ENDANGERED SPECIES?

What is endangered species?

Endangered species are those considered to be at risk of extinction, meaning that there are so few left of their kind that they could disappear from the planet altogether. Endangered species are threatened by factors such as habitat loss, hunting, disease and climate change, and usually, endangered species, have a declining population or a very limited range.

The current rate of extinction is thought to be far greater than the expected natural rate, with many species going extinct before they have even been discovered. Shockingly, current estimates suggest that a third of the world’s amphibians, a quarter of all mammals and one in eight birds are endangered.

Endangered species usually have a small or declining population size or a very limited range, meaning factors such as habitat loss, hunting, disease or climate change could cause them to disappear completely within our lifetimes.

The alarming rate at which species are disappearing is something which should be a cause for concern for us all. Not only do they add beauty and wonder to the natural world, they are also of great global economic importance. A great diversity of species maintains the ecosystems essential to our existence by helping to regulate our climate and by providing:

• ·         clean air and water
• ·         food
• ·         medicines
• ·         building and clothing materials
• ·         fertile soils

Conservation status

The conservation status of a species indicates how great the risk is of that species becoming extinct in the near future.

The most global and comprehensive system that determines the conservation status of each species is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Species are assessed according to a number of different criteria, such as how many individuals there are and whether this number is in decline. They are then placed on a scale in one of the following categories:

• ·         Extinct
• ·         Extinct in the Wild
• ·         Critically Endangered
• ·         Endangered
• ·         Vulnerable
• ·         Near Threatened
• ·         Least Concern
• ·         Data Deficient

Any species which fall into the categories Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered are considered to be at risk of extinction. Of the nearly 60,000 species assessed so far, this equates to a staggering 20,222 species, from the majestic tiger to the enormous giant clam.

credit to www.arkive.org