According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an endangered species is any organism, plant or animal that is at a high risk of extinction in the wild. But when extraneous forces act on a species, they begin to slide into extinction. There are several ways for a species to decline in number, but the most influential factor is the pressures placed on organisms due to human development and expansion. The rapid growth of the human population has had detrimental effects on the abundance of organisms as well as the biodiversity of species. Because of the deleterious effects of human growth, action needed to be taken to preserve the diversity that enhances the beauty of the world. Different laws and acts were created on both …show more content…
The United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed in 1973 (8) and is one of the oldest and strictest laws of its kind. This act, administered by the Interior Department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (8), aims to recover imperiled species and the ecosystems that they live in. For the purposes of the ESA, congress states that a species includes subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments. All animals, except for insect pests, are eligible for being labeled as endangered or threatened under the ESA. When a species is listed as endangered they are in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range (8). A threatened species is in less critical condition, but they are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable …show more content…
Concentrated primarily on vulnerable species, the black market trade has increased the demand for ecosystem services found in animals for supposed medicinal properties, cultural and socioeconomic status, and overall community livelihoods. In Africa, poaching remains high, with the number of killed elephants doubling well over 30,000 since 2007 (1). This is correlated with the increase in global price for rhino horns and elephant ivory, selling anywhere from $2,500 to $65,000, to even $440 million per kilogram. These gradually climbing prices have enhanced the anxiety of scientists and policy makers actively contributing to the development of restoration programs by changing the dynamics between not only populations of various species, but also the humans in which they
U.S. Department of the interior, National Park Service. (2013). Endangered Species. Retrieved from website: http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/endangeredspecies/index.cfm
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.
Wildlife conservationists are constantly working to supervise the rivers, forest, and other natural resources of Africa in order to preserve and protect them through prudent management. In Kenya, laws against trophy hunting has assisted these conservationists in maintaining wildlife populations. However, park rangers face a huge battle against the illegal poaching of these rare trophy animals, such as lions and elephants. In Asia, the demand for ivory continues to surge, despite the long-time ban on its international trade. The demand is so high that the Tanzanian government has developed plans to construct a commercial highway through the Serengeti in order to more efficiently trade goods with Asia (“The Need for Serengeti Watch”). However, the highway will also provide a faster route to the coast for ivory smugglers. The controversy surrounding the highway and its positive or negative effects on the economy, Tanzania as a whole, and the Serengeti is countless. Despite the debate over its benefits and...
In today’s society everyone seems to have an opinion on everything. It seems the more uninformed one is on a subject the more strongly the feel about it. Occasionally there are those who address issues they are well informed on in a well-organized and civilized manner, weighing both the pros and cons of the side they advocate. Brandon M. Middleton does an exceptional job of this in his article on the Endangered Species Act, where he talks about the effectiveness of the Federal government’s current involvement with endangered species.
The second half of the 20th century has seen the continent of Africa in continuous turmoil. Civil wars, the AIDS epidemic, deforestation, and desertification are just a few of the problems facing Africa. A more recent threat to this ancient and fragile environment has emerged and is quickly gaining strength at devouring life – the bush meat trade. “Bush meat” refers to the smoked carcasses of various wild, and often endangered species that are sold illegally at rural markets of undeveloped countries and even at ethnic markets in developed nations. The meat of gorillas, chimpanzees, and elephants are considered delicacies and the demand for these endangered species is increasingly high. Countries at the center of this crisis are Botswana, Mozambique, Kenya, Zimbabwe, the Congo, Cameroon, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. Bush meat plays a crucial socio-economic role to many in Africa, and as such epitomizes the need to balance protection against such factors as poverty, health, and food security. Certain key issues are necessary to understand the bush meat trade:
Elephants are an endangered species and they should not be killed for their ivory or they will become extinct. In the article The Poaching Problem the author writes” elephant populations have declined to dangerously low levels.” At the rate that poachers are killing these innocent animal the entire species of elephants will be extinct in the year 2030! That is only twenty five years, I know that does not seem like a long time but it is going to go by fast and every one will regret killing all those poor innocent gentle creatures. In case study 483 they author writes “ During the 1970s and 1980s elephant poaching had included about 1.3 million elephants killed for their tusks.” It is hard to distinguish between legal and illegal ivory so it is sold easily.
Having considered both sides of the argument surrounding the Endangered Species Act, it seems logical to conclude that, despite the fact that they Endangered Species Act could stand some improvement in terms of the speed of the bureaucracy that governs it, the Act itself is quite sufficient as is as long as it is administered to the full extent of its power. There is a growing tendency in government, however, to undermine the strength of the Endangered Species Act by making decisions on when and where to apply it a political matter rather than an ecological matter (Munro, 2010). To do this is to insure that ultimately it will not just be the environment and the wile organisms that live in it that will lose, it will be mankind as well.
Imagine a world without more than half of the different species in it. Where entire ecosystems are just gone, and the whole food chain is diminished. Well, that is what would happen if we did not take care of the many species that are endangered and threatened. Even small creatures that we do not pay much attention to, like bees, are a major key to our human population. When this world had the many species it used to have, extinction was just a natural thing that happened to a species.
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).
== = = 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.
Nowadays it is common to read articles in newspapers and magazines regarding biodiversity issues. Human beings have been knowingly and unknowingly destroying biodiversity since their existence. Biodiversity is the measure of the variety of species of animals living in an area. Forests are usually areas with high biodiversity while deserts are the opposite. Human beings have always destroyed biodiversity either by deforestation, or by some other means. Biodiversity depletion is a natural phenomenon. But the present levels of biodiversity depletion are many times higher than the natural rate. Recently the levels of loss in biodiversity have started causing global concern. Some of the main causes for loss in biodiversity are alteration of habitats, increasing levels of pollution and human population growth.
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
Over the years, elephant populations have drastically declined. This is due to human encroachment on their habitat and poaching. Demand for ivory has increased the number of poaching kills in Africa. In 1988, Congress passed the 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.
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.