Download Endangered Species

Endangered
Species
Endangered Species Act of 1973

Requires the U.S. Department
of Interior to protect species
in danger of extinction

Endangered


Threatened


If chances of survival and
reproduction are in
immediate jeopardy
If species is likely to become
endangered
U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Maintain official list of
endangered and
threatened species
Extinction – With of Without Humans

There have been at least
five major mass
extinctions before
modern times



Best known is the dinosaur
extinction
Extinction is a natural
process, but human
activities are causing
species to disappear
much faster
Human activities



Habitat loss
Poaching
Isolation by habitat
fragmentation
Back from the Brink

When the settlers arrived, the
American Bison were flourishing
in the Great plains

The settlers slaughtered the
bison


In 1894, Congress passed a law
making it illegal to shoot Bison


By 1900, fewer than 1000 of the 60
million bison that once roamed
North America remained
The U.S. army was given the
task of protecting the Bison
The Bison are no longer in
danger of extinction
Return of the Wolves

Massive slaughter of bison had
a detrimental effect on the
wolf population

With the elimination of their prey,
wolves turned to livestock

Ranchers defended their
property with guns, poisons, and
traps

More than 100,000 wolves were
killed between 1882-1942

Wolves moved to national
park preservations

Grey wolf endangered in 48
states
Why not let them die?

Plants seen as chemical
factories
 Biodiversity
improves stability
of an ecosystem
 One
fourth of all prescription
drugs contain plant materials

Keystone Species
 Keeps
 Loss
ecosystem in balance
of this species will cause
a chain reaction and
disruption with ecosystem
Future of the Endangered Species
Act

Endangered Species Act (1973)

Critics consider it a barrier to
development and threat to economic
growth

According to US Fish and Wildlife, very
few development projects are stopped
because of endangered species

Many species are in trouble because
they have not been labeled
endangered or threatened

Many believe focus should be on saving
entire ecosystems and not just one species