Endangered species, our world is full of them and it is because of our own doing from ways such as through habitat loss, over hunting, and pollution. The endangered species issue is a very serious issue and has the potential to disturb the balance of an ecosystem by reducing or completely wiping out an entire species of animal. When one species is removed it has an effect on all the others because in order to control the population in that area each species would need to be present, but if not the food chain would be unbalanced and another species would either increase or decrease in population. It also affects humans by causing high economical costs that are used to maintain the large areas, food, water, and other necessities to care for the animals there. One of the most important protectors is the Endangered Species Act which was passed by congress in 1973 and is designed to protect imperil species from extinction as a consequence of economic growth. Over nearly four decades the ESA has helped bring back hundreds of species from the brink of extinction. A lot of well-known animals are the bald eagle, grizzly bears, and Florida manatees but includes the control of soil erosion, maintenance of nutrient cycles, waste management, and nurseries for the wide ranges of fishes that live in the Florida waters. High profile species are focused first such as the Northern Spotted Owl a study shows that in order to increase the survival percentage to 91 of 1,600 – 2,400 pairs would cost about $33 billion dollars and that would be the cost of most likely through campaigns, breeding, and other ways to increase the population. As it can be seen caring for animals is expensive especially when you have a large bunch of them. Over a period two y... ... middle of paper ... ... think they dump back the shark bodies after the fins are collected. Another delicacy known in China is bird’s nest soup which is really the saliva of a bird called a Swiftlet and the males work tirelessly during the thirty five day mating season to build a nest suitable for offspring and it is thought or believed for some odd reason that consuming it contributes to good health and are related to the earliest introduction of ancient Chinese aristocracy and were traded around often. The dish is one of the most expensive dishes around the world and the price depends on the size of the bird’s nest. Traditional Chinese medicine believes it helps respiratory health, improved skin, and longevity, but research has yet to confirm these claims. At first the soup was used to show wealth and luxury for Chinese elite, but now although expensive the middle class can afford it.
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!
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.
Habitat destruction, deforestation, ozone depletion, global warming, and poaching. These actions and ecological happenings are creating a world where animals are going extinct at rapid rates. Our world is on the brink of what scientists believe is the sixth mass extinction. Unlike the five previous mass extinction, the latest one killing a majority of the dinosaurs, the main causes for this current extinction are anthropogenic reasons, not natural events.
The topic that I chose to discuss is one that every state has adopted due to the acts that have been taken to preserve and protect our environment, so I chose the Endangered Species Act. The Endangered Species Act prohibits activities affecting threatened and endangered species. There are many organizations in place to enforce the authorities of this act and a couple of the main groups are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The National Oceans and Atmospheric National Marine Fisheries Services. In this assignment I will elaborate on the Parks and Wildlife efforts and policies on the Endangered Species Act. To put this Act or Law into order, there were strong actions that were threatening the environment for those that research and treat the animals. Since the 1960’s there have been motions to protect animals and in 1966 Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act and bought its first endangered species habitat in Florida. Once again it was revised in 1969 and 1970, but in 1972, President Nixon declared that conservation efforts in the United States aim to prevent the extinction of species that brought together the 93rd Congress to develop comprehensive endangered species legislation. Congress responded and on December 28th the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 was signed and put into order.
The age of the invasives: The anthropogenic effects leading to the increased spread of tropical marine invasive species in 2050 and beyond
The term invasive species is described as a species that is introduced into an area in which it is not native. This species has the potential to cause a negative effect to the native species and other biotic factors in those surroundings (Invasive Species, n.d). Any kind of living organism can be a potential invasive species, including the seeds and eggs of an organism (Invasive Species, n.d). These species can be brought into an area any number of ways but are usually a result of human activity (Invasive Species, n.d). Although, it has been discovered that protected areas can be impacted by invasive species, possibly more so than non-protected areas (Hoopes et al., 2013).
Modern-day genetic technology has granted mankind with the opportunity to bring back extinct species from the dead. If humans have come to possess the DNA from an extinct animal population, it is possible to create an identical clone of the animal in question, effectively “bringing it back from the dead”. Many ethical dilemmas surround the practice of de-extinction, and rightfully so. Recreating an extinct species could produce groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs, generating exciting opportunities for future genetics-based research. However, there could also be monumental consequences: the newly revived, once-extinct species might destroy the ecological equilibrium of modern Earth
Invasive alien species are disrupting and changing the normal ecological functions of biomes, ecosystems, and the biosphere as a whole (CBD, 2009). They are a threat to biodiversity and can cause damage to, or even eradicate native species which natural cycles and other organisms depend on. While disrupting energy flow, food chains, and shaking the structure of ecosystems to the core, invasive species create not only ecological, but also a whole host of social, economical, and health issues that affect the livelihood of almost every organism on earth, including humans (CBD, 2009).
At present, of the 150,000 protected areas across the world, just 3% are in the oceans. As countries introduce measures to improve protection, it is important that the governments and the environmental agencies select sites for regulation.”(Schofield 834-836). This states that the government should improve their ways of assisting in care for the endangered species, but it is still quite expensive for them to do so. Well just how good are researchers doing in keeping up with all the
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?”
Recently over the years elephant populations have drastically declined. This is due to human encroachment on their habit and poaching. Demand for ivory has increased the number of poaching kills in Africa. In 1988 congress passed the elephant African Elephant Conservation Act which placed a ban against illegal ivory imports and authorizes government funding for elephant field conservation projects. Although some African countries have initiated African elephant conservation programs, many do not have the sufficient resources to properly manage, conserve and protect their elephant’s populations. Unfortunately, we are possibly undergoing “the greatest percentage loss of elephants in history” (Ruggiero). Without the proper conservation of elephant survival we will see a drastic shift in the environment.
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
The problem I have chosen is the problem of endangered species. An endangered species is a group of organisms that have a risk of becoming extinct. More than 90% of all species that have ever lived on earth has become extinct. Many reasons for this are habitat loss, predators, too few organisms for sustainable reproduction. Habitat loss is the most widespread cause of species endangerment and extinction. Usually, this is happening because of human activity including deforestation and pollution. Pollution and climate change affect the ecosystem, resulting in rise of sea levels, melting of glaciers/ice caps, and pollution can cause death to many seabirds and and marine creatures living on the coast and in the ocean. Rising sea levels can
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.