Facts About Endangered Species
According to scientists, more than one and one-half million species exist on the earth today. However, recent estimates state that at least 20 times that many species inhabit the planet.
In the United States, 735 species of plants and 496 species of animals are listed as threatened or endangered.
266 of these listed species have recovery plans currently under development.
There are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide.
There are more than 3,500 protected areas in existence worldwide. These areas include parks, wildlife refuges and other reserves. They cover a total of nearly 2 million square miles (5 million square km), or 3% of our total land area.
Aquatic species, which are often overlooked, are facing serious trouble. One third of the United States’ fish species, two-thirds of its crayfish species, and almost three-quarters of its mussel species are in trouble.
Elephants
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
The african elephant is classified as a member of the order Proboscidea (Elephants) and is a member of the family Elephantidae. The male stands up to ten feet high to its shoulder, and weighs up to six tons. The female is slightly smaller, and weighs up to four tons. It is classified as an endangered species due to a reduction of at least 50% of the african elephant population over the last three generations based on an index of abundance. Hunting of the african elephant is now banned in several countries, but poaching for ivory still exists.
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
The asian elephant is classified as a member of the order Proboscidea (Elephants) and is a member of the family Elephantidae. It stands up to ten feet high and twenty feet long. It weighs up to 10,000 pounds. The asian elephant is classified as an endangered species due to a reduction of at least 50% of the asian elephant population over the last three generations based on an index of abundance and a decline in area of occupancy. The Asian elephant has four subspecies: the Indian, Ceylon, Sumatran, and Malaysian elephants.
Whales
Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
The right whale is classified as a member of the order Cetacea (Whales) and is a member of the family Balaenidae. It grows up to sixty feet long, and is twelve to eighteen feet long at birth. It weighs up to sixty tons as an adult. The right whale is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 250 mature right whales and an estimated continuing decline of at least 20% within two generations. The right whale was once the most hunted of all whales, and is now protected by law.
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
The blue whale is classified as a member of the order Cetacea (Whales) and is a member of the family Balaenopteridae. The male blue whale grows to about eighty-two feet long, and the female grows to about eighty-five feet long. It weighs up to 285,000 pounds as an adult. The blue whale is classified as an endangered species due to a reduction of at least 50% of the blue whale population over the last three generations based on direct observation, an index of abundance, and actual levels of exploitation. The blue whale is the largest mammal to have lived on the earth, but it feeds on some of the smallest marine organisms: plankton.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
The fin whale is classified as a member of the order Cetacea (Whales) and is a member of the family Balaenopteridae. It grows up to eighty feet long. The fin whale is classified as an endangered species due to a reduction of at least 50% of the blue whale population over the last three generations based on direct observation, an index of abundance, and actual levels of exploitation.
Primates
Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
The golden lion tamarin is classified as a member of the order Primates and is a member of the family Callitrichidae. The golden lion tamarin's head and body are about one foot long, and the tail is slightly shorter. It weighs about one and a half pounds. The golden lion tamarin is classified as a critically endangered species due to the fact that it only exists in severely fragmented subpopulations consisting of no more than fifty mature tamarins each, and that there has been continuing decline in the golden lion tamarin population. The golden lion tamarin is one of the most endangered of all mammals.
Hybrid Spider Monkey (Ateles belzebuth hybridus)
The hybrid spider monkey is classified as a member of the order Primates and is a member of the family Cebidae. The hybrid spider monkey grows to almost two feet long, not including the tail. It weighs from ten to fifteen pounds. The hybrid spider monkey is classified as an endangered species due to the fact that it only exists in severely fragmented subpopulations, and that there has been continuing decline in the hybrid spider monkey population. The hybrid spider monkey is known for its ability to use its tail as an extra limb.
Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
The aye-aye is classified as a member of the order Primates and is a member of the family Daubentoniidae. The aye-aye is about the size of a rabbit, and is brown. It is a nocturnal animal. The aye-aye is classified as an endangered species due to a projected reduction of at least 50% of the aye-aye population over the next ten years based on levels of exploitation and a decline in area of occupancy. Also, the aye-aye has an estimated population of less than 2500 and an observed continuing decline in the form of severly fragmented subpopulations. The aye-aye builds nests out of twigs to hide during the day. It can be found on the African island of Madagascar.
Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
The gorilla is classified as a member of the order Primates and is a member of the family Hominidae. The male gorilla grows to about six feet high, and weighs up to six hundred pounds. The female gorilla grows to about five feet high, and weighs up to two hundred pounds. The gorilla is classified as an endangered species due to the projected gorilla population declining to at the highest 50% due to a decline in area of occupancy. The gorilla is the largest and most powerful primate alive, but is a peaceful and sociable animal.
Carnivores
Red Wolf (Canis rufus)
The red wolf is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Canidae. The red wolf is classified as a critically endangered species due to the estmation that its population consists of less than fifty mature red wolves.
Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
The amur leopard is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to a reduction of at least 80% of its population over the past three generations because of a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurance, or quality of habitat. The amur leopard population is also estimated to be less than 50 mature individuals. Amur leopards can be found in eastern Asia.
Anatolian Leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana)
The anatolian leopard is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 250 mature individuals and a continuing decline in numbers of mature individuals and population structure in the form of severely fragmented populations. Anatolian leopards can be found in Turkey.
Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus)
The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 50 mature individuals and a continuing decline in numbers of mature individuals and population structure due to the fact that all Asiatic cheetahs are in a single population. Asiatic cheetahs can be found in Iran.
Florida Cougar (Puma concolor coryi)
The Florida cougar is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. It is also known as the Florida panther and the Florida Puma. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 50 mature individuals. Florida cougars can be found in the United States.
Iberian Lynx (Lynx Pardinus)
The iberian lynx is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 2500 mature individuals and an extimated continuing decline of at least 20% of its population within two generations. Iberian lynx can be found in Portugal and Spain.
Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)
The snow leopard is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of no more than 2500 snow leopards and the fact that it has no subpopulation numbering more than 250 mature leopards. Snow leopards can be found in eastern Asia
Texas Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis albescens)
The Texas ocelot is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 250 mature individuals. The Texas ocelot can be found in Mexico and the United States.
Tiger (Panthera tigris)
The tiger is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Felidae. The male tiger grows up to ten feet long from its head to the tip of its tail, and weighs up to 575 pounds. The tiger is classified as an endangered species due to the projected tiger population declining to at the highest 50% due to an index of abundance and a decline in area of occupancy. The tiger consists of eight subspecies, distinguished by the colour of their coat.
Marine Otter (Lutra felina)
The marine otter is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Mustelidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to the marine otter population declining because of the levels of exploitation and a decline in its area of occupancy. Marine otters can be found in South America.
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
The giant panda is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Procyonidae. The male giant panda stands up to five feet tall, and weighs up to 265 pounds. The female giant panda is smaller and weighs less. The giant panda is classified as an endangered species due to the fact that it only exists in severely fragmented subpopulations consisting of up to 250 mature adults, and that there has been continuing decline in the area of habitat. The giant panda feeds mainly on bamboo, even though it is classified as a carnivore.
Lesser Panda (Ailurus fulgens)
The lesser panda is classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and is a member of the family Ursidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 2500 mature individuals and a continuing decline in numbers of mature individuals because of severly fragmented populations. Lesser pandas can be found in southern Asia.
Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals
Cuvier's Gazelle (Gazella cuvieri)
The Cuvier's gazelle is classified as a member of the order Artiodactyla (Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals) and is a member of the family Bovidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to a severely fragmented population estimated to number less than 2500 mature individuals. The Cuvier's gazelle can be found in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Western Giant Eland (Tragelaphus derbianus derbianus)
The western giant eland is classified as a member of the order Artiodactyla (Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals) and is a member of the family Bovidae. The western giant eland is one of the largest antelopes in Africa. It can stand up to six feet high at the shoulder. It weighs up to 1,500 pounds. The western giant eland is classified as an endangered species due to a population estimated to number less than 2500 mature individuals, an estimated continuing decline of at least 20% within 2 generations, and a continuing decline observed by the fact that all individuals are in a single subpopulation. The eland has long spiraled horns and tufted, cattlelike tails. It can be found in western Africa.
Wild Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus)
The wild Bactrian camel is classified as a member of the order Artiodactyla (Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals) and is a member of the family Camelidae. The wild Bactrian camel's shoulder height is about six feet, and it grows up to twelve feet long. It weighs up to 1,500 pounds. The wild Bactrian camel is classified as an endangered species due to a reduction of at least 50% of the wild Bactrian camel population over the last three generations based on a decline in area of occupancy and actual levels of exploitation, and due to severely fragmented subpopulations numbering no more than 250 mature camels. The wild Bactrian camel is the only truly wild two-humped camel in the world.
Manipur Brow-Antlered Deer (Cervus eldi eldi)
The Manipur brow-antlered deer is classified as a member of the order Artiodactyla (Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals) and is a member of the family Cervidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to a continuing decline in area of occupancy and the fact that there are no more than 250 mature Manipur brow-antlered deers and they live in a single population. These animals can be found in India.
Odd-Toed Hoofed Mammals
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
The black rhinoceros is classified as a member of the order Perissodactyla (Odd-Toed Hoofed Mammals) and is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae. The black rhinoceros grows up to twelve feet long and six feet high. It weighs up to three thousand pounds. The black rhinoceros is classified as a critically endangered species due to a reduction of at least 80% of the black rhinoceros population over the last three generations based on direct observation, an index of abundance, and a decline in area of occupancy. The black rhinoceros is the most aggressive species in the rhinoceros family, and can charge at speeds up to thirty miles per hour.
Marsupials
Broom's Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus)
The Broom's Pygmy-possum is classified as a member of the order Marsupialia (Marsupials) and is a member of the family Burramyidae. It is also known as the mountain pygmy-possum. The Broom's pygmy-possum is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated extent of occurrence that is less than 5000 km², a severely fragmented population, and a projected decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurance, quality of habitat, number of subpopulations, and number of mature individuals. The Broom's pygmy-possum can be found in Australia.
Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii)
The northern hairy-nosed wombat is classified as a member of the order Marsupialia (Marsupials) and is a member of the family Vombatidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to an estimated extent of occurrence that is less than 100 km², a severely fragmented population, a projected decline in quality of habitat, and an estimated population of less than 50 mature individuals. The northern hairy-nosed wombat can be found in Australia.
Rodents
Short-tailed Chinchilla (Chinchilla brevicaudata)
The short-tailed chinchilla is classified as a member of the order Rodentia (Rodents) and is a member of the family Chinchillidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to an estimated population decline of at least 80% over the past ten years based on a decline in area of occupancy and levels of exploitation. The short-tailed chinchilla can be found in South America.
Edentates
Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus)
The giant armadillo is classified as a member of the order Edentata (Edentates) and is a member of the family Dasypodidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population decline of at least 50% over the past ten years based on a decline in area of occupancy and levels of exploitation. The giant armadillo can be found in South America.
Endangered Birds
Screamers and ducks
Crested Shelduck (Tadorna cristata)
The crested shelduck is classified as a member of the order Anseriformes (Screamers and ducks) and is a member of the family Anatidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 50 mature crested shelducks. The species can be found in eastern Asia.
White-winged Duck (Cairina scutulata)
The white-winged duck is classified as a member of the order Anseriformes (Screamers and ducks) and is a member of the family Anatidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 2500 mature white-winged ducks, an estimated continuing decline of the population, and a severely fragmented population. The white-winged duck can be found in southern Asia.
Kingfishers, hornbills, and allies
Marquesan Kingfisher (Todirhamphus godeffroyi)
The marquesan kingfisher is classified as a member of the order Coraciiformes (Kingfishers, hornbills, and allies) and is a member of the family Alcedinidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to a severely fragmented population and a projected decline of mature marquesan kingfishers.
Rufous-lored Kingfisher (Todirhamphus winchelli)
The rufous-lored kingfisher is classified as a member of the order Coraciiformes (Kingfishers, hornbills, and allies) and is a member of the family Alcedinidae. The rufous-lored kingfisher is classified as an endangered species due to a reduction of at least 50% of the rufous-lored kingfisher population over the last three generations based on a decline in area of occupancy, and a projected decline of at least 50% over the next three generations based on the same reason.
Eagles, hawks, and vultures
California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
The California condor is classified as a member of the order Falconiformes (Eagles, hawks, and vultures) and is a member of the family Cathartidae. It is classified as aa critically endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 50 mature individuals. The California condor can be found in the United States.
Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus)
The Mauritius kestrel is classified as a member of the order Falconiformes (Eagles, hawks, and vultures) and is a member of the family Falconidae. The Mauritius kestrel is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 250 mature Mauritius kestrels.
Passerines
Hawaiian Crow (Corvus hawaiiensis)
The Hawaiian crow is classified as a member of the order Passeriformes (Passerines) and is a member of the family Corvidae. The Hawaiian crow is classified as a critically endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 50 mature Hawaiian crows.
Cochabamba Mountain-finch (Poospiza garleppi)
The cochabamba mountain-finch is classified as a member of the order Passeriformes (Passerines) and is a member of the family Emberizidae. The cochabamba mountain-finch is classified as an endangered species due to the existence of only a single population numbering no more than 2500 mature adults, a decline in area of habitat, and an estimated decline of at least 20% over the next ten years.
Gouldian Finch (Chloebia gouldiae)
The gouldian finch is classified as a member of the order Passeriformes (Passerines) and is a member of the family Estrildidae. The gouldian finch is classified as an endangered species due to the fact that it only exists in severely fragmented subpopulations, and that a continuing decline is projected in the number of subpopulations and the number of mature adults.
Parrots
Blue-bellied Parrot (Tridaria malachitacea)
The blue-bellied parrot is classified as a member of the order Psittaciformes (Parrots) and is a member of the family Psittacidae. The blue-bellied parrot is classified as an endangered species due to the fact that it only exists in severely fragmented subpopulations of no more than 250 mature parrots each.
Cranes, rails, trumpeters
Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
The whooping crane is classified as a member of the order Gruiformes (Cranes, rails, trumpeters) and is a member of the family Gruidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to an estimated population of less than 250 mature cranes. The whooping crane can be found in Canada and the United States.
Endangered Fish
Acipenseriformes
Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii baerii)
The Siberian sturgeon is classified as a member of the order Acipenseriformes and is a member of the family Acipenseridae. It is classified as an endangered species due to a projected reduction of at least 50% of the Siberian sturgeon population over the next ten years based on actual levels of exploitation.
Alabama Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi)
The Alabama sturgeon is classified as a member of the order Acipenseriformes and is a member of the family Acipenseridae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to a reduction of at least 80% of the Alabama sturgeon population over the last ten years based on a decline in area of occupancy and actual levels of exploitation, and a projected decline of at least 80% over the next ten years based on the same reason.
Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius)
The Chinese paddlefish is classified as a member of the order Acipenseriformes and is a member of the family Polyodontidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to a projected reduction of at least 80% of the Alabama sturgeon population over the next ten years based on a decline in area of occupancy and actual levels of exploitation.
Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Alabama Shad (Alosa alabamae)
The Alabama shad is classified as a member of the order Clupeiformes (Herrings) and is a member of the family Clupeidae. It is classified as an endangered species due to a severely fragmented population and a continuing decline in the number of mature adults.
Cypriniformes
Silver Shark (Balantiocheilos melanopterus)
The silver shark is classified as a member of the order Cypriniformes and is a member of the family Cyprinidae. The silver shark is classified as an endangered species due to a reduction of at least e0% of the silver shark population over the last ten years based on direct observation and a decline in area of occupancy.
Clanwilliam Redfin (Barbus calidus)
The clanwilliam redfin is classified as a member of the order Cypriniformes and is a member of the family Cyprinidae. The clanwilliam redfin is classified as an endangered species due to the fact that its estimated area of occurence is less than 5000 km², it is known to exist at no more than five locations, and continuing decline is projected for extent of occurence and area of habitat.
Wild Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
The wild common carp is classified as a member of the order Cypriniformes and is a member of the family Cyprinidae. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to a projected reduction of at least 80% of the wild common carp population over the next ten years based on a decline in area of occupancy and introduced pollutants, parasites, or other threats
Endangered Species Need Your Help!
Here Are Some Ways That You Can Get Involved:
Conserve Habitats
One of the most important ways to help threatened plants and animals survive is to protect their habitats permanently in national parks, nature reserves or wilderness areas. There they can live without too much interference from humans. It is also important to protect habitats outside reserves such as on farms and along roadsides.
You can visit a nearby national park or nature reserve. Some national parks have special guided tours and walks for kids. Talk to the rangers to find out whether there are any threatened species and how they are being protected. You and your friends might be able to help the rangers in their conservation work.
When you visit a national park, make sure you obey the wildlife code: follow fire regulations; leave your pets at home; leave flowers, birds’ eggs, logs and bush rocks where you find them; put your rubbish in a bin or, better still, take it home.
If you have friends who live on farms, encourage them to keep patches of bush as wildlife habitats and to leave old trees standing, especially those with hollows suitable for nesting animals.
Some areas have groups which look after local lands and nature reserves. They do this by removing weeds and planting local native species in their place. You could join one of these groups, or even start a new one with your parents and friends. Ask your local parks authority or council for information.
By removing rubbish and weeds and replanting with natives you will allow the native bush to gradually regenerate. This will also encourage native animals to return.
Make Space For Our Wildlife
Build a birdfeeder and establish a birdbath for the neighborhood birds.
Plant a tree and build a birdhouse in your backyard.
Start composting in your backyard garden or on your balcony. It eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers which are harmful to animals and humans, and it benefits your plants!
Ask your parents not to use harmful chemicals in your garden or home.
Recycle, Reduce, And Reuse
Encourage your family to take public transportation. Walk or ride bicycles rather than using the car.
Save energy by turning off lights, radios and the TV when you are not using them.
Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth and use water-saving devices on your toilet, taps and showerhead.
Ask your parents to buy products and food without packaging whenever possible. Take your own bag to the store. It will reduce the amount of garbage and waste your family produces.
Recycle your toys, books and games by donating them to a hospital, daycare, nursery school or children's charity.
Encourage your family to shop for organic fruits and vegetables.
Plant Native Plants That Are Local To The Area
If you can, plant native plants instead of non-native or introduced ones in your garden. You don’t want seeds from introduced plants escaping into the bush. Native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees are more likely to attract native birds, butterflies and other insects, and maybe even some threatened species.
Control Introduced Plants And Animals
Non-native plants and animals are ones that come from outside your local area.
Some parks and reserves, beaches, bush-land and rivers are now infested with invasive plants, and native species often cannot compete with these plants.
Many environmental weeds come from people’s gardens.
Sometimes, the seeds are taken into the bush by the wind or by birds.
Controlling these foreign species is an important step in protecting wildlife
Join An Organization
There are many community groups working on conservation activities. Join an organization in your area and start helping today!
Make Your Voice Heard
State and territory government conservation agencies are responsible for the management of national parks and the protection of wildlife. They are sometimes supported by public foundations.
Tell your family, friends and work mates about threatened species and how they can help them.
Start a group dedicated to protecting a threatened plant or animal in your area or perhaps to help care for a national park.
Write articles or letters about threatened species to newspapers.
Ring up talk-back radio programs to air your concerns, or arrange to talk on your community radio station.
Why Save 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.
Medicinal
Plants and animals are responsible for a variety of useful medications. In fact, about forty percent of all prescriptions written today are composed from the natural compounds of different species. These species not only save lives, but they contribute to a prospering pharmaceutical industry worth over $40 billion annually. Unfortunately, only 5% of known plant species have been screened for their medicinal values, although we continue to lose up to 100 species daily.
The Pacific yew, a slow-growing tree found in the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest, was historically considered a "trash" tree (it was burned after clearcutting). However, a substance in its bark taxol was recently identified as one of the most promising treatments for ovarian and breast cancer.
Additionally, more than 3 million American heart disease sufferers would perish within 72 hours of a heart attack without digitalis, a drug derived from the purple foxglove.
Agricultural
There are an estimated 80,000 edible plants in the world. Humans depend upon only 20 species of these plants, such as wheat and corn, to provide 90% of the world's food. Wild relatives of these common crops contain essential disease-resistant material. They also provide humans with the means to develop new crops that can grow in inadequate lands such as in poor soils or drought-stricken areas to help solve the world hunger problem. In the 1970s, genetic material from a wild corn species in Mexico was used to stop a leaf fungus that had previously wiped out 15% of the U.S. corn crop.
Ecological
Plant and animal species are the foundation of healthy ecosystems. Humans depend on ecosystems such as coastal estuaries, prairie grasslands, and ancient forests to purify their air, clean their water, and supply them with food. When species become endangered, it is an indicator that the health of these vital ecosystems is beginning to unravel. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that losing one plant species can trigger the loss of up to 30 other insect, plant and higher animal species.
The northern spotted owl, listed as threatened in 1990, is an indicator of the declining health of the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest. These forests are the home to over 100 other old-growth dependent species, which are at risk due to decades of unsustainable forest management practices.
Pollution off the coast of Florida is killing the coral reefs along the Florida Keys, which serve as habitat for hundreds of species of fish. Commercial fish species have begun to decline, causing a threat to the multi-million dollar tourism industry, which depends on the quality of the environment.
Commercial
Various wild species are commercially raised, directly contributing to local and regional economies. Commercial and recreational salmon fishing in the Pacific Northwest provides 60,000 jobs and $1 billion annually in personal income, and is the center of Pacific Northwest Native American culture. This industry and way of life, however, is in trouble as salmon decline due to habitat degradation from dams, clearcutting, and overgrazing along streams.
Freshwater mussels which are harvested, cut into beads, and used to stimulate pearl construction in oysters form the basis of a thriving industry which supports approximately 10,000 U.S. jobs and contributes over $700 million to the U.S. economy annually. Unfortunately, 43% of the freshwater mussel species in North America are currently endangered or extinct.
Aesthetic/Recreational
Plant and animal species and their ecosystems form the basis of America’s multi-billion dollar, job-intensive tourism industry. They also supply recreational, spiritual, and quality-of-life values as well.
Each year over 108 million people in the United States participate in wildlife-related recreation including observing, feeding, and photographing wildlife. Americans spend over $59 billion annually on travel, lodging, equipment, and food to engage in non-consumptive wildlife recreation. Our national heritage of biological diversity is an invaluable and irreplaceable resource. Our quality of life and that of future generations depends on our preservation of plant and animal species.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
ENDANGERED SPECIES
A species probably becomes extinct about every nine hours. It may be as
often as three hours: by the end of the century it may be every twenty
minutes. Why the uncertainty? There are 5-30 million species on planet
Earth but only 1.7 million have been scientifically investigated. Most
live in the canopies of remote rainforest... By the year 2050 one in
four of all plant species alive today is expected to be extinct. 25% of
US drug prescriptions are chemicals originating in wild plants. Malaria
treatment, leukemia drugs, anaesthetics and heart drugs are examples.
Extinction of plants in the USA alone is estimated to cost (US) $3
billions by the year 2000... In 1981 the official endangered species
list stood at 230. Now it is 35,000 and scientists can't keep up...
There are three main causes for these species plight: 1) Destruction of
habitat, particularly rain forest, happens through urban expansion,
logging and agricultural and forestry development. The world's
population is 5000 million and in 10 years time it will be 6000
million, 4000 million of whom will be in cities. Tropical regions are
the main areas of population growth. 2) Direct exploitation for skins,
ivory, feathers, shells, rhino horn, oils and meats. In 1975, over 164
million wildlife products entered the United States alone. Europe and
Japan are the other main markets. The trade in wild animals is
expanding to provide for zoos, the pet trade and industrial and medical
research. 3) Pollution and breakdown in natural food chains, the
importation of new competitors, predators, parasites and diseases.
RAIN FORESTS
Worldwide, at least 40% of rain forests have been lost in the last 30
years... Every minute an area of tropical forests larger than twenty
soccer fields is destroyed by logging, burning, agricultural clearance
or industrial development... Every year a forest bigger than Costa Rica
(11 million hectares) is eradicated. For every ten hectares of trees
felled, less than one is planted... 7% of the world's lands surface is
rain forest.
Panama contains over 50% of the world's species of flora and fauna.
Panama has as many plant and animal species as Europe... All mainland
Malaysian forest will be cleared by 1990. . Nigeria's rain forest will
be cleared by 2000... One cause is the provision of high quality woods
to the West. A trade as damaging but more insidious than the fur
trade... Another cause is the servicing of debts by Third World
countries, needing to produce short term dollar crops, rather than
harvesting the forest's natural wealth.... 1200 hectares of the fast
growing "Ipilipil" tree could generate the fuel equivalent of l,000,000
barrels of oil annually.
Soil
More than three billion hectares - almost a quarter of the world's land
surface - is at risk from desertification, salinization from bad
irrigation or other degradation. World- wide, an estimated 26 billion
tons of topsoil are washed or blown off cropland each year... Every
year 6 million hectares of productive dryland becomes desert... US$6
billion damage a year is done off-site by eroded soil deposited on
coral reefs, in dams and fisheries, in the USA each year... 8 million
metric tonnes of hazardous chemical wastes are leaking into Dutch soil.
Cleaning up the 21,000 abandoned chemical hazard sites in West Germany
will cost US$4 billion.
The Ozone Layer
The high level ozone layer soaks up the ultra violet rays (UV) and
prevents lethal levels from reaching the ground. The ozone is under
attack from the continued release into the atmosphere of CFCs
(Chlorofluorocarbons) A single chlorine atom can, over time, destroy
upwards of 10,000 ozone molecules... Pollution by CFC chemicals comes
from aerosols, air conditioning systems and plastic foam cartons... A
hole the size of the USA has developed in the high level ozone layer
over the Antarctic. Making enough ozone to fill the Antarctic hole
would take about three times the annual U.S. energy output - every
year... Once released, the CFC's are in the atmosphere for at least 100
years and they take about 15 years to reach the paper-thin ozone layer
(three-millimeter deep) 15 miles above the ground... Although
substitutes exist, U.S. industry sells $750 million worth of CFCs
annually (one-third of the world's production)... 20,000 extra deaths
from skin cancer may result in the U.S. alone where 500,000 cases are
diagnosed each year... UV-B also damages the human immune system. A
diminished ozone layer will make people more vunerable to a variety of
infectious diseases... UV-B causes cell and tissue damage in about
two-thirds of 200 species of plants tested at the University of
Maryland... In Antarctica last year (87), UV-B has very serious effects
on the photosynthesis and metabolism of the plankton at the base of the
marine food chain. The plankton also produces 70% of the oxygen on
Earth... A 3% thinning in the layer over Europe was detected in 1988...
In the Southern hemisphere the ozone was down as much as 5% in 87...
Monitoring stations in North Dakota, Maine and Switzerland had recorded
wintertime drops in the ozone layer of up to 9%... Every year, nearly
700 million aerosol cans are produced in Britain alone, approximately
two-thirds of the cans use CFCs... It would take an 85% cut in CFC use
just to stabilize concentrations at today's levels...
Greenhouse Effect
Because of increasing carbon dioxide and other pollution from coal burn
and industrial processes, the world has warmed up and is expected to
increase another 1.5-4.5 degrees centigrade by 2030: the Greenhouse
Effect. The result will be a sea-level rise by 2100 of between 1.4 and
2.2 meters, spreading deserts and retreating forests... The U.S.
contributes one-quarter of the Co2 load, the Soviet Union is the second
largest consumer of fossil fuels and Japan is third... To end or even
slow the warming, fossil-fuel emissions would have to be slashed 60%.
In contrast, economists forecast a doubling of such emissions over the
next 40 years... Fossil fuel use now adds some 5.4 billion tons of
carbon to the atmosphere annually, and deforestation adds between 1 and
2.6 billion tons. Since 1958, concentrations of Co2 have increased
25%...
Water Supplies and Ocean Pollution
More than two thirds of India's water resources are polluted, 98% of
China's sewage goes into rivers untreated, and in the Philipines
domestic sewage makes up 70% of the Pasig River in Manila... In 1980
four out of five child deaths in the third world resulted from disease
from dirty water supplies: 80% of people in developing countries have
no sanitation facility. Water shortage and contamination kill 25,000
people a day... Nearly 2% of US undergound water supplies are polluted:
180,000 impoundments in the US contain hazardous chemical wastes. US
produces 265 million tonnes of such chemicals a year. One American
survey found 230 hazard escaping sites: 173 in groundwater, 162 in
lakes or rivers, 65 in the air... In the USA Chesapeake Bay was highly
productive, fed by 150 rivers or streams, with 200 fish or shellfish
varieties and 2,700 other life forms: pollution cut annual catches of
striped bass there 90% 1970-83 and oysters declined 50% in 20 years...
The following toxic materials and contaminations are polluting US soil
and groundwater supplies. PCB's metal carbonyls, tellurium, asbestos,
peroxides, chorates, selenium, organic toxics, arsenic, radionuclides,
trichloroethylene, isocyanates, organohalogens, mercury, cadium,
thallium, beryllium lead, chromium. Causing: birth defects, cancers and
nervous disorders... Chemicals from oil pollution are fatal to marine
life at levels as low as one part in a million parts of seawater:
around 6 million tons of oil are dumped in the sea annually. The Indian
Ocean is most polluted... Japan's inland Sea is plagued by 200 red
tides annually; one last year (87) killed more than 1 million
yellowtail with a potential market value of US $15 million. The red
tide are caused by the decaying of algae sapping enormous amounts of
oxygen from the water, asphyxiating fish and other organisms.
Scientists believe algal growth is speeded up by the runoff of
agricultural fertilzers. A dead zone almost totally depleted of oxygen,
300 miles long and ten miles wide, is adrift (in 88) in the Gulf of
Mexico... Commercial fishermen dump 22,000 metric tons of plastic
packaging into the sea each year, along with 136,000 tons of plastic
nets, lines and bouys. More than 450,000 plastic containers are thrown
off ships daily: many choke fish or seals. As many as 2 million
seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die every year after eating or
becoming entangled in the debris.
Acid Rain
Nine-tenths of the chemical element sulphur present in the skies over
Europe and North America, now comes not from natural sources but man's
burning of coal and oil. Sulphur is a key cause of acid rain... In
north eastern USA, pollution of rain is so great that it can be 100,000
to a million times as acid as tap water and 10,000 times acid as pure
rain. In Scotland rain is some times as acid as vinegar, and snow is
turned black by power station fumes. Rain is regularly at least ten
times as acid as is natural... Acid rain decline has now affected over
7 million hectares of forest in over twenty countries... Acid rain has
eliminated trout in rivers across 35,000 sq. km of Norway, acidified
90,000 km of brooks and 18,000 lakes in Sweden, severely affected over
fifty Lochs in Scotland, 700,000 lakes in Canada and many in the
Adirondacks in the USA... In West Germany, the percentage of trees
damaged by acid rain rose from 35% to 50% between 1983 and 1984... In
Austria it has been estimated that if the forest deline continues at
its present rate, in nine years time there will be no trees left
unaffected. In Poland three areas have been officially designated
"areas of ecological catastrophe"...
Pesticides
One pesticide chemical in five exported from the USA to developing
countries has been banned or suspended on health or environment grounds
in the USA, and 490,000 poisoning cases occur in the world annually,
with one in ten ending in death... Between 1970 and 1980, the number of
resistant insects and mite pests resistant to key pesticides increased
seventeen-fold due to over use... In the UK, farmers spent over 1,000
British pounds sterling in 1982 on pesticides. 97-98% of all our
vegetables and cereals are sprayed with one or more of these chemicals.
Up to 64% of the pesticide applied to wheat may end up, unaltered, in
bread... Some pesticides sold in Britain are known to cause cancer,
birth defects, and genetic mutations. The Dirty Dozen pesticides
highlighted by the worldwide Pesticide Action Network as the most
troublesome on grounds of negative health and environmental impacts and
wide spread abuse are: paraquat (probably the world top killer, which
causes respiratory failure if inhaled or swallowed), lindane,
dischlorvos (causes nervous disorders), thiram, 2, 4, 5-T (often
contaminated with dioxins), chlordane (suspected carcinogen),
pentachlorophenol (causes liver damage), parathion (acute toxin),
aldicarb (implicated in causing spontaneous abortions), captan and
dieldrin. Many are exported to developing countries froim USA or UK.
Most are still in use in UK and USA...
Nuclear Waste
Waste radioactive nuclear fuel totalled 6,219 tons in 1970: by 1985 it
had grown to over 59,000 tons. Accumulated radioactivity dumped into
the Atlantic by Britain and other countries totals over 1 million
curies and has raised radiation levels near Windscale, four thousand
times... Plutonium dumped in the North Sea over the last 30 years would
be enough to bring cancer and death to 250 loads of radioactive waste
in store in the UK alone. Reprocessing Plutonium increases the total
volume of radioactive waste by 150 X... Reprocessing Plutonium is the
only way to produce suitable radioactive material for nuclear
weapons...
COST OF ARMS
The world spent almost one trillion dollars on weapons in 1985; more
money than the entire income of the poorest half of the world's
population. Three quarters was spent in developed countries such as
USA, East and West Europe. Half a million scientists work on developing
arms. The total sum that the United Nations estimates is needed for
tropical reforestation and conservation is equal to half a day's arms
expenditure; implementing the world plan to combat deserts would take
two day's expenditure on arms; a ten-year international plan to supply
clean water in the developing world would have taken just ten days of
military expenditure; and ten hours of world arms spending could supply
contraception to all women motivated to use family planning. Imagine
how much could be achieved with half of the world military
expenditures, equal to about 500 billion dollars a year, invested in
global security defined in sustainable development terms, or in other
words 5 trillion dollars before the end of this century equeal to about
5% of the total planetary product...
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