitat preservation. For instance, CSS habitat includes other birds and organisms in need of protection, including the Coastal Cactus Wren and the Orange-throated Whiptail Lizard. The single species approach moves very slowly and often species go extinct before any listing is allowed. In the meantime, other species require protection and are placed as a last priority. The ESA, many conservationists argue, was always meant to be an act aimed at supporting multi-species preservation. With the leisurely pace at which legislation moves and with the single-species ...
Mr. Middleton, a journalist, compiled an article describing, in his opinion, the flaws of the Endangered Species Act. He then attempts to back his opinion with studied analyses, researched facts, and testimonies. To summarize Middleton’s (2011) perspective, “Rather than provide incentives for conservation and environmental stewardship, the Endangered Species Act punishes those whose property contains land that might be used as habitat by endangered and threatened species” (p. 79). This quote is broad and generalized yet draws in readers and forces Middleton to spend the rest of the article backing this statement with more logic based facts.
Endangered animals will never be seen again if citizens don't act now. Specifically the Woodland Caribou of The Great White North. The Woodland Caribou is the most endangered mammal in North America and is becoming more and more every year. Without the help of citizens and organizations from around the continent, this species will be gone forever. The absence of the Woodland Caribou in the Canadian and American ecosystems will cause tremendous effects that won't be good for any ecosystem in North America. In order to save this vital species, habitats need to be protected, illegal hunting of the Woodland Caribou needs to be enforced, and compromises need to be made to make a foundation for the Woodland Caribou.
The belief “Hunting is leading to animal extinction” has some twists and turns. Although Jane Goodall notes that “wildlife trade is destroying natural selection process,” by saying “We are permitting the trophy hunting of the strongest, healthiest, and most powerful animals- those that should be leading their families and passing their genes on to future generations are being eradicated” others argue that hunting is actually helping conserve the ecosystem. She claims that “our appetite [hunting] is causing extinction.” Mike Lapierre argues that hunters are conservatives that seek to protect and maintain wildlife habitats. “Every year millions of hunter’s dollars pay for wildlife management” (Lapierre). With that financial support along with the help of organizations like Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pheasants Forever, and National Wild Turkey Federation, hunters have contributed to protecting and managing wildlife (Lapierre). Managing is their ultimate goal. Beca...
The National Wildlife Federation lists an endangered animals as a genus that may be eradicated by leaving an insufficient quantity to reproduce or obliterating the species in it entirety ("Endangered animals act," para 1). In the United States alone there are 70 mammals that are recorded as endangered; however the foreign number exceeds 250 (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2014). The extinction process could be correlated to a natural route; however extinction may also transpire due to environmental differences. Climate variations producing even slight changes in characteristics may have an extreme consequence on an endangered species. Loss of habitation also impacts species causing them to becoming imperiled. On occasion ailments are distributed from domestic animal; due to the loss of habitation wild animals to come in contact with infected animals. For example Siberian tigers have development distemper from domestic dogs; and this has triggered the tigers to lose their fear of humans. This proves to be hazardous when the tigers approach villages and roads and are killed; furthermore the disease may cost the tigers their lives. (Dell’Amore, 2013). Many of the vanishing animals are poached for varies elements that may be utilized in traditional treatment. The African rhino is on species that is being significantly exploited for their horns; in Vietnam and China the horn is thought to treat everything from hangovers to cancer (O’Neill, 2013). In addition, the introduction of an exotic species afflicts endangered animals, and the overexploitation of animals initiates noteworthy reductions in populations. If an animal is not able to adapt to changing variations it could be disastrous to a species.
In the world where people live in is an enormous responsibility but also the greatest gift that people need to cherish and protect. The human race needs to step up and voice not only their concerns, but the concerns of all the animals endangered or not. Any species which fall into the categories vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered are considered to be at risk of extinction. {Robert Redford} said “I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security defense of our resource’s because it’s just as important as defense abroad otherwise what is there to defend?”
The United States passed landmark environmental protection laws in the 1970s with a goal to restore waterways and protect natural areas. To protect species from going extinct the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973. The Act is meant to “provide for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend” (NOAA).Since its passage, the Act has led to the resurgence of iconic species like the bald eagle and Florida manatee. Across the nation more land is being protected, with President Obama declaring three new national monuments in 2015. And it is not just the federal government that is being proactive, but also states. Located in Southern Illinois, the Cache River State Natural Area protects almost 15,000 acres of vital wetlands. There have also been clean ups of heavily polluted rivers to make them safe not just for humans but also the plants and animals that call those regions home. And down in the Amazon, multiple nations and Non-Governmental Organizations are cooperating to protect the area and combat deforestation. Peru recently declared a 3.3 million acre area as protected and countries are far away as Norway donate money to the conservation effort. With these and other efforts the hope is to slow and reverse the effects of habitat loss
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.