Introduction
Biological diversity provides humans with food, energy, medicines and many other resources. Saving endangered species is not only about the moral implications, there are very important economic and scientific implications as well. For example, bee loss means a direct decline in our agricultural industry, leading to scarcity and further economic burdens to provide food. It is also important to note extinction is a natural ecological process. However, humans are causing the extinction rate today to be much higher than what maintains stable ecosystems, at least ten thousand times higher (USDA Forest Service, 1997). It is essential to attempt to stop these losses to prevent domino effects that would hurt entire ecosystems, and in turn
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This law was passed because there was a great amount of concern over the “esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational, and scientific value” that the United States stood to lose from the extinction of its native plants and animals (Endangered Species Act, 1973). Once an animal or plant is listed under the ESA, after an analysis of their biological condition, it is unlawful for any person to “take” said species. “Take” is defined in the act as to “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct”. The act also prevents habitat modification of species areas under the definition of “harm” (Endangered Species Act, 1973). While the ESA was easily passed through Congress with high bipartisanship, there is one group that is extremely opposed to the law. Private land-owners believe that the way the act makes them unable to use their land if there are endangered species or habitat present is an undue burden on them (Bonnie, 1999). Endangered species on private property have now become an inconvenience and has lead to the "Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up" practice, where landowners destroy any evidence of an endangered species being on their land in the first place so the government cannot come in and control their land (Gebelhoff, 2017). In 2016 the Fish and …show more content…
In this situation everyone benefits. Landowners no longer face an extreme financial burden of having an endangered species on their land, the government has a more efficient way of implementing the ESA and can use mitigation tax money in other areas, and finally endangered species benefit because their habitat is not being
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) breeds Globally Endangered animals and then introduces them back into the wild. ZSL states that the main reasons of extinct species are: Poaching, Pollution, Climate change, and Over Population of the human race due to the need of homes, shops, hospitals and other amenities. The rain forest once encompassed four billion acres of Earth has now depleted to 2.5 billion acres of Earth within a few hundred years. Wetlands have also been destroyed and the provide drinking water for wildlife and humans. Maybe the solution to this problem is not locking away the animals that are endangered, but cracking down on the destruction of habitats. Maybe there should be places where property is restricted ...
middle of paper ... ... Therefore, the argument that humans have an obligation to revive species which have been driven to extinction directly due to human influences is ineffective and not a credible argument. Works Cited Zimmer, Carl. A.
marine, either threatened or endangered. Under these terms species could no. longer be hunted, collected, injured or killed. The northern spotted owl falls under the more serious condition of being endangered. Also, the bill forbids federal agencies to fund or carry out any activity that would threaten the species or its habitat. It is the latter part of the bill that causes the controversy.
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 ...
Extinction is no longer just a natural process. It is an enemy, slowly changing our world into a barren wasteland where life is as rare as a flower in the Arctic Circle's winter. The wolf, the tiger, the caribou, the elephant, the bison, the cheetah, the sequoia cactus, the redwood tree – all of these and so many more things are on the verge of disappearing from our planet forever. Extinction is the most pressing environmental issue of our time, because if it continues the way it is going without anything being done to counteract its causes and consequences, there will soon be no environment left for there to be debates about.
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!
...leaving a little portion of land to the animals is not that bad. The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone has been very beneficial to the ecosystem. We tried to eliminate this species but in the end, we need to ask ourselves the question, do we really need to eliminate another species based on our own biases and fears? We need to look past personal gain, and leave nature to take its course.
De-extinction is a process that has been experimented with for many years, but has never been completely successful. The ethics and consequences of this idea have been questioned but, de-extinction has the potential to be truly helpful to humans and the environment, and many of the scenarios that people think could happen, are actually impossible. To actually revive a species, there are certain conditions that must be met, and the terrible situations that people think could happen, are unable to actually occur because of the lack of . Bringing species back that are beneficial to the environment could preserve biodiversity, restore diminished ecosystems, advance the science of preventing extinctions, and undo the harm that people have caused in the past. The true potential of the revival of species cannot be realized because people overdramatize the effects and possible outcomes. Once we realize and understand how beneficial the process of de-extinction can be we can better improve our world, our lives, and our ecosystems.
Various plant and animal species depend on each other for what each offers and these diverse species ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. A healthy and solid biodiversity can recover itself from a variety of disasters. It is estimated that the current species extinction rate is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would naturally be. Therefore, there is an urgent need, not only to manage and conserve the biotic wealth, but also restore the degraded ecosystems. c) Captivity breeding species can again be reintroduced into the wild.
== = = Human beings are dependent on the Earth's diversity of species for our survival. Wild species play a vital role in the maintenance of the planets ecological functions, yet everyday on the planet 40-100 species become extinct.
Biodiversity loss can lead to extinction, and hurt human life. It is our responsibility to take care of the environment. We bring in machines that harm the environment and destroy animal life. We need to limit ourselves on how much land and resources we consume. There are major issues that are causing species to become extinct and hurt our way of life and other animals do to the change in food chain.
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.
The Earth is far and away the most biodiverse planet in our solar system, with about 8.7 million more unique species than the other 8 planets (UNEP). However, the Earth’s commanding lead is shrinking; not because the other planets are increasing biodiversity, but because Earth’s is decreasing. According to the World Wildlife Fund, we as a planet are losing 1,000 to 10,000 more species than the natural rate. Since the total number of species is hard to pin down, this can mean anywhere from 200 to 10,000 species going extinct per year (World Wildlife Fund). This obscenely high extinction rate is dangerous not just to ecosystems directly affected by the loss, but also creates a domino effect that circles around the globe and up and down the food
Critically endangered species are somewhat different from just endangered species; they face an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. Unlike regular endangered species who only face a high risk of becoming extinct. In 1973, the United States passed the Endangered Species Act, this act is one many of United States environmental laws that were passed in the 1970. Simply, the act was passed to protect critically risked species from extinction.
The degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity is increasing at an alarming rate every year. Humans are certainly not the only reason for this, but they are the main contributors. The well-being of ecosystems affects our everyday lives - consumption and consumerism depend on natural resources. Everything humans use is derived from them, in seemingly indirect and direct ways. Yet despite the fact that humans are destroying the environment, many continue to neglect to take important measures to protect it.