Extinction

Protecting the Scenic Beauty of Wildlife By Jeramy Buckman CM220 Unit 9 Final Project 7/17/12 I want everyone to close your eyes and picture yourself in the Rocky Mountains with your children hiking up a trail to your favorite camping site next to a hidden lake. While walking down the trail you are looking around looking for animals prints to show your children. You are excited to show your children some of the beautiful wildlife that you got to see when you where their age when your parents did this for you.

As you and your children are walking you start to realize that you are not really seeing any wildlife that should be very abundant in this area. You also are noticing that there are not as many wild flowers and plants that were also here. You finally realize that you will not be able to give your children the wonderful memories that you received as a child. As you may have realized that this is a problem that we are starting to see and face today. Many times animals become extinct causing changes to the scientific life cycle, environment, scenic sights, food sources and many others.

This has a drastic affect not only one our habitat and environment but can and will also affect us as humans. We as people can prevent and preserve this beauty for future generations all we have to do is understand the problem and take action. We need to educate ourselves and our children of the importance of animals and how to protect them. We need to understand what happens when we introduce an exotic species to an area, about pollution, habitat destruction, over using animals, poaching, the punishment for poaching, and how we can help prevent all of this.

Every day we are rapidly losing many different plant and animal species. With this rapid decrease of these animals and plants we start to lose the beautiful sights that we grew up with, taking away those potential memories from our children and generations to come. Ten thousand scientists in the World Conservation Union stated that anywhere between 2. 7 and 270 species are erased from existence every day including today. So broken down, 1 out or 4 mammals, 1 out of 8 birds, 1 out of 3 amphibians are at risk of extinction (Whitty, J. 2007). This is not the only thing that can happen though.

With the loss of these species it starts to affect the plants and animals around them causing them to slowly die out. This then can end up causing more drastic effect to the environment and even us. As E. O. Wilson stated in a speech: “that if we were able to kill off all the insects that it would lead to our own extinction” (2007). First, I want to provide a friendly recap of what many of us have learned as a child in school, and that is the food chain. The food chain basically contains four important groups. The first group of the chain is the sun. This offers energy to everything on this planet.

The next group is the producers. These are things that are able to make their own food by using the energy the sun provides. Examples of these are, grass, trees, flowers, vegetables, etc. Next, we have the consumers. Consumers are any species that eats something, either plants or other animals. Finally, we have the decomposers. These are things like bacteria or fungi that take something that has died and breaks it down and produces gases like carbon and nitrogen. They then release that back into the air, soil, or water where it will be used by future producers (ThinkQuest, 2012).

When an animal (such as a grizzly bear) becomes extinct this an effect not only on the food chain but the food web also. When the bear is gone it is no longer eating other plants or animals, which can then lead to them starting to over populate. Over time these plants and animals are going to start to decline because their food sources are being depleted due to the increased numbers. So as you can see even the smallest species plays an important role and affects everything around them. There are many things that are the leading causes of animal endangerment and extinction.

One of these causes is the introduction of exotic species not found in a specific area. When this is done it can affect the balance of things. Lets’ take the government’s action to introduce the grey wolf into Montana and how it had a drastic effect on things. First off the grey wolf that the government introduced was not the species of grey wolf that are native to Montana. Because of this introduction many of us noticed the numbers of deer and elk started to rapidly decrease. And like I mentioned earlier the deer population decreasing has an effect on other species of plants and animals that depend on them.

So the biggest thing that not only the government, but us also, is that we have to remember is that we need to introduce animals in the area that they normally come from instead of an area that has never known that type of species. Another factor that is causing the increase of endangerment and extinction of species is habitat destruction. The greatest force that causes habitat destruction is the human being. We cut down forests to make room for our expansion and needs. We cause pollution of the land, water, and air which in turn can also increase the greenhouse effect (Kurpis, L. 002). So what are some of the ways that we can prevent this? That is an ongoing battle that we fight today. For the pollution is to use greener more environment friendly types of energy such as wind or solar, drive less or carpool, and of course recycling is a big help. Also keep in contact with the state government if you notice factories or companies that happen to be polluting and see if there may be a safer alternative. Never be afraid to write to state officials, remember we helped to get them into office so they can help us protect the animals.

This leads to another cause of the increase of endangerment and extinction is what some call “over exploitation”. This is when we “over use” a species. This can be caused by miscounting numbers of a species in an area, and then over hunting that area, causing a drastic drop in numbers. Again we are not just affecting that species but others that are part of that food web in that area. Another reason why animals’ numbers are declining is due to poaching. Poaching is the knowledgeable and purposeful illegal killing of an animal. This is done either for trophies such as antlers, horns, or other things that poachers will classify as a trophy.

Some poachers will do it for money selling the animal meat or trophies to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, some do it because they need the food and cannot afford to wait till the proper hunting season, or come across the animal in a no hunting area. Yet some poachers do it for the sport of the kill. This affects us because they are killing and wasting animals that can be hunted during proper hunting seasons, kill endangered species, and other animals that are not allowed to be hunted (Fish, Wildlife, & Parks 2012). Here in Montana we do have laws against poaching but is it enough?

The punishment for poaching an animal can be a fine of $50 up to $35,000, jail time from 6 months up to 20 years the loss of hunting, fishing, and trapping rights from 2 years to life and possible restitution for the animal based off of the species, sex, age, and whether it was a trophy animal or not. The bad thing about this is that not all judges will give the maximum punishment and give more of a “slap on the wrist”. For example a person was caught poaching two moose and the judge sentenced them with a fine of $50,000, no time in jail and the loss of their hunting rights for 8 years.

I feel that we as a whole need to contact our state legislature and try to get the punishment increased and enforced better, because I feel that some poachers don’t learn the lesson. Again we will use the hunter mentioned earlier. He didn’t learn his lesson because he still brags about what he done and goes around telling people of other animals he has poached since then. If we can get additional laws and bills passed I believe that this will help limit the amount of animals killed due to poaching. Some of you are asking, “What can we personally do about poaching”.

One of the ways that you can help reduce the numbers of poachers is if you happen to see an animal being killed illegally you need to report it to the local Fish and Game, Forest Service or the local authorities. Second if you are a hunter or a fisher make sure that you know that the area that you are hunting/fishing is an area that is not protected against it. On way you can do this is by purchasing a local map that will show areas that are allowed to be hunted or places that you can seek permission to hunt or fish. Always keep an eye out for no hunting or no trespassing signs which are the number one way to know you can’t be there.

Also, you want to make sure that you become familiar with the animals or fish that you are trying to get so that you don’t shoot or fish something that you should not. For example black bears are not always black but can also be brown. This can lead someone to shoot a grizzly which happens to be a protected animal. You need to learn the distinguishing marks and differences between the black bear and the grizzly before you go hunting. You should always get the hunting/fishing regulations because they always include information on the species and what to look for so that you know what you are trying to hunt or fish.

Another option is that you can research the animal that you are going to be hunting and get information and pictures of them so you can become familiar with the species. And finally you can always take hunters safety which will give you additional hunting and fishing knowledge. You have to remember that poaching isn’t always done on purpose it can be done due to the lack of knowledge. The main this that everyone has to keep in mind is that poaching is illegal and needs to be stopped. We need to remember to know the areas that we can and cannot hunt or fish.

We also need to have a running knowledge of the animals that we are hunting and fishing so as not to shoot something that looks similar only to find out that it is a different species. And above all is if you see or know someone that is poaching is that you need to report it to the proper authorities. With this knowledge and understanding of poaching together we can help lower one of the reasons for the rapid decline of animals. So as you can see, we as humans need to take a stand and start helping to protect what many of us hold very dear to us and future generations.

We need to educate ourselves and future generations of the importance of animals. We need to limit, as best as possible, the amount of habitat that we destroy. We also need to understand the amount and types of species that we bring into an area. We need to understand and help prevent pollution not only for our sake but also the animals. Above all we need to take a stand against the over exploitation of animals and the biggest one is poaching. If we stand together I feel very confident that we can make a difference and protect our childhood scenic beauty to share with future generations to come. References

Fish, Wildlife, & Parks (2012). Poaching in Montana. Source Retrieved from http://fwp. mt. gov/enforcement/crimes/poaching. html Kurpis, L (2002). Causes of endangerment. Source Retrieved from http://www. endangeredspecie. com/causes_of_endangerment. htm ThinkQuest (2012). The food chain. Source Retrieved from http://library. thinkquest. org/11353/food. htm Wilson, E. O. (2007). Saving life on earth. Source Retrieved from http://www. ted. com/talks/e_o_wilson_on_saving_life_on_earth. html Whitty, J. (2007). Animal extinction – the greatest threat to mankind. Source Retrieved from http://www. commondreams. org/archive/2007/04/30/862

Many of our wetlands today house our animals so they may mate and accommodate our resources so we may survive. We treat this land carelessly; polluting it and not becoming aware of our damages until it is too late.

This is notably true by the recent acknowledged extinction of the Alaotra Grebe. Birdlife International announced its extinction in May and how the introduction of alien fish to the wetlands killed off the species. We must learn from the extinction of the Alaotra grebe and prevent other species from this destiny of life.

Alaotra Grebe

The Alaotra grebe, scientifically known as Tachybaptus rufolavatus of the Madagascan wetlands joins the list of the Five Great Extinctions in the history of the planet Earth. The bird species was last spotted in 1985 and it has now been confirmed to be extinct (Walker, 2010).

Scientists claim that the Alaotra Grebe is the first extinction that has been caused by man and therefore becomes the sixth great extinction to be recorded in the history of the earth (Wu, 2010). The other five earlier extinctions include the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction that swept the dinosaurs from the face of the Earth (McCarthy, 2010). This extinction was characterized by 75 percent of the species being wiped out in the last 65 million years (McCarthy, 2010).

A meteorite that hit the earth is suggested to have resulted to this great catastrophe. Another example of extinctions was the Triassic-Jurassic extinction which occurred in about 205 million years ago and a number of non-dinosaur species got wiped (McCarthy, 2010). The dinosaurs were then left with minimal terrestrial competition. The last 251 million years also saw the vanishing of 96 percent of marine species and an additional 70 percent of land species (McCarthy, 2010).

This extinction was known as the Permina-Triassic or The Great Dying. Another prolonged extinction, the Late Devonian took over 2 decades from 360 to 375 million years ago (McCarthy, 2010). The fifth extinction, the Ordovidician-Silurian was recorded as the second-worst of all extinctions and it happened between 440 and 450 million years ago (McCarthy, 2010).

Alaotra grebe was a medium-sized rusty-colored bird that inhabited Lake Alaotra and areas surrounding Madagascar. The bird was thought of having problems flying for long distances perhaps because of having tiny wings. The bird lived sedentary mainly inhabiting the lakes and the surrounding ponds. The Alaotra grebes started vanishing in the 1980s when only 12 birds were spotted at Lake Alaotra in December 1982. In September 1985, two birds were spotted in Lake Alaotra near Andreba.

Afterward in 1985, 1986, and 1988, some of the birds sharing the same characteristics with Alaotra grebe were spotted although these birds were just thought to be hybrids of grebe and another species. Experts made surveys and visits to Lake Alaotra in 1999 and 2000 but never found any species of grebe or any of the birds of the genus Tachybaptus. This was an indication of full extinction since there have not been any direct observations that have been made on the species.

Chances of having the birds surviving at present are negligible since recent visits to Lake Amparihinandriamabavy which is near Lake Alaotra have shown no evidence of the grebe species surviving. As a result, officials of BirdLife International announced that the bird was extinct and declared that the species be included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of the Five Great Extinction (McCarthy, 2010).

This extinction is yet another whip to environmental economics as scarce resources such as biodiversity keep vanishing from our wetlands. In the future, these resources will no more be seen by our children as more extinction continues to take place. Birds form an important part of our environments in sustaining the food web and acting as tourist attractions thus earning income. The vanishing of Alaotra grebe means that these benefits are no more going to be realized in the future.

Madagascar and Environmental Economics

The Madagascar wetlands form an essential site for birds as well as another biodiversity. The wetlands are a source of food and water to the Madagascan populations and to millions of people globally. However, these wetlands are very fragile environments and can be polluted and disturbed easily as in the case of Madagascar (Wu, 2010).

Madagascar has been an example so that the world can learn that human actions on biodiversity can have grave consequences to the environment and the world economy (Wu, 2010). Elsewhere in Cuba, people introduced alien species and the Zapata rail is feared of extinction (Patt, 2010).  The introduction of exotic fish and mongooses has had serious impacts on the Zapata rail and joins the Madagascan case of Alaotra grebe extinction (McCarthy, 2010).

Fishermen in Madagascar are blamed to have caused serious environmental damage by covering much of the lake with nylon nets. The monofilament nylon nets have the potential of killing diving waterbirds. While the fishermen in Madagascar introduced the nets after significant extinction of Alaotra grebe had occurred, this action is blamed to have led to further extinction of the remaining grebe species.

The goal of the government in Madagascar as well as in the entire world in the protection of biodiversity has been missed. According to policymakers and scientists, the vanishing of the rusty-colored bird, Tachybaptus rufolavatus was due to the failure of the government of Madagascar to prioritize an important aspect of conservation of the delicate and sensitive biodiversity.

The extinction of the grebe species has significant effect to the country’s economy. It can be said that the plan for the people of Madagascar to have more fish by killing the grebe species was a missed target.

While it is a common practice for governments to check for solutions that will mitigate pests and diseases affecting the fish industry, the introduction of carnivorous fish was a missed target according to Gross and Williams (2010). The economists may agree that the action was reasonable as the fish pests were eliminated but the same argument must be exposed to political and ethical criticism.

It however seems that nothing makes people persuaded other than financial gain and the people of Madagascar were easily lured with financial benefits. As a consequence, the helpless grebe species continued to be decreased to extinction-level for the sake of money obtained from fish trading.

Environmental economists indeed differ from other financial economists in one aspect: the valuing of biodiversity among all other benefits. While the actions to kill the birds using nylon gillnets and drowning them could result in more fish as the competitive pressure would be reduced, environmental economists would view this as a loss to the entire biodiversity.

The importance of wild nature for societies and industries is frequently mentioned as a political argument and an additional interest to protect our biodiversity. It was necessary for the government of Madagascar to have this approach of environmental economists to save the dear bird species Alaotra grebe.