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Species Extinction
By
Shelby Pipo,
Eunice Ho,
Ayeza Waqay,
Asma Saleh,
Sophia Boudiz
What is Extinction?
• Extinction is the dying out of a species
resulting in the complete disappearance of
said species on the earth.
• If a species is endangered, then they are on
the brink of being extinct.
• Extinction is forever- It is something that has
been occurring naturally for millions of years,
but extinction doesn’t always happen 2
What is going on in the world?
• For millions of years about one species
became extinct every century.
• But since the prehistoric times, most
extinctions have happened in the last three
hundred years
• ...and in the last three hundred years most of
the extinctions have happened in the last
fifty years
• ... and in the last fifty years most of the
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extinctions have happened in the last ten
Today
• Currently, there are over 8,300 endangered
plant species.
• ...and there are over 7,200 endangered
animal species.
• ...and thousands more become extinct every
year before biologists can identify them.
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Endangered Animals
The Cheetah
The cheetah has been
listed as an
endangered animal on
June 2, 1970
Areas that they have
been endangered are
Africa to India
Threatened by habitat
loss and hunting for
their spotted pelt
Sometimes killed by
farmers protecting
their live stock
Giant Panda
• Has always been a
rare animal
• Confined to the
mountain forests of
Central China
• Primarily eats bamboo
• Been hunted for
extinction for it’s fur
• Suffered from habitat
destruction
• Only about 1,000 Giant
Pandas remain in the
wild
Green Sea Turtle
• The green sea turtle is
one of the largest and
most widespread of all
marine turtles
• Found in warm tropical
waters from New
England to South Africa
and in the Pacific from
Western Africa to the
Americas
• Green sea turtles are
mainly threatened by
predation by animals
and humans
• They are over harvested
for their meat and eggs
in many areas
Blue Whale
• Largest mammal to
have lived on Earth
• Feeds on some of the
smallest marine
organisms
• Over 350,000 whales
have been hunted
and killed
• By the 1960’s blue
whales were on the
edge of extinction
• Probably only 2,500
blue whales are left in
the Oceans
CausesHabitat Destruction
• Large areas of wildlife habitat are being
covered by cement and turned into cities.
• Many forests like the Amazon for example
are being chopped down, so the wood can be
used for building houses and other human
needs.
• This is ridding wildlife of their homes,
therefore causing more animal extinction.
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Deforestation
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CausesCommercial Exploitation
• Types of eploitation:
–Plant collecting
–Hunting
–Trade in animal parts
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Causes-Nonnative
Plants and Animals
• Introduction of non native or exotic plants into an
ecosystem causes an imbalance in the food chain.
• An alien species can:
– disrupt the natural balance
– reduce biodiversity
– degrade habitats
– alter genetic diversity
– transmit exotic diseases to native species
– further jeopardize already endangered animals and plants
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Causes-Pollution
• Effects of Soil Pollution
– Pollutin in the soil can alter plant metabolism and reduce crop yields.
– Trees and plants absorb soil contaminants and pass them up the food chain.
– Animals low on the food chain can eat harmful chemicals which then pass up the
food chain to larger animals.
• Effects of Air Pollution:
– Acid rain kills many species of fish in lakes and streams and hurt much of plant
life.
– The deteriorating ozone layer cause by some air pollutants allows radiation from
the sun through which may cause skin cancer in wildlife and also the excessive
radiation is harmful to plant life.
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Causes-Pollution
• Effects of Water Pollution:
– Water pollution can disrupt photosynthesis, and aquatic plants can absorb
pollutants and pass them along the food chain.
– Too much sodium chloride, materials such as mud and clay from
construction sites, and herbicides in water can kill plants.
– Nutrient pollution can cause outbreaks of fish disease and overgrowth of
toxic algae that gets eaten by aquatic animals
– Oil pollution can hinder development of marine organisms, increase
susceptibility to disease, can affect reproductive processes, and can cause
damage to the liver, kidney, and the nervous system.
– Mercury in water can cause abnormal behavior, slower growth and
development, reduced reproduction, and can cause death.
– Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can cause declines, deformities, and
death of fish life.
•
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CausesHuman Impact
• Compared to previous causes, today the main
causes are from humans.
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Preservation Efforts
What programs are doing to protect
global biodiversity and encourage
restoration of endangered species?
The Marine Mammal Protection Act
of 1972
• It was passed by the U.S.
Congress to protect the many
mammals who live in the world's
oceans.
• Banned the killing and importing
of whales and nearly all marine
mammals.
• preventing the harassment,
capture, injury, or killing of all
species of whales, dolphins,
seals, and sea lions.
Endangered Species Act of 1973
• Broadens the federal
protections for endangered
animals and plants
• Extended aid to state
governments for wildlife
protection
• The act seeks to conserve the
ecosystems of endangered and
threatened species
• Carry out international
conventions made to protect
endangered species.
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1929
• Captive breeding of endangered species
later released in the wild to restore or
add to a breeding population.
• Hunting, taking, capturing, killing,
possessing, selling, purchasing,
shipping, transporting or exporting of any
migratory bird, part, nest or egg will not
be allowed.
• Transportation or importation of migratory
birds is unlawful.
UN help to species extinction
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
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CITES
IUCN
WCMC
ESA
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
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CITES is one of the organizations
supported by the UN (UNEP) to protect
and help species extinction.
This convention is an international
agreement between governments (signed
by 125 nations in 1973 and put into effect
in 1975).
Its purpose is to ensure that international
trade in specimens of wild animals and
plants does not threaten their survival,
restricting exploitation of endangered
plants and wildlife by regulating and
restricting their trade.
United Nations Environment Programme - World
Conservation Monitoring Centre
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UNEP-WCMC, the world's foremost intergovernmental environmental
organization.
This organization is trying to grow as much as possible to be internationally
recognized as a Centre of Excellence, that provides authoritative, strategic
and timely information for conventions, countries, organizations and
companies to use in their development and implementation of their policies
and decisions.
They have created a “strategic plan” which is based on creating a world
where biodiversity counts.
International Union for Conservation of Nature
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This is an organization associated with UN (UNEP), trying to help the world find
solutions to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature.
Founded in 1948 as the world’s first global environmental organization, founded by
goverments, non-goverment foundations, agencies, corporations, etc.
IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage natural
environments.
Endangered Species Act
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This organization signed on December
28, 1973, provides for the conservation
of the species that are endangered or
threatened and the conservation of the
ecosystems on which they depend.
The ESA is one of the most progressive
national wildlife protection laws ever
enacted, it is constantly threatened by
development industries unhappy with the
government restrictions.
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ESA associated with other organizations,
develop and implement “recovery plans”
of threatened and endangered species.
What we can do to
prevent species from
going extinct
-Conserve habitats
-Make space for our wildlife
-Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse
-Join an organization
-Tell Others