The Importance Of Endangered Species

Since earth was created, there has been a natural phenomenon of species across the globe appearing and disappearing. However, in the past century, many species of animals have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Mainly, this rapidly occurring issue is caused by humans. Humans that contribute to the harmful actions that cause side effects such a pollution, deforestation, habitat loss and poaching. The natural rate of extinction pales in comparison to the extinction rate caused by all of these. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the current rate of extinction is 11,000 times greater than the natural extinction rate. Several different efforts have been made in order to stop or slow down the extinction of earth’s species. The Endangered Species Act is possibly the most successful example of these efforts. It’s main purpose is to get a commitment from the American people that they will work hand in hand to help save species that are at risk of becoming extinct and never returning. This act was put in place in 1973 and since then, no other law about the disappearance of wildlife has been quite as accomplished. Many different species that are protected under this law are either fully recovered or on their way to becoming safer. Laws like these are helping many different creatures left and right, however, at the alarming rate that they are disappearing, something else needs to be done. What people don’t seem to realize is that we depend on many of the animals that we are

Some animals are more vulnerable than other species to extinction. This is due to a variety of reasons some are; if certain species are only found in a specific area or location this increases their risk to become extinct, animals who depend on certain habitats or diet requirements become more exposed to the prospect of becoming extinct will not be able to adapt to alterations made from human or natural effects to their food source. Furthermore if species have long life expectancies but low reproductive rates then this impacts the species potential to become extinct. Slow moving or flightless birds are also more vulnerable to hunting and poaching due to lack of defence. Animals that have significant value to individuals, communities or countries are often more likely to become extinct due to a perspective that economic value and monetary success is more important than a species of animals. However some people hold a different view altogether that species should be held in captivity to help animals reproduce and sustain the decreasing population; this too though has negative impacts upon some species.

According to IUCN, there were 144 species that went extinct in 1800 - 1900. The number of extinct species in 1900 – 2010 is 396. If humans keep hunting endangered species, future generations will only see those animals in images or films. Many people have experienced interacting with real animals like swimming with dolphins. If this species goes extinct, future generations won’t have a chance to swim and play with real dolphins.

Many species vital to ensuring that today’s environment will thrive are becoming extinct. If a species is slowly dwindling, and in imminent danger of becoming nonexistent, this species is considered to be endangered. “One in four mammals, one in eight birds, one third of all amphibians and 70% of the world’s assessed plants on the… IUCN Red List are in jeopardy” (IUCN, 2016). According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, upwards of 16,000 species are threatened with extinction, including both plants and animals (IUCN, 2016). Before becoming endangered, a species will show warning signs, either by starting to lose biological diversity or by losing the habitats for that species to flourish in, or in the worst case, both. The word endangered can sometimes be confused with threatened, extirpated, or extinct. Extirpated refers to the state of a species where its population has died out in a certain area or range, but other populations of said species still exist elsewhere (Olden, Julian D., 2008). When a species is considered threatened, or vulnerable, this refers to the state of the species being susceptible to endangerment and extinction (“Extinction crisis escalates”). So if a species is threatened, the first signs of endangerment come along, which are similar signs to that of a species in danger of becoming threatened, including lack of genetic diversity, or overhunting may be evident. (“Extinction crisis escalates”). When a species is labelled

An endangered species is a plant or an animal at risk of becoming extinct. Scientists have estimated that up to one-third of species in the U.S. are at a high risk of extinction. In addition to donating millions of acres of land, this is essential to the recovery and survival of the endangered; the Act has shown a ninety percent recovery rate for species in the U.S. The main causes of endangerment include loss of habitat, excessive hunting, and pollution.

The categories that they get on the endangered list are: population reduction, restricted geographic range, small population size and decline, very small or restricted population, and quantitative analysis

A report from Recovering America’s Wildlife Crisis states, “More than 150 species have already gone extinct and about 40% of freshwater fish species are imperiled.” Animals are being killed off by the minute. Now the wildlife species are going to abolished from Earth.

A few of these remaining species are extremely close to extinction and if we don’t do something soon we may very well lose them good. They’re becoming extinct from the destruction of their natural habitat.

In a summary, Kolbert explains the extinctions of a variety of different major animal species that became extinct. She also explains that if trends in the environment continue that the biggest extinction in history will occur soon. If global warming, deforestation, and glaciers continue to melt she says that more and more species will continue to become extinct. She explains how humans need to be more conservative and careful with what they’re doing to prevent extinction.

According to The Endangered Species Act of 1973, the term “endangered species” means a species which is in danger of extinction. The term “threatened species” is any species which is likely to become endangered. A species may be endangered, threatened, common, or abundant in different regions at the same time. For example, the Bald Eagle was common in Alaska but endangered in the lower 40 states of the United States. The primary reason for why species become endangered or threatened is because of the loss of habitat. Unfortunately, habitat loss appears to be evitable until humans minimize their consumption of natural resources. Unlike humans, who are capable of modifying their surroundings to cope with harsh or changing environmental conditions,

Many animals are endangered and why is because too many are dying. They are either dying to many times at once or little are hunted at once but hunted often or they have died from the people killing their environment. One animal that is endangered is the tree kangaroo, this species has somewhat died from hunters and the environment. Many of these creatures die everyday even though they are such fantastic animals. It is sad seeing everyday these animals dying and one of them is the amazing Tree Kangaroo.

“Extinction means having no living representatives, having died out” (Dictionary.Com). We’re currently experiencing the worst spate of species die-offs since the loss of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago” (Center for Biological Diversity). Among all the species, there are still animals that have a hope of living the next generation. Despite being threatened they are not endangered. The orca whale, commonly known as the killer whale is a prime example. To date approximately 50,000 orca populations thrive though out the world. Previously the world wide estimate was double that, at 100,000 (Kirby). It has been found in resent studies that the orca population is decreasing due to many hardships they face such as toxins, captivity, and depletion of food.

Extinction is nothing new to animal and plant species around the earth. Over the course of time on the earth there have been five mass extinctions, with many predicting that a sixth has already begun due to human fault. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was designed to save both animal and plant life from these great feat. The ESA has seen only a 2% recovery rate since it enactment (Why is U.S. Recovery Rate (2%) for Endangered Species So Low?). Many critics and politicians have been calling for a reformation of the act for years. The ESA is in need of a change in the following areas funding distribution, time it takes to list a species on the endangered species list, and habitats on private land.

Bill Freedmen, author of “Endangered Species—Human Causes Of Extinction and Endangerment” notes, “scientists approximate that present extinction rates are 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the average natural extinction rate.” These distressing numbers should be acted upon to save the endangered species and avoid the catastrophic change to this planet if these species were to become extinct. In order to produce change, people need to recognize that habitat loss, climate change, and poaching are all factors in why our animal species are going extinct.

Endangered species help to gauge the health of ecosystems and can help individuals become more conscious of their environments and conservation issues around the globe. In recent years, various species and subspecies of rhinoceros have become threatened, endangered, and even extinct. One such subspecies, which was not only endangered, but has been declared extinct inhabitat as of June 26, 2013, is Africa's Western black rhino (Lavina, 2013).