What is an endangered species?
An endangered species is a group of plants or animals that are now so few in number they face extinction. Without legislative protection, most endangered species will no longer be present on the earth. Since widespread industrialization in the 19th century, the rate of extinction for animals has significantly increased on all continents. Animals and plants can become endangered species due to chemical pollutants, destruction of habitat, or over hunting. It is a mistake to assume that all animals that have become endangered species have done so because of westernization. Some researchers theorize, for example that the buffalo, which quickly met extinction after Europeans colonized the Americas, would have become extinct from over-hunting by Native Americans. Though colonization hastened the demise of the buffalo, increasing populations of Native Americans might have had the same effect. This theory gains impetus when applied to the wooly mammoth. It is thought that the mammoth became ex
What is a threatened species? In fact there are many different definitions passed by different organisations and governments. In the case of the United States of America, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, “the term ‘endangered species’ means any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range other than a species of the Class Insecta determined by the Secretary to constitute a pest whose protection under the provisions of this Act would present an overwhelming and overriding risk to man.”A threatened species “means any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Every species no matter what kind and what size plays a crucial and important part in keeping other species alive. Take raisins and raspberries, for example. Grapevines in California are attacked by grape leafhoppers in whose eggs a species of wasp breeds. Because grape leafhoppe
Species that are in trouble can have international, country, regional or state status as rare, threatened or endangered. There is probably a rare, threatened or endangered species within a few miles of where you live. They can include both aquatic and terrestrial organisms such as plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Many of these species can also live in caves and subterranean systems. If you live in an area of the country rich in caves and karst geology, there is an even greater chance that there is a threatened or endangered species near you. Unfortunately, most subterranean species are not known or identified.
