Endangered Species
What Does Endangered Mean?
Endangered
means exposed to danger, harm or loss. Therefore, Endangered Species
means species, (animals & plants), that has so few members that it
is in danger of dying out. For the most part endangered means there
is still time. The world today can still help out by doing little things
here and there, like building a birdhouse. We are living in a period
of mass extinction, and every little amount of help can make a difference.
If we donít do something to preserve the wildlife, plants and animals are
going to disappear instantly, just like the dinosaurs did. Extinction,
ceasing to exist, is increasing more and more. The plant and animal population
of our world is vanishing at the rate of 100 species per day.
What Some Endangered Animals?
Thereís a wide range of species that are endangered.
Here is a list to name a few: African & Asian Elephant, Hybrid Spider
Monkey, Gorilla, Red Wolf, Amur & Anatolian Leopard, Snow Leopard,
Asiatic Cheetah, Florida Cougar, Iberian Lynx, Tiger, Marine Otter, Giant
& Lesser Panda, Wild Bactrian Camel, Black Rhinoceros, Broomís Pygym-Possum,
and Giant Armadillo. Thatís just to name a few. Thereís also a broad listing
of birds, fish and plants. The Whale Species is any various large
mammals that live in the sea and have a fishlike form, with a flat, horizontal
tail and with front limbs modified into flippers.
Itís amazing to see how many different species are becoming extinct everyday. All living things interact with their environment. Whether pollution, toxic waste, overpopulation, or some other hazard threatens wildlife, we have to learn that the environment is shared between humans and animals. We need to decrease the amount of woods we cut down; most animals live there. Burning the rainforest is another major problem. We are destroying animals homes and actually helping their extinction.
What Is Causing These Animals
to Become Extinct?
We live in a dynamic world, and habitats,
the places that provide everything a plant or animal needs to live and
grow, are always undergoing changes at all sorts of levels. However, natural
changes usually occur at a slow pace, so that impacts on individual species
tend to be slight -- at least in the short term. When the pace of change
is greatly accelerated, there may be no time for individual species to
react to new circumstances, and the effects can be disastrous. This is
the reason that rapid habitat loss is regarded as the chief
cause of species endangerment, and there is no force more potent in this
regard than human beings. Habitat is the key to wildlife survival.
To a greater or lesser extent, every part of the earth has been affected
by human activities, especially during this past century. This applies
on virtually every scale, from the loss of microbes in soils that once
supported tropical forests, to the extinction of fish and other aquatic
species in polluted freshwater habitats, to changes in global climate induced
by the release of greenhouse gases. The population, all the organisms
living in a giving area, also has a tremendous effect on animals. Each
environment has a certain carrying capacity. If we keep cutting down
forests, only a limited amount of animals and plants are going to be able
to live there.
What Can We Do To Help?
Conserve habitat. One of the most important ways
to help threatened plants and survive is to protect their habitats permanently
in national parks, nature reserves or wilderness areas. There they live
without too much interference from humans. It is also important to protect
habitats outside reserves such as on farms and along roadsides. Make space
for habitat. Build a birdfeeder and establish a birdbath for the neighborhood
birds. Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse. Encourage your family to take public
transportation. Walk or ride bicycles rather than using the car.
Why is it Important To Care About
Endangered Species?
Plants and animals hold medicinal, agricultural,
ecological, commercial and aesthetic/recreational value. Endangered species
must be protected and saved so that future generations can experience their
presence and value.
Bibliography:
http://www.endangered specie.com
http://w1.adhost.com/ckmc/bagheera/
http://www.freefoto.com
http://eelink.net/EndSpp/
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/