Endangered Species



There are thousands of endangered species, which are populations

of both plants and animals whose numbers have been diminished so

they're very close to extinction. Over the past two hundred years, more

than 10 thousand species have become extinct worldwide (Stalcup 19). In

2002, nineteen animals and six plants were on the list of endangered

species in New York State (Kurpis "In Your State"). Only four years later,

however, those numbers grew to twenty four animals and ten plants.

These species include the bald eagle, lynx, and gray wolf (U.S. Fish &

Wildlife Service). The states that have the highest number of endangered

species are Hawaii with about 317 endangered species, followed by

California 308 species (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service "Map"). The primary

cause of endangerment is the destruction of a species' habitat, but other

factors such as pollution, hunting, and natural changes add to the

growing number of endangered animals. Today, there are many simple

ways and organizations to reduce the number of endangered species.

Natural changes in the habitats usually occur gradually over long

periods of time, but humans speed up the process by interfering by

things such as deforestation and hunting. If the environment and climate

changes too quickly, animals will not have enough time to adapt and

there for die out. Because of human interference, only about 5 percent of

the original forests from colonial times in the United States are still

standing today (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia "Causes of"). Humans

exploit land (the homes of thousands of animals and plants) to use for

their own personal use, causing these indigenous species to be almost

homeless (Ricciuti). Many farmers hunt or trap animals in order to protect

their livestock, and others even use poison. The chemicals they use to

poison are hard to monitor which animals are affected by them, therefore

it is possible that other animals that were not intended to be harmed can

become ill or die (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia).

Swamps and marshes are drained, rivers are dammed, and forests

of all kinds are cut down all over the world. As these homes are

destroyed, the animals become for susceptible to being hunted (Russell).

People hunt for many reasons, including for food, furs for clothing, and

other parts for tools. As the human population increases, more resources

are needed, therefore causing the number of animals to decline, putting

many into extinction or endangerment (Ricciuti). For example, before

whaling was unrestricted, huge numbers of the animal were killed for

their blubber, which was used like oil (Kurpis "Causes of"). Other animals

are also hunted for their furs, many of which are valuable to trade.

These animals include cheetahs, ocelots, tigers, and other wild cats.

While there are many laws again hunting certain animals, people still

poach, which is hunting illegally (Ricciuti).

Another factor for the causes of endangerment is the threat of new,

introduced species. These new species are brought to a new area, most

of the time by accident, and they can threaten the indigenous species

because they disrupt the balance of the food chain and life cycles.

Although consequences of introducing new species are not always this

extreme, the animals can be a nuisance. For example, the European

Starling was introduced in the United States in the 1890s. They eat the

same food as blue birds do. They consume food to survive in a new

climate and setting, but the blue birds do not have enough food to stay

alive. This is why today starlings are so common, but blue birds are

rarely spotted (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). The natural spread of

diseases and parasites sometimes can get out of control and infect

outrageous numbers of animals, whether they are endangered or not.

An example is the quick spread of Lyme disease in deer due to the

growing numbers of infected ticks. The Red Tide, which is a type of

algae, spreads across the ocean and harms