Role of Zoos in Conservation - Essay Example

Characteristics of a Tropical Rainforest – Tropical rainforests occur at the tropics and at this region, the sun’s rays strike at an angle of approximately 90°, resulting in the incidence of intense solar energy at the tropics (Butler). Tropical rainforests are warm throughout the year with temperatures ranging between 23 to 34°C (Butler). The temperature fluctuates very little throughout the year. Tropical rainforests have very high humidity and cloud cover. As rainforests are in the intertropical convergence zone, they experience heavy rainfall, with rains being year round or seasonal depending on the forest location.

The tropical rainforests have high humidity owing to excess moisture from rainfall, heavy cloud cover and transpiration due to loss of water from leaves. Rainforests are known to generate a majority of their own rain and precipitation. For instance, the Amazon generates almost half of its own rain. Rainforests have a characteristic vegetative structure with several layers named overstory canopy, understory, shrub layer, and ground level (Butler). The canopy is the dense part of the forest consisting of a ceiling of leaves and branches of closely spaced trees.

The overstory is the upper canopy about 100-130 above the floor of the forest. The understory occurs below the canopy. The shrub layer is about 5-20 feet above the forest floor and mostly consists of shrubs and tree saplings (Butler). The wildlife varies based on which level of the forest it inhabits. Tropical rainforests have extremely high biological diversity. They are extremely important, complex yet fragile ecosystems. They, especially the Amazon rainforests, are considered the lungs of the planet because they recycle most of the carbon dioxide to oxygen.

A vast majority, i.e. more than half of the world’s plant, animal and insect species live in tropical rainforests (“Rainforest facts”). At least 80% of human’s original diet came from tropical rainforests. They provide a large number of food and medicinal products. They are extremely vital for the maintenance of normal climate as well as the biological diversity of the planet. Tropical rainforests cover only about 6% of the earth’s surface (“Where are the rainforests”). Major Rainforests are located in Central America, the Amazon, which is the world’s largest rainforest, Central Africa having the world’s second largest rainforest, Southern Asia and Australasia (“Where are the rainforests”).

Role of Zoos in Conservation – Zoos have played a very significant role in the conservation of animal and plant species as well as their habitats. They focus on education, research, breeding, and sometimes even reintroduction of animals back into the wild. Zoos have made significant efforts in animal husbandry apart from studying animal behavior. As Tribe and Booth point out, apart from their recreational value, zoos have made major contributions to conservation especially through their “ex situ actions” such as education programs, wildlife management, and captive breeding (65).

More recently, zoos have also taken active participation in insitu conservation through the recovery of endangered species (Tribe & Booth 65). In my personal opinion, most zoos have commercial interests and seek to increase their entertainment value. However, as is true in most cases, the conservation and well-being of wildlife is their primary agenda. Educating the masses about wildlife and its biological importance is also an important role of zoos. Based on my experiences, I can safely conclude that zoos have definitely fulfilled the roles they have set for themselves.

They have taken significant strides towards wildlife conservation and the preservation of their habitats. They have also been successful in educating children and adults, who would have otherwise been ignorant about the important aspects of biodiversity and the indispensability of its conservation. They also prove to be important venues for scientific research on wildlife, serving as windows to the real wild, which is otherwise inaccessible to most people. Their efforts have also led to an increase in general awareness and interest in important biological concepts that are necessary for living responsibly on the planet.

Works Cited Butler, Rhett A. “Rainforest Ecology.” Mongabay.com / A Place Out of Time: Tropical Rainforests and the Perils They Face. 9 January 2006. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. < http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/rainforest_ecology.html>. Tribe Andrew and Rosemary Booth. “Assessing the Role of Zoos in Wildlife Conservation.” Human Dimensions of Wildlife: An International Journal, 8.1 (2003), 65-74. “Rainforest facts”. Rain-tree.com. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. . “Where are the rainforests”. Srl.caltech.edu. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. . Species Common Name Species Scientific Name Species Niche (3) Species Adaptations (2+) Fish Arowana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum – Tropical Freshwater – Predates on insects – Lives solely in freshwater and is limited to rivers and streams – Behavioral adaptation – can jump out of water to catch prey – Feeding adaptation – Drawbridge-like mouth Tree Giant Kapok tree Ceiba pentandra – Tropical rainforest, emergent layer – Shelter to a large number of organisms including frogs, birds and insects – Dependant on sunlight – Foul odor attracts bats and in turn facilitates pollination – Seeds adapted to wind dispersal, fruit pods burst open and disperse seeds having silky fibers that enable wind dispersal Herbaceous Plant Sweet potato vine Ipomoea batatas – Tropical rainforest, as vines on trees – Food source for animals, esp.

arboreals – Maximum growth at temperature above 25°C – Fibrous root system adapted as storage roots – Beautifully colored flowers to attract pollinators – Leaves contain antibacterial compounds Bird Scarlet macaw Ara macao – Tropical rainforest, canopy and emergent layer – Prey to jaguars, eagles, snakes, etc – humid lowlands – Curved strong beak to break nuts and seeds –Strong tongue for holding kernel and pulling it out of the shell – Sharp talons for holding on to branches Mammal Titi monkey Callicebus moloch – Tropical rainforest, inhabits canopy – Primarily herbivorous, sometimes feeds on small vertebrates, insects and eggs – Inhabits lower regions, esp.

near rivers – Long legs to leap over trees – Long tail to grab fruits hanging from branches Reptile or Amphibian Rainbow boa Epicrates cenchria – Tropical rainforest canopy – Preys on bats, small mammals, and birds – Semi arboreal – Camouflage – Strong jaws for preying Invertebrate Rose Hair tarantula Grammostola Rosea – Coastal rainforest – Feeds on insects, crickets, lizards, other spiders, small snakes – Ground dwelling – Sensitive hair to detect slightest air movements helpful in avoiding predators – Do not build webs, hunt and kill using venom