...Final Paper (Summary of Endangered Species Act) Endangered Species Act “What is an endangered species?” is a question that needs to be addressed before getting known of endangered species act. An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct due to three possible reasons: it is few in numbers. According to the theory of Exponential Growth Curve proposed by Malthus, a lower population tends to have a lower reproductive rate and thus a higher risk of going extinct; or a species is threatened by changing environment. A species which fail to adapt a new environment by means such as mutation which creates new “fitting” genes tends to have a higher risk of going extinct; or it is affected predation parameters. In a community, defined as a group of interacting organisms sharing a populated environment, the population of a species is highly dependent on one another. If the predator population of a species is high, this can limit its reproductive rate and thus the population growth. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an organization which “helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.” (IUCN “About IUCN”)According to one of its reports, the endangered species is 40% of all organisms, which has reached the stage of alarm that endangered species conservation policies must be implemented in no time. IUCN is a leading endangered species act organization which...
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...Endangered Species Biological diversity, or biodiversity for short, refers to the variety of life across all levels of biological organizations, including the diversity of species (Withgott & Laposata, 2012, p. 49). Biodiversity at all levels is being lost to human impact, irretrievably when species become extinct. Once vanished, a species can never return. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Global Species Program along with the Species Survival Commission (SSC) and partners, such as the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), assess the status of species on a global scale for the IUCN Red List in an effort to underline possible extinction, thereby encourage their conservation (IUCN, 2014). All assessments or reassessments for publication on the IUCN Red List must use categories, such as Endangered (EN) and criteria (e.g., Continuing decline in EOO, AOO, habitat, locations or subpopulations, or mature individuals and/or Extreme fluctuation in EOO, AOO, locations or subpopulations, or mature individuals) as adopted by the IUCN Council (IUCN, 2014). In 2012, the Atrichornis clamosus (also known as Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Scrubird) was uplisted to Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In questioning why, large lighting-induced fires and other small-scale unexplained events further declined population size and habitat quality on the south coast of Western Australia . However, these species...
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...The Red Wolf: An Endangered Species The Red Wolf (Canis rufus) is an animal currently listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). As with many of the endangered species of the world, this species once inhabited an area much larger than it currently exists in. The USFWS as well as the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) are currently working to secure a future for the Red Wolf. Historically, the Red Wolf, numbering in the thousands, roamed a vast area ranging from south central Texas to Florida and northward as far as the Ohio River. There are, however, those who maintain that the species existed as far north as Pennsylvania and others believing this area included Maine (USFWS, 2007). Regardless of how large their domain was the Red Wolf eventually became extinct in the wild. Those left numbered only in the few hundreds and lived in captivity. Not until 1987 did the Red Wolf return to the wild where they today only number just over 100, and these only exist in a very small area of eastern North Carolina. Organizations such as the USFWS and NCWRC continue to monitor the Red Wolf population. They have solicited help from local citizens who inform these groups of interactions with the species. Installing passageways, both under and over existing roadways, has increased access to habitat that limits the species mortality. Examples such as these help to insure an increase of the Red Wolf population. ...
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...Manatees are a marine mammal that has been classified on the endangered species list for many decades. The Florida Manatee lives off the coast of Florida, in both freshwater and seawater. In order to be on the endangered species list, an animal must have lower population rates and ongoing threats to their wellbeing which can include environmental threats and human threats (Allen et al., 2014). Due to the Florida Manatee population being only 4,834 in 2011 and a low reproduction rate of only one calf every 3 months, this puts the species high on the endangered list (Allen et al., 2014). With this, environmental factors include cold stress syndrome and red tide bloom affect these animals. Additionally, humans have directly impacted the Manatees based on their environment and harmful boating accidents. In order to stabilize the Manatee population, laws have been put into effect and people need to recognize the ongoing threat they portray to the environment of the manatee...
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...Professor Wooten 10/20/2013 Human beings are considered to be the most advance species on the planet. This also makes us the most intrusive species on the planet. We effect our environment more than any other living creature. Our populations continue to grow exponentially each year and as they do we intrude on other species habitats even more. Considering we are the most advanced species it is our responsibility to ensure the safety of all other species and do what we can to shorten the endangered species list. The conservation of wildlife is an incredibly important goal that all people should take part in. “Successful species conservation has often been defined as simply the avoidance of extinction” (Redford 2011.) This is the most important goal of anyone interested in wildlife conservation. It is important for us as a species to take responsibility and make the effort to keep other species away from extinction. Wildlife conservation is not something that can only be handled by professional members of organizations. Anyone can do their part to help protect a species in need. In some cases it is as simple as refraining from harmful activities such as hunting for sport. Hunting is a major conservation concern (Selvan & Veeraswami, p11.) If people raise awareness about how hunting effects the populations of large bodied animals perhaps we can help to reduce the damage done to these species. Hunting has been a part of every culture since the dawn of time. Once, it...
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...opportunities. The Chinese Giant Salamander, the largest amphibian, is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN red list (IUCN 2012). Since the 1950s, the species population has dropped significantly. Its main threat is overexploitation for human consumption. The Chinese Giant Salamander farming industry adds increased threat including infectious disease and loss of genetic integrity (Murphy et al. 2000). The Chinese Giant Salamander is one of three living species in the family, Cryptobranchidae, which is over 170 million years old. The Chinese Giant Salamander is especially important for conservation because this amphibian has one of the longest family lineages alive today. The Chinese Giant Salamander is considered a delicacy in China. Although the Chinese Giant Salamander farming industry is only about a decade old, it is extremely detrimental to the species. It has an estimated population decline of more than 80% in three generations with a generation time of approximately 15 years (Gang et al. 2004). These farms cannot contribute to the population because many of them are inbred which decreases genetic variability and birthing of weaker individuals. Disease such as ranaviruses spread throughout the farm, which can become detrimental to the wild population. The Chinese Giant Salamander is listed on Appendix I of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered...
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...Geographic). The Hawaiian Monk Seal population was observed to decline from 1,520 total individuals in 1983 to 1,209 in 2011(“Neomonachus schauinslandi”IUCN red list). They are amazing swimmers which allows them to move around very easily in the water(“Hawaiian monk seal” Seals-World). Now that you see how significant this attempt is, please use your role in the Hawaiian government to help protect this animal since they are the only seal native to Hawaii, it is one of two remaining ancient seals, and without it, the Hawaiian ecosystem could be diminished for future generations...
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...are classified into 26 orders containing 4500 living species around the world which is categorized in the phylum Chordata (Ortleb & Cadice, 1991). During the middle age, a small animal of the size of a dog appeared and was the lineage from the reptiles. Ortleb and Cadice (1991) stated that different from reptiles, mammals are warm-blooded, they give birth and breast feed their young ones. Also, most mammals are covered with fur or hair and they are the only group of animals with a diaphragm (Francis, 2008; Ortleb & Candice, 1991). Mammals play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem as they aid in the conservation...
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...Manatees are a marine mammal that has been classified on the endangered species list for many decades. The Florida Manatee lives of the coast of Florida, in both freshwater and seawater. In order to be on the endangered species list, an animal must have low population rates and ongoing threats to their wellbeing which can include environmental threats and human threats (Allen et al., 2014). Due to the Florida Manatee population being only 4,834 in 2011 and a low reproduction rate of only one calf every 3 months, this puts the species high on the endangered list (Allen et al., 2014). These environmental factors include cold stress syndrome and red tide bloom. Humans have impact the Manatees directly through their environment and harmful boating...
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...First, I decided to do some research on the conservation status of Sea Turtles. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the global statuses are classified as followed: • Leatherbacks: Vulnerable • Greens: Endangered • Loggerheads: Endangered • Hawksbills: Critically Endangered • Olive Ridleys: Vulnerable • Kemp’s Ridleys: Critically Endangered Sea Turtles are among the list of top endangered species. Of the seven species, six are considered endangered. Among those six species are the Green Sea Turtles. Several factors have contributed to their rate of extinction. These factors include: climate change, oil spills, unmanaged coastal development, illegal trade, human consumption, and predators. According to the WorldWildlife webpage, “Incidental capture by fishing gear is the greatest threat to most sea turtles, especially endangered loggerheads, greens and leatherbacks. This threat is increasing as fishing activity expands” (wwf.org). Upon my research, I found another surprising factor that is currently contributing to sea turtle extinction. I discovered the article, “Invasive algae, pollution cause lethal tumors on sea turtles”. The lethal tumors have been most prevalent in Hawaii’s Green Sea Turtle Species. The tumors are linked to the invasive algae, “Superweed”. The algae grow along an area, where nutrient pollution is not managed regularly. When the sea turtles consume the invasive algae, the amino acids from the algae stimulate...
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...pick up nutrients while in the gut. Thus, in some cases, blue-green algae blooms have been exacerbated by grass carp. Also, Microcystis has been shown to produce more toxins in the presence of grass carp. Grass carp, which have natural defenses to their toxins, sometimes can contain enough algal toxins in their systems that they become hazardous to eat. Ecosystem’s evasive species The Burmese python has its origins in Southeast Asia and was introduced in Everglades in 1979. Perhaps no other invasive species has attracted as much media attention at Burmese pythons in Florida, particularly after spectacular photographs and eyewitness accounts of struggles between native alligators and these snakes were released. Burmese pythons have voracious appetites and have been found to eat animals ranging in size from wrens to white-tailed deer. A study by Michael Dorcas of Davidson College found some mammals populations have dropped 90 percent in areas populated by the pythons. They share the top of the food chain in the Everglades with alligators and prey on 39 endangered species and 41 additional rare species. They continue to be sold as pets; around 6,000 pythons were imported into Miami from 2003 to 2005. They are removed immediately from Everglades National Park; as of 2007, national park staff report extracting a total of 600 pythons. Another 300 were captured in 2008 alone. As of 2012, it's estimated 30,000 are living in South Florida in 2012. The Common Myna has its origins in...
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...Thomas 1 There are 16,928 species listed as endangered and 905 listed as extinct in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List criteria (Tobin, 2010). Many ways have been discussed on how to prevent these endangered species from adding to that list of 905, but most have failed. The most basic and probably most efficient way to end extinction of species would be to stop invading their habitats. However, that won’t happen. So, scientists have dug deeper into biology and are testing stem cells on these endangered animals in an effort to put them back at a sustainable level of species survival. This stem cell research is a very good strategy to help these endangered species and prevent their extinction. Stem cells are biological cells found in multicellular organisms that can divide into many different specialized types of cells. The potential for these cells to divide into specialized cells is called potency. Stem cells can self produce, which makes them very useful in the medical field. The two categories of stem cells are embryonic and somatic. The embryonic stem cells are obtained from embryos form using in vitro fertilization. Somatic, or adult, stem cells are obtained from bone marrow, the heart, brain, and other parts of the adult body, but are very small in quantity, which makes them more difficult to obtain (‘Stem Cell Information”, 2009). Some say that stem cell research should not be carried out because of what their religion tells...
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...Leontopithecus chrysomelas The Golden- headed lion The Leontopithecus chrysomelas species is listed on the Red List as an Endangered species A2c,due to an estimated reduction of greater than 50% in the last three generations (21) years. The high rate of forest loss or habitat destruction of the Atlantic forests has the Remaining populations highly fragmented. Threats to the population include illegal logging, poaching, mining, infrastructure development and urbanization. They were first listed as endangered in 1982, moving up to critically endangered in 1996, then back to endangered by 2003. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) who are dedicated to finding solutions to our most environment and development challenges; warns that extreme deforistization is causing habitat fragmentation. This is leaving no chances of expansion for the population therefore if something is not done this will lead to the extinction of the species. The IUCN’s has a mission to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the biodiversity and integrity of nature and, to make sure that the natural resources of the world are equitable and ecologically sustained. One of the solutions to the problem would be to support the Guaraquecaba Climate Action Project - Reforestation and Forest Enhancement. The Sociedada de Pesquisa em Vida Selvagem e Educaao Ambient (SPVS), is a Brazilian conservation organization...
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...the industrial revolution began producing carbon dioxide and methane at rates sufficient to change their compositions in the atmosphere (Ruddiman, 2003). This increase in greenhouse gases resulted in slow natural loss of terrestrial biomass. Historical research has indicated that human activities play a role in the extinction of numerous large animal species (Roberts et al., 2001). In 1964, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list was formed for global conservation status of biological species. The species are classified into 9 groups based on rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution and degree of population and distribution fragmentation (IUCN, 2017a). This is a valuable list which specifies the global conservation status of plants and animals. One of the 9 classification groups is endangered. Endangered species are defined as species that are facing threats which might lead to extinction in a short time (Botkin & Keller, 2011). As human alterations on earth are becoming substantial and forever growing, habitats of species become altered and destroyed. The disappearance of species leads to loss of ecosystem...
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...Helmke Business Public Policy Endangered Species Act Extinctions have occurred throughout our planet's natural history. Some species develop as others die out, making space in the ecosystem for those best suited to any given habitat's natural conditions. Long before human beings arrived, fossil records show that populations of animals evolved, thrived, declined, and became extinct. However, the rate of extinctions in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries drastically increased to an estimated 100 to 1,000 times the normal expected rate of extinction. The majority of these accelerated extinctions can be directly traced to mankind's impact upon the natural environment in the form of hunting, fishing, agriculture, development, pollution, habitat encroachment, disease, and global climate change. Due to the increasing number of endangered species, as well as, species becoming extinct, the United States Congress decided to take action. Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1966, providing a means for listing native animal species as endangered and giving them limited protection. The Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Defense were to seek to protect listed species, and, insofar as consistent with their primary purposes, preserve the habitats of such species. The Act also authorized the Service to acquire land as habitat for endangered species. In 1969, Congress amended the Act to provide additional protection to species in danger of “worldwide extinction”...
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