The polar bear. The blue whale. The white rhino. All typically classed as "endangered". But what exactly does "endangered"even mean? That there aren't many of these animals left? That they're are being hunted at a faster rate? That they're living in conditions not suitable for their population? When talking about an endangered species, the meaning behind their classification can be a little bit fuzzy. While a general understanding of the word can give some idea as to the situation of these organisms, learning the specifics can help us to understand not only the situation these animals face, but what their circumstance means for us, and the rest of the world.
What exactly is an endangered Species?
Okay, so what is an endangered animal? Well, it's really pretty close to the few ideas I mentioned up above, but with some notable difference. An endangered species (whether that be a plant, animal, or otherwise) is defined as a species that is at risk of extinction: having their population drop to zero. As many of us already know, animals can NEVER come back after they are extinct. Once the last member of the population dies out, the same species being recreated in the exact same circumstance will never happen. Once they're gone, they're gone, unless of course there's a few members of the population left in captivity. That's the basic definition, but there's one more thing we need to understand about these species.
A spectrum of population
Species aren't just endangered or not endangered, they can be anywhere in between. The way we classify a species' chance of extinction isn't just one category, it's more of a spectrum. The further along you go, the higher risk of being extinct. The classification system we use most commonly today, known as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, goes like this: first, there's Least Concern, then Near Threatened, then Vulnerable, then Endangered, then Critically Endangered, then Extinct in the Wild, and finally, Extinct. These categories help us to determine how bad a particular species' situation is.
What determines a species' category?
It's all well and good to have these categories, but how exactly are species
placed in them? It's not enough to just say that they're "close to extinction"; what does that even mean? Well, a species' proximity to extinction is determined based on two elements: one, how many members are in its population, and two, how fast those numbers are decreasing. So, a species that has more members than another may actually be closer to extinction, depending on how fast they are being hunted or losing their habitat. Based on the two criteria, a particular species is then placed into the category that best represents their situation.
Some categories obviously sound worse than others: Critically Endangered sounds a bit more important than Least Concern. However, one must remember that species in categories like Least Concern can very easily climb higher up the list. It's vital we recognize species with the potential to become endangered in order to ensure that they never actually become endangered, or extinct for that matter.
But, with about 150-200 species of plants, insects, birds and other animals becoming extinct each and every day, a system of classification isn't enough nearly enough. It's normal for species to go extinct, that's how our world works, but with 1,000 times the normal amount going extinct currently, it's a bit more cause for alarm. So who's to blame? Well, as with many other environmental problems: we are.
The Causes
As I've discussed before, many, if not all, of the world's environmental problems are connected in some way or another. Endangered or extinct animals are no exception, so here are a few of the other problems that make this problem such a terrifying one:
Deforestation- mass clearings of lumber, especially in areas like rainforests, don't just affect the animals that live in said lumber. A rainforest's trees play an integral role in keeping soil and other plants healthy. So, when the trees go, so too do the other plants that lived there. With no shelter or food, animals that were once comfortable quickly begin to die off.
Climate Change- animals, plants, and even humans are programmed to perform best in certain climates. Just like polar bears flourish in the cold, and camels in the heat, every other species has their own specific needs. So, when these climates and landscapes begin to change, as we've seen over the past few decades, animals and plants can't keep up. Their surroundings change, and with no ability to keep up, they die off.
Poaching- while not a problem for all endangered species, poaching has brought many an animal to and over the brink of extinction. Many materials, like the ivory found in the tusks of elephants, are thought to have special properties in certain parts of the world. As a result, animals (or even plants) with these special materials are hunted down at rates too high for recovery. A quick profit for an eternal fate.
And these are just a few of the many causes behind the issue. If you like to learn more about the causes behind endangered species, click here.
Conclusion
Losing something, anything, is never an enjoyable experience. Whether that be losing your car keys, a favorite souvenir, or even a loved one, it's something that can never be gotten used to. Losing, however, an entire species of animal is much, much worse than temporarily misplacing your keys. There's still more to talk about here. The extinction of a species we've never heard of may not sound like such a great loss, but each and every one adds to an ever-growing problem. Each species killed causes more issues, more hardship, and even more species to go extinct. If we don't stop this cycle now, and help the animals and plants that need it, this "wave of death" will only be stronger. It will continue to grow, and grow, until it inevitably becomes unstoppable. Until all the species we know and love today will also be gone. Can we, as humans, allow that to happen? Well, I'm sad to say that we almost already have. There's more to talk about.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
https://www.arkive.org/endangered-species/image-G86025
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?direction=desc&page=2&sort=extinction_status
https://faunalytics.org/endangered/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/un-environment-programme-_n_684562.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/northern-white-rhino-san-diego-zoo-artificial-insemination/
Images:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/30/15090594/flying-foxes-island-ecosystems-threats-hunting-habitat-loss-mauritius
http://wildlifeanimalz.blogspot.com/2013/08/Blue-Whale-Facts.html
http://www.hickerphoto.com/picture/endangered-animal-list-7375.htm
http://www.discoveringgalapagos.org.uk/discover/life-on-the-islands/wildlife-of-galapagos/animal-plants-galapagos/
https://www.holidayme.com/explore/watch-endangered-animals-vanish-forever/
http://petssupplies.site/animals-gone-extinct-2017/
http://www.arkive.org/c/deforestation
http://altoday.com/archives/4159-white-house-action-needed-now-to-slow-climate-change
http://animalcruelty-india.blogspot.com/2010/09/elephant-poaching-in-india.html
https://www.brinknews.com/why-business-should-care-about-biodiversity-loss/
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