SPECIES AND HABITAT

PRESERVATIONBY OLIVIA AND CHELSEA

• Exploitation of wild populations has been a characteristic of the human species since our migration from Africa 130,000 – 70,000 years ago

• The rate of extinctions of entire species of plants and animals across the planet has been considerably high in the last few hundred years

• It is widely considered that we are in the sixth great extinction event on this planet; the Holocene Mass Extinction

WHY DO WE NEED TO PRESERVE SPECIES AND HABITATS?

Ethical

o Relating to a ‘deep ecology’ perspective

o It is our responsibility, as a more capable species to ensure that we preserve others and avoid endangering their survival

o Reduced trade in animal parts

Aesthetic

o A world consisting of humans?

o Cultivate an appreciation and understanding of nature

o Maintain this appreciation for future generations

Genetic Resource

o Maintain species diversity

o Captive breeding & Zoos – prevents total extinction

o Serves as a living store of animal DNA

o Seed banks preserve the genetic code of various plant species

WHY WE CAN’T HELP HABITAT OR SPECIES LOSS

Ethical Considerations

- How else do we get the resources we need? i.e. Timber and medicinal plants.

- Different societies and cultures have different meanings to some species going extinct. Do we crush these cultures just to save a habitat/species?- How do we know this species is extinct? Might still exists

deep in the jungle or remote areas which humans haven’t discovered yet.

- If animals are kept in zoos or captive breeding programs, don’t they lose their natural instinct, and limit the gene pool therefore evolution?

WHY WE CAN’T HELP HABITAT OR SPECIES LOSS

Aesthetic Considerations

- A plant/animal may be unique to their look, but will it really affect a food chain?

- Beauty vs. Productivity. - Some plants are already extinct, but

scientists/environmentalists are trying to recreate these plants through DNA regrowth, is this needed? i.e. The Protea Plant.

WHY WE CAN’T HELP HABITAT OR SPECIES LOSS

Genetic Resource Consideration

- How reliable is storage over a long period of time?- It is impossible to preserve every species on Earth feasibly

WHY WE CAN’T HELP HABITAT OR SPECIES LOSS

Commercial Considerations

- If we pick one option “the best option” what do we miss out on? – Opportunity Cost- E.g. If you get a donation, and you had a choice of

captive breeding, or building a reserve in a forest, each one has their ups and downs. If you chose captive breeding, you would give up the chance to save a rainforest, and vice versa.

- How will the depletion of killing animals and cutting down the forest affect our economy?

- A technocentric view of the world.

CITES

• Good example of monitoring species status but since it is voluntary if the country chooses not to enforce it, there will be no change in species’ status results.

• It reduces trade in animal parts, i.e. ivory.

• It is locally enforceable where the poaching/trade may be happening but no international body has authority to enforce on national territory.

• VOLUNTARY

http://www.cites.org

BIBLIOGRAPHY“Welcome to CITES”. Web. 14 Aug. 2011. <http://www.cites.org>.

"What Is Opportunity Cost? Definition and Meaning." InvestorWords.com - Investing Glossary. Web. 14 Aug. 2011. <http://www.investorwords.com/3470/opportunity_cost.html>.