Why is it so important to preserve wildlife species?
When living organisms are unable to adapt to changes in their natural environment, they die. Others, better adapted, take over. The extinction of species is a biological reality that has existed since life first appeared on Earth. If extinction is the outcome of a natural process, why should we be concerned about the disappearance of wildlife species today? The extinction of species nowadays is a concern not because it occurs, but because it is happening more and more quickly. The decline of populations and the disappearance of wildlife species modify ecosystems considerably, both in Canada and elsewhere in the world. Plants, animals, and micro-organisms all play essential roles in the natural processes that keep the Earth’s atmosphere, climate, landscape, and water in balance. An ecosystem is a natural community—like a forest, a grassland, or a marsh—in which all the species depend on one another and their environment. When one component of the environment is modified, the entire bala
When living organisms are unable to adapt to changes in their natural environment, they die. Others, better adapted, take over. The extinction of species is a biological reality that has existed since life first appeared on Earth. If extinction is the outcome of a natural process, why should we be concerned about the disappearance of wildlife species today? The extinction of species nowadays is a concern not because it occurs, but because it is happening more and more quickly. The decline of populations and the disappearance of wildlife species modify ecosystems considerably, both in Canada and elsewhere in the world. Plants, animals, and micro-organisms all play essential roles in the natural processes that keep the Earth’s atmosphere, climate, landscape, and water in balance. Green plants are the foundation. By taking carbon from the air and energy from the sun, they make their own food and produce the oxygen we breathe. They also serve as food for plant-eating animals that, in turn,
