Endangered Species and Conservation of Threatened Mammalian Species - Essay Example

Animal Extinction Name Course Instructor Date Animal Extinction Introduction Biology and ecology vividly define extinction as the end of an organism or groups of organisms, commonly referred to as a species. The extinction is viewed as the death of the final individual of the species, even though the capacity of breeding and recovering can be lost long before this moment. Extinction faces a lot of controversial discussions since the potential range of species may be significantly wide, to determine the extinction of species may not be easy, and is normally done retrospectively. The difficulty of determining the moment of extinction leads to a phenomena known as the Lazarus taxa, which is a situation whereby a species that was presumed to be extinct surprisingly re-appears. In this paper, main focus is accorded to the extent and nature of animal extinction, as well as highlighting some of the major causes as well as giving suggestions of improvements. Body New species come emerge through evolution through the process of speciation, since new varieties of organisms arise and strive to thrive the moment they have the capability of finding and exploiting an ecological niche. On the other hand, extinction of species occurs when the organisms can no longer survive in the ever transforming conditions or when they cannot withstand competitions superior to them. Amazingly, a species will become extinct within a whooping 10 million years since it first emerged or appeared. However, some species which are also known as living fossils are able to withstand non transformation for several years, normally millions of years. It is significant to note that most extinction normally take place through natural effects, without intervention of human beings. Mass extinctions rarely occur, while on the other hand, isolated extinctions are a very common occurrence. In recent times, researchers and scientists have been alarmed by the high rates of extinctions. Scientists have further predicted and estimated that up to 50% of the species that presently exist may face extinction by 2100 (Datta 2001). Characteristics of Extinction A species become extinct when the final and last member of that particular species dies. Therefore, the true term of extinction formally occurs when there are no individuals of a particular species surviving, which have the capability of reproducing, breeding and creating new generation. Moreover, species can become functionally extinct when only few individuals of that particular species survive and are not able to carry on with the reproduction activity as a result of poor health, age, scarce population distribution over a large range, lack of opposite sex individuals to ease mating in sexually reproducing species among other reasons. The moment specie is declared extinct, it is imperative to ascertain that the species facing extinction must be identified uniquely from any ancestral or daughter species, or from other species that are closely related to them. In ecology, informal use of the term extinction is replaced by local extinction, which refers to a species ceasing to exist in a particular area of conducting study, even though that particular species exist elsewhere in the world, a phenomenon that is commonly referred to as extirpation. Scientists can withhold local extinction by replacing the species with the same species found from other places where they also exist. On the opposite, the species that are not extinct or threatened by extinction are known as extant. Extinction Management decisions & activities Humans strive very hard to preserve critically endangered species through creation of conservation status known as Extinct in the Wild (EW). Species that are listed in this category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are perceived to possess any living specimens in the wild, and only found in the zoos or in other artificial areas (Timmins & Trinh 1999). Some of the species in these environments are perceived to be functionally extinct since they do not form part of their natural habitat, and the chances of restoring the species to wild are very minimal. To effectively encounter such a situation, modern zoological institutions strive to maintain a population that is viable for preservation of species and a possible future restoration to the wild via applying necessary and planned programs of breeding. The extinction of specie can be a threat that might cause further extinctions of other species. These processes are also referred to as chains of extinction. Actors and institutions Extinction has been widely covered by zoologists and biologists, as well as other players outside the scientific field. Various high-profiled organizations with vested interests in extinctions have been formed. For instance, Worldwide Fund for Nature has been created with an aim of preserving species from extinction. Attempts such as enactment of vital laws, have been made to avoid destruction of habitats, over-harvesting in agriculture as well as pollution. It is worth noting that even though some extinction have been accidentally caused by human beings, in other instances, there have been deliberate destruction of a number of species by human beings, such as the destruction of dangerous viruses, and suggestions have been passed regarding the destruction of other problematic species. Poaching or deliberate killing of some species simply because they were undesirable have deliberately led to extinction of certain species. Other human agendas, such as creation of homes and tilling land have also led to the extinction of certain species. For instance, an American bison almost faced extinction by big hunts that were provoked by the government of the United States, in order to forcefully remove the Native Americans, who majorly depended on bison for consumption. Biologists from the University of Arizona asserts three reasons necessary for scientific interest in the species preservation, namely; hereditary resources, constancy of bionetwork as well as ethics; and in the most recent times, the scientific community acknowledges the importance of maintaining biodiversity(Datta 2001). Resources and Flows In the modern world, commercial and industrial interests in most instances have to adequately contend with the impacts of production on both plant and animal life. Conversely, some technologies that possess minimal or no proven harmful impacts on human beings can be detrimental to wildlife. Jared Diamond, a bio-geographer argues that in as much as big business may perceive environmental concerns as exaggerated and normally because severe damage, some notable organizations have vested good interests to practice good conservation methods, and go as far as engaging themselves in ample and effective conservation methods than those practiced by national parks. Governments normally perceive the loss of local species as a setback to ecotourism and therefore resort to establishing legislations with adverse punishment against the vice in local species in their endeavors of preventing extinction in the wild. Governments create and establish nature preserves as a method of providing habitats to species. In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity has ended up resulting in programs of international Biodiversity Action Plan which try to provide significant guidelines for government biodiversity conservation. People who reside near nature fully depend on the survival of all the species in their locality, thus exposing them to risks of extinction. Furthermore, many individuals give priority to their day to day survival as compared to the conservation of species; with human population ever increasing in population in tropical developing countries, enormous pressure exist on forests due to the need to increase agricultural production, which have resulted to applying agricultural methods that are detrimental to the wild life, such as slashing and burning that destroys the habitats of species. Time and Space Extinction was first described in 1750s, at a time when people did not want to fully acknowledge the threat caused by extinction, by holding the belief in the Great Chain of Being, which was a theological notion that did not advocate for links that were missing. The notion of Great Chain of Being made individuals not to accept the possibility of extinction before the 1800s. An outstanding naturalist, Carl Linnaeus could not withhold the assertions that human beings could be the grounds of extinction. Furthermore, the moment scientists and researchers had not thoroughly covered and examined the extinction, they could not rule out the idea that animals which could only be found in the fossil record were not in hiding in places that were not explored. In the current situation, scientists have fully embraced the fact that indeed extinction is a monster that lives with us. In 1998, approximately 400 biologists from the American Museum of Natural History in New York carried out a survey. A whooping 70% held a belief that they were experiencing the initial stages of extinction, which is also referred to as Holocene extinction. The results portrayed that 70% of interviewees predicted that by 2028, 20% of all the existing populations would be extinct. In 2002, it was projected that if the present tempo of human-caused destruction continues to take place, half of all the species living on earth would face extinction in 100 years time. Presently, it is approximated that about 100 to 1000 species are facing extinction in the planet earth’s evolution (Timmins & Trinh 1999). Causes of Extinction Besides human beings being the major cause of extinction, there are other fundamental causes of extinction that nonetheless are directly initiated by human activities. Loss of habitat which is caused by human demand is perceived to be the most significant cause of animal extinction. It is worth noting that the main habitats for tropical animals are the rainforests. The same tropical forests are cut for wood or timber, petroleum resources development, mining of mineral resources, planting of agricultural plants as well as subsistence farming. Changes in the animal habitats results to a reduction of biotic integrity, commonly known as ecosystem health, depletion of local species and simplification of the existing habitat system through crop plantation. It seems not destructive when each piece of habitat is individually destroyed, though the impacts can be cumulative. This therefore implies that when 90% of the current habitat is destroyed, then about 50% of the species will be faced with extinction. International wild life trade is also a major cause for extinction. Both legal and illegal wildlife trades as well as poaching also pose a major threat to the well being of animal population. However, the introductions of restrictions and banning on worldwide trade in population of endangered species have been effective in measuring and stopping this menace. Pet trade also causes extinction of animals. A major pet trade in endangered population took place in Miami in the late 80s. in this regard, television shows that featured an orangutan, an endangered species saw an increase in the illegal trade, that resulted to about 1000 young orangutans entering the country through dubious means and were sold through advertisements placed on Taiwan’s newspapers. Other causes of extinction include fur trade, which was popular in the late 50s and early 60s, almost led to extinction of certain animals. For instance, pelts of more than 10,000 leopards, 15, 000 jaguars, 3000 cheetahs and 200,000 ocelots were imported in United States and Europe as a legal trade on an annual basis (Timmins & Trinh. 1999). This activity was halted and if it had not been checked, then these animals would have been extinct by now. Bush-meat trade is the practice of consuming meat of wild animals as food. This is a major practice in central Africa, since it is a major income generating project particularly to those living in the rural areas. Most importantly, the consumption of animal meat has been deemed to not only led to extinction, but has also been connected to be the cause of a wide range of diseases such as AIDS, which was transmitted from primates to humans. Other causes of extinction are; animal body parts trade such as the elephant tusks, global change, climatic changes, and pollution as well as rancher shootings. Counter measures to extinction It is imperative for all protagonists such as human beings, governments, environmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and activists to channel all their efforts in ensuring that species preservation is maintained at all costs. When a species is perceived to be an endangered one, necessary steps should be put in place to ensure that they are not extinct. One of the strategies that can be put forward is the establishment of animal orphanages and also ensuring that mating species are put together with the opposite sex to further breeding. Laws are also to be enacted to protect species from human effects that may lead to extinction. Trade in animal products or parts such as fur, elephant trunks and skins should be banned if not strictly regulated. This will ensure that contribution to extinction from the trade in animal parts is eradicated. Encroachment on habitats due to high population pressure can be countered by having reserves for the animals, which are protected from settlement by human beings. Conclusion Animal extinction is a major threat to the animal population and other species. As earlier discussed in this paper, the major cause of extinction is human beings, who are seen to be selfish in fulfilling their own needs at the expense of other creatures. Other causes of extinction are closely related to human destruction. Governments should put in place necessary legislations that would result in halting extinction, hence, different species population are conserved in future. Human beings, being intellects should be at a good position of learning the past experiences and strive to fully eliminate the many causes of extinction that they cause. Human population should strike equilibrium between human and animal welfare since this is the only major solution to extinction and results to harmony of man and nature. Reference list Dr. Datta, S. 2001 ‘Endangered species’ 6th edn. Viewed 28-March-2011 http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/Radioserials/Back_Ground_Brief_for_Endangered_species%20 (2).pdf Timmins, RJ. & Trinh, CH. 1999, An assessment of conservation, Cambridge, UK. Read More