Biodiversity
Carrie Casey
Lincoln University
Abstract
Over the past 300 years our world has lost half of its forests. Along with the loss of this wilderness, many species are endangered and/ or are already extinct. Bugs, weeds and plants are the base of our ecosystem, the base of our energy with all other species following in suite thereafter. Conservationists have the extremely tough task of deciding which species to invest in, and therefore which species to save. Conservation could be a luxury of a more wealthy western world, but if we do not do something about this, we could be looked at as the most villainous generation yet.
Biodiversity
“Comparing our ecosystem to a brick wall, we are systematically knocking out bricks and sooner or later the wall will collapse.”
– James Leape, Director General, WWF International
We have lost one half of our world’s forests, one half of our world’s wetlands, and one half of our world’s grasslands. One in four mammals and one in three amphibians are on the list of those threatened to be endangered (Leape, 2006). A reduced number of species means a reduced overall ecosystem.
Frogs are an extremely important species in forests and the Planet Earth team traveled extensively to film them. In Central America, in a small area in Panama, there is fifty species of frogs. Frogs absorb substances easily through their skin, which makes them extremely vulnerable to catch fungi (Plant Earth – the Future, 2006). In Costa Rica, the Golden Toad is now extinct due to the spread of fungus. The fungus has been traced back to the African Claw Toad from South Africa. For the 6000 species of frogs worldwide, one third is now endangered (Price, 2006).
In the Congo Basin in Africa, Forest Elephants are the Earth’s largest land animals measuring up to 11 feet wide and weighing more than six tons. The reason largely responsible for the continued drop in forest elephant population is poaching. Hunters are typically involved in the illegal trade of ivory. The bonobos are under threat from the bushmeat hunters and habitat loss. The mountain gorilla’s existence is also being threatened by hunting, conflict, disease, poaching, and destruction of forest habitat. Other species facing extinction in this region are the leatherback turtle, okapi, and the western lowland gorilla (Carroll).
In the “Roof of Africa” in the Simien Mountains, the walia ibex are the national symbol and a critically endangered species. Due to the environment being dried out and the growing human population, the walia ibex were pushed out to live on the steep cliffs of mountains (Beeley, 2006). The reason for the huge decline in the walia ibex population is caused by hunting from the locals. The Ethiopian people created the Simien Mountains National Park to try to preserve the walia ibex, which thus far has seemed to help (Animal Info).
How close a species is to extinction is one factor conservationists take into consideration when making the tough decision on which species to invest in. One species that makes it truly difficult to count how many are left is the extremely rare snow leopard that resides in the Himalayas. Planet Earth spent months trying to see one and even more months trying to film one (Beeley, 2006). The snow leopards live at 10,000 – 18,000 feet in the Himalayas, which is another reason they are so hard to find. The reason these leopards are so close to extinction is poaching. They are being hunted either for their fur or by shepherds who are trying to protect their flocks. Also being poached in this region is the horned rhino, the Asian elephant and the Indian tiger (Foott).
In the Artic, there are many species close to extinction, but one of the most vulnerable is the polar bear. The polar bears have been behaving very differently since changes have started occurring in their environment. They have been trying to hunt walruses, which is rare. About 15 years ago, in the same area you would see the polar bears living on a sea that was completely covered in ice and they would hunt small seals. The ice cap is rapidly melting and loosing ice cover, which means polar bears are losing the land they use to breed and hunt on (Beeley, 2006). Walruses, Pacific Salmon, Whales, Seals, the Artic Wolf and Artic Fox are all also in danger because of the drastic climate change in the Artic (Jenkins). These species will going forward have two options, move south or go extinct. If they move south, they will be forced to learn a completely new way of living and adapt to a new environment.
In the Amazon the fresh water dolphins are being killed to be used as catfish food in Columbia (Beeley, 2006). Mortality is very common due to fishing nets. Gill nets are the most dangerous to the dolphins, but are still used by commercial fisherman (Kremer, 2000, 2004). The Plane Earth team experiences a population crash of the Saiga Antelope in Central Asia. In the 1990’s, the Planet Earth team was in Central Asia filming for another series and was able to witness an amazing site; millions of saiga antelope. While filming the series for Plant Earth, they wanted to catch this magnificent view again, but were sadly disappointed. In the past 15 years, poachers have reduced this antelope population to almost nothing. The team had to travel east into the wilderness to witness the migration of that is left of the saiga antelope. The Mongolian Gazelle is here today, but could be extinct in 15 years (Beeley, 2006).
The Wild Tiger is another animal well known for being an endangered species. In less than 100 years, the entire species of the Caspian, Javan and Balinese Tigers have gone extinct. The South China tiger has not been seen in the wild in over 25 years. The wide distribution of tigers worldwide has dropped by 93%. A century ago there were about 100,000 tiers, now as few as 3,200 cling for survival in the wild. These tigers trying to survive have to avoid poachers, trying to fight for food and deal with habitat loss (WWF).
In the grasslands of Asme, India, the pigme hog is in danger. The people believe that once the grass dies, it is easier to burn and it will grow back quicker. This may be true, but in the process, the pigme hogs are being burned, along with invertebrates and tortoises. Here is where a major problem arises, there needs to be a solution to help these species, but there also needs to be a solution for the poverty of the people. There is no way you can ask a person in poverty, living day by day to care about the well-being of the animals (Beeley, 2006).
Over the past 300 years we have lost half of all the world’s forests with the loss being greater each year that passes. Every year the Amazon losses forest space the size of Switzerland. As previously mentioned, conservationists have to make tough decisions all the time on what species to invest in. One hot spot is the Congo Basin. There has been poaching patrols to look out for the Forest Elephant, but because this is a hot spot, there are many other species that are being protected in the Congo Basin as well. In Kenya, people are allowed to protect the wildlife themselves. In an effort to help safe the Amur Leopard, in New Orleans at the Zoo, they are practicing DNA cloning. Although some controversy around this, they believe this is a safety net for future generations (Beeley, 2006).
Bugs, weeds and plants are at the base of our ecosystem, they are the base of our energy. Biodiversity is something that benefits all species, including the human species. We depend on so much that comes from our world’s wilderness; medicines, industrial products, fresh water and food to name a few (Beeley, 2006). We are facing extinction of many species like the dinosaurs due to habitat change, pollution, global warming and over human population (Juniper). The rate of extinction has been accelerated, but we need all species because all are important (Wilson).
Conservation could be a luxury of a more wealthy western world or a fantasy, but it is definitely a better investment than war. In closing I will use a quote from one of the speakers in the Planet Earth – The Future series, Professor Wangari Maathai, Founder of the Green Belt Movement, “Don’t worry if you don’t know what it is for, you didn’t create it, so you don’t know what it is for. Just let it be because future generations might depend on that aspect of biodiversity.”
References
Animal Info: Endangered Animals. 7 March, 2005. Walia Ibex. <http://www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/caprwali.htm>
Beeley, F. (Series Producer). Bright, M. (Executive Producer). (2006) Planet Earth: As You’ve Never Seen It Before – The Complete Series [Motion Picture]. A BBC/ Discovery Channel/ NHK Co-Production, is Association with the CBC
Beeley, F. (Series Producer). Bright, M. (Executive Producer). (2006) Planet Earth – The Future [Motion Picture]. A BBC/ Discovery Channel/ NHK Co-Production, is Association with the CBC
Carroll, R., et. al. WWF. Congo Basin. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/home-full.html>
Foott, J. et. al. WWF. Eastern Himalayas. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/easternhimalayas/species.html>
Jenkins, D. WWF. The Artic. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/arctic/species.html>
Juniper, T. (Executive Director Friends of Earth, Speaker). (2006). Planet Earth – The Future [Motion Picture]. A BBC/ Discovery Channel/ NHK Co-Production, is Association with the CBC
Kremer, R. 2000, 2004. International Society for the Preservation of the tropical Rainforest. Pink and Gray River Dolphins. <http://www.isptr-pard.org/dolphin.html>
Leape, J. (Director General WWF International, Speaker). (2006). Planet Earth – The Future [Motion Picture]. A BBC/ Discovery Channel/ NHK Co-Production, is Association with the CBC
Maathai, W. (Professor; Founder of the Green Belt Movement, Speaker). (2006). Planet Earth – The Future [Motion Picture]. A BBC/ Discovery Channel/ NHK Co-Production, is Association with the CBC
Price, M.S. (Chief Executive, Darrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Speaker). (2006). Planet Earth – The Future [Motion Picture]. A BBC/ Discovery Channel/ NHK Co-Production, is Association with the CBC
Wilson, E.O. (Professor Emeritus Harvard University, Speaker). (2006). Planet Earth – The Future [Motion Picture]. A BBC/ Discovery Channel/ NHK Co-Production, is Association with the CBC
WWF. Tiger – Overview. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tigers/index.html>
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