Species Extinction

By

Shelby Pipo,

Eunice Ho,

Ayeza Waqay,

Asma Saleh,

Sophia Boudiz

2

What is Extinction?

• Extinction is the dying out of a species resulting in the complete disappearance of said species on the earth.

• If a species is endangered, then they are on the brink of being extinct.

• Extinction is forever- It is something that has been occurring naturally for millions of years, but extinction doesn’t always happen because of natural causes.

2

3

What is going on in the world?

• For millions of years about one species became extinct every century.

• But since the prehistoric times, most extinctions have happened in the last three hundred years

• ...and in the last three hundred years most of the extinctions have happened in the last fifty years

• ... and in the last fifty years most of the extinctions have happened in the last ten years

3

4

Today• Currently, there are over 8,300 endangered

plant species.

• ...and there are over 7,200 endangered animal species.

• ...and thousands more become extinct every year before biologists can identify them.

4

Endangered Animals

The CheetahThe cheetah has been listed as an

endangered animal on June 2, 1970Areas that they

have been endangered are Africa to IndiaThreatened by

habitat loss and hunting for their

spotted peltSometimes killed by farmers protecting

their live stock

Giant Panda• Has always been a rare animal

• Confined to the mountain forests of Central China

• Primarily eats bamboo

• Been hunted for extinction for it’s fur

• Suffered from habitat destruction

• Only about 1,000 Giant Pandas remain in the wild

Green Sea Turtle• The green sea turtle

is one of the largest and most widespread of all marine turtles

• Found in warm tropical waters from New England to South Africa and in the Pacific from Western Africa to the Americas

• Green sea turtles are mainly threatened by predation by animals and humans

• They are over harvested for their meat and eggs in many areas

Blue Whale• Largest mammal to have lived on Earth

• Feeds on some of the smallest marine organisms

• Over 350,000 whales have been hunted and killed

• By the 1960’s blue whales were on the edge of extinction

• Probably only 2,500 blue whales are left in the Oceans

11

Causes- Habitat Destruction

• Large areas of wildlife habitat are being covered by cement and turned into cities.

• Many forests like the Amazon for example are being chopped down, so the wood can be used for building houses and other human needs.

• This is ridding wildlife of their homes, therefore causing more animal extinction.

12

Deforestation

13

Causes-Commercial Exploitation

• Types of eploitation:

–Plant collecting

–Hunting

–Trade in animal parts

14

Causes-Nonnative Plants and Animals

• Introduction of non native or exotic plants into an ecosystem causes an imbalance in the food chain.

• An alien species can: – disrupt the natural balance

– reduce biodiversity

– degrade habitats

– alter genetic diversity

– transmit exotic diseases to native species

– further jeopardize already endangered animals and plants

15

Causes-Pollution

• Effects of Soil Pollution– Pollutin in the soil can alter plant metabolism and reduce crop yields.

– Trees and plants absorb soil contaminants and pass them up the food chain.

– Animals low on the food chain can eat harmful chemicals which then pass up the food chain to larger animals.

• Effects of Air Pollution: – Acid rain kills many species of fish in lakes and streams and hurt much

of plant life.– The deteriorating ozone layer cause by some air pollutants allows

radiation from the sun through which may cause skin cancer in wildlife and also the excessive radiation is harmful to plant life.

16

Causes-Pollution

•Effects of Water Pollution:– Water pollution can disrupt photosynthesis, and aquatic plants can

absorb pollutants and pass them along the food chain.– Too much sodium chloride, materials such as mud and clay from

construction sites, and herbicides in water can kill plants.– Nutrient pollution can cause outbreaks of fish disease and

overgrowth of toxic algae that gets eaten by aquatic animals– Oil pollution can hinder development of marine organisms, increase

susceptibility to disease, can affect reproductive processes, and can cause damage to the liver, kidney, and the nervous system.

– Mercury in water can cause abnormal behavior, slower growth and development, reduced reproduction, and can cause death.

– Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can cause declines, deformities, and death of fish life.

17

Causes-Human Impact

• Compared to previous causes, today the main causes are from humans.

Preservation Efforts

What programs are doing to protect global biodiversity and encourage

restoration of endangered species?

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972

• It was passed by the U.S. Congress to protect the many mammals who live in the world's oceans.

• Banned the killing and importing of whales and nearly all marine mammals.

• preventing the harassment, capture, injury, or killing of all species of whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions.

Endangered Species Act of 1973

• Broadens the federal protections for endangered animals and plants

• Extended aid to state governments for wildlife protection

• The act seeks to conserve the ecosystems of endangered and threatened species

• Carry out international conventions made to protect endangered species.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1929

• Captive breeding of endangered species later released in the wild to restore or add to a breeding population.

• Hunting, taking, capturing, killing, possessing, selling, purchasing, shipping, transporting or exporting of any migratory bird, part, nest or egg will not be allowed.

• Transportation or importation of migratory birds is unlawful.

UN help to species extinction

United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)

CITES IUCN WCMC ESA

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CITES is one of the organizations supported by the UN (UNEP) to protect and help species extinction.

This convention is an international agreement between governments (signed by 125 nations in 1973 and put into effect in 1975).

Its purpose is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival, restricting exploitation of endangered plants and wildlife by regulating and restricting

their trade.

United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre

UNEP-WCMC, the world's foremost intergovernmental environmental organization.

This organization is trying to grow as much as possible to be internationally recognized as a Centre of Excellence, that provides authoritative, strategic and timely information for conventions, countries, organizations and companies to use in their development and implementation of their policies and decisions.

They have created a “strategic plan” which is based on creating a world where biodiversity counts.

International Union for Conservation of

Nature This is an organization associated with UN (UNEP), trying to help the world

find solutions to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature. Founded in 1948 as the world’s first global environmental organization,

founded by goverments, non-goverment foundations, agencies, corporations, etc.

IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage

natural environments.

Endangered Species Act This organization signed on

December 28, 1973, provides for the conservation of the species that are endangered or threatened and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend.

The ESA is one of the most progressive national wildlife protection laws ever enacted, it is constantly threatened by development industries unhappy

with the government restrictions. ESA associated with other

organizations, develop and implement “recovery plans” of threatened and endangered species.

What we can do to prevent species from

going extinct-Conserve habitats

-Make space for our wildlife

-Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse

-Join an organization

-Tell Others