Endangered Species

Endangered Species

Take a minute and think about what you know about endangered species. Do you know what they are, examples of any, or why species become endangered? We will be answering those questions today.

Endangered Species

An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Threatened means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.

What Does It Mean to Be Extinct?

Extinction is the death of all members of a species of plants, animals, or other organisms.

Test Your Knowledge!

Endangered Species

African Elephant: They inhabit the dense rainforests of west and central Africa

How Many Are Endangered?

Thousands

Bornean orangutan populations have declined by more than 50% over the past 60 years.

As of the latest available data, there were thousands of species listed as endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.Some species have been successfully recovered from the brink of extinction through conservation efforts. Examples include the bald eagle, the southern white rhinoceros, and the California condor.

Years of civil unrest in the Congo (DRC) have taken their toll on both the eastern lowland gorilla

Deforestation and rampant poaching have endangered the Sundra Tiger

Causes of Endangerment

Habitat Loss

Pollution

Climate Change

Invasive Species

Pollution from sources like factories, vehicles, and agricultural runoff can contaminate air, water, and soil, making it difficult for plants and animals to survive. Pollution can also have long-term effects on ecosystems, disrupting food chains and endangering species that rely on specific environmental conditions to thrive.

Invasive species seriously disrupt ecological balances. They compete with native species for food and shelter. Often, they prey on the native species, which may lack natural defenses against the intruders. They may also carry diseases that infect the native species or may take the resources that native species require for survival.

As human populations grow, natural habitats such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands are being destroyed to make room for agriculture, infrastructure, and urban development. This loss of habitat can lead to a decline in the population of certain species, making it harder for them to find food, shelter, and mates.

As global temperatures rise, ecosystems are being altered, and species are struggling to adapt to these rapid changes. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and shifting seasons are putting additional pressure on already vulnerable species, making it harder for them to survive and reproduce..

Commercial Explotation

Animals have long been hunted by humans, not only for their meat but also for parts of their bodies that are used to create clothing, medicines, love potions, trinkets, and other things. Overhunting has caused the extinction of many species and brought a great many others to the brink.

Cause of endangerment

whales, slaughtered for oil and baleen

black rhinoceros, which is killed for its horns

bluefin tuna, which are prized as a delicacy in Asia.

Why Do You Think Each Species Below Is Endangered?

Do you think pollution, habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, or commercial explotation is to blame?

Coral Reefs

Jaguar

Red Sandalwood

How Do Ecologists Know a Species is Endangered?

Ecologists use a variety of techniques to track endangered species, each tailored to the specific needs of the species and their habitats. Some of them are more invasive (disruptive to the animal)than others. Here are some common methods:

GPS Tracking

Camera Traps-Wildlife Photos

Radio Telemetry

Mark-Recapture Studies

By fitting animals with GPS collars or tags, ecologists can monitor their movements in real-time. This data helps researchers understand migration patterns, habitat use, and behaviors.

Similar to GPS tracking, radio telemetry involves attaching a radio transmitter to an animal. Researchers use radio receivers to track the signal and monitor the animal's location and movement.

Motion-activated cameras are placed in the field to capture images of animals as they pass by. This method is non-intrusive and helps in monitoring populations, especially for elusive species..

This method involves capturing individuals, marking them with tags or other identifiers, and then releasing them back into their habitat. Researchers then recapture individuals to estimate population size and track movement patterns.

How Do Ecologists Know a Species is Endangered?

Ecologists use a variety of techniques to track endangered species, each tailored to the specific needs of the species and their habitats. Some of them are more invasive (disruptive to the animal)than others. Here are some common methods:

Field Surveys

Genetic Sampling

Satellite Imagery

Drone Images

Collecting genetic samples (e.g., from feces, hair, or feathers) allows researchers to estimate population sizes, study genetic diversity, and track individual animals through genetic markers.

This technique uses satellite images to monitor habitat changes and assess the impact of environmental changes on species distribution. This method is non-intrusive.

Regular field surveys involve searching for signs of the species, such as tracks, droppings, or nests. This method helps in estimating population size and distribution.

Using drone images to track endangered species is an innovative and increasingly popular method in conservation efforts. This method is non-intrusive.

Endangered Species Act

Watch the video for more information

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found. Violating the ESA involves most forms of interfering with the recovery of an endangered species, including trafficking, killing, harming, wounding, or simply harassing the animal or contributing to the devastation of its environment.

Why Save Endangered Species?

Ecological Importance

Healthy ecosystems depend on plant and animal species as their foundations. When a species becomes endangered, it is a sign that the ecosystem is slowly falling apart. Each species that is lost triggers the loss of other species within its ecosystem. Without healthy forests, grasslands, rivers, oceans and other ecosystems, we will not have clean air, water, or land. If we allow our environment to become contaminated, we risk our own health.

Medicine

Over 50% of the 150 most prescribed medicines were originally derived from a plant or other natural product. Unfortunately, only about 5% of known plant species have been tested for medicinal uses and there are thousands of plant species that have yet to be identified. Tens of thousands of Americans die every year from illnesses for which there is no known cure. The cures for these diseases may eventually come from plants, therefore, we must protect all species before they are lost forever from nature’s medicine cabinet.

How You Can Help: Career Callout

BE THE CHANGE

This week, you have learned how important keystone, invasive, and endangered species are. You will be creating a poster in the next activity about one of these species. Next week, we will learn about population ecology and how different species and environmental factors can influence population size. Finally, we will continue to learn how humans impact the environment in week 21 and what you can do to help the Earth.