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93 Endangered Species Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best endangered species topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ good research topics about endangered species, 👍 simple & easy endangered species essay titles, ❓ research questions about endangered species.

• Environment: Endangered Species Global warming also increases the risk of storms and drought, affecting food supply, which may cause death to both humans and animals.
• Vaquita – Endangered Species The vaquita looks like a star curved stocky porpoise and it is the smallest of all the porpoises in the world.
• Zoos for Conservation of Endangered Species However, at the moment, they could be considered important scientific and research centers that investigate the current situation related to species and create conditions needed for their survival and further preservation.
• Javan Rhinos: Wildlife Trading of Endangered Animals Out of the five rhino species, Javan rhinoceros is the most threatened species despite being in the ecosystem for millions of years, playing a crucial role in shaping the landscape by its feeding style.
• Irish Red Deer as an Endangered Species The red deer spends most of the time feeding and it has the ability of maintaining fat reserves to use during the winter season when there is scarcity of food. The color of the red […]
• Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Endangered Species Some laws that cover the endangered species have been declared controversial in the way they place the species in the lists and the criteria used when removing the animals from the lists.
• The Santa Ana Sucker as an Endangered Organism The Santa Ana Sucker is one of the endangered fish species and it is found in the freshwaters of California. For instance, the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the Santa Ana Sucker as […]
• Australia’s Endangered Diverse Marine Ecosystem Climate Change and population increase are becoming increasingly difficult to perceive distinctly, especially when the question is about the loss of a diverse marine environment.
• Can Cloning Technology Be Useful for Endangered Species? This is because animal cloning is popularly understood as the creation of a copy of another animal, much the same way as the capability to create twins but in the laboratory.
• Endangered Silverback Gorillas Central Africa is the only place where mountain gorillas can be found, and the area of concern is confined to about 780 square kilometers of medium altitude forests northwest of Rwanda, southwest of Uganda, and […]
• Endangered Species Act’s Effects on Real Estate S; the ability to obtain permits, entitlement, and approvals necessary for the development of real projects, and unexpected delays in the timing thereof; and implementation of laws as Endangered Species Act.
• Senegal River Delta: An Endangered Ecosystem According to Kotschoubey, the primary reason for the degradation of the area is the lack of water due to human activity.
• Endangered Species Act for Ecosystem Management Despite the importance and significant impact of ESA, the policy is inherently flawed and remains criticized by experts who emphasize the need for an overhaul of the legislation. The ESA continues to function and serve […]
• Invasive and Endangered Species: Kudzu and Gopher Frog Kudzu was introduced from Asia in 1876 for fodder and prevention of soil erosion. It favors areas with ample sunlight and thrives in almost any type of soil.
• The Role of Zoos in Endangered Species Protection Adopting the endangered species requires the zoos to have sufficient funds to meet the needs of the animals and to maintain the facilities.
• Environmental Studies: Saving Endangered Species One of the major concerns of the XXI century, the shrinkage of the Atlantic Forest, will inevitably trigger the disappearance of an even greater number of species populations.
• The History of the Endangered Languages and the Ways of Their Preservation The aim of this report is to discuss the problem of the endangered languages preservation taking into account the historic and cultural conditions of their development as well as the impact of the modern time. […]
• Endangered Species Issue in the United States Thus, the extinction of wolves in our ecosystem will results in an increase in the ungulates population comprising of unhealthy and undesired preys. With more wolves in an ecosystem, the number of ungulates will reduce.
• Should the Endangered Species Act Be Strengthened? The main reasons why the endangered species act act should be strengthened in United States are the act is the only piece of legislation that is responsible for the protection of flora and fauna and […]
• The Ocean’s Rarest Mammal Vaquita – An Endangered Species The vaquita looks like a curved stocky porpoise, and it is the smallest of all the porpoises in the world. This is a matter of concern and ought to be investigated if the survival of […]
• Environmental Attitudes, Motivations, and Contingent Valuation of Nonuse Values: Endangered Species
• Irreversible Land Use and the Preservation of Endangered Species
• Service Providing Units, Existence Values, and the Valuation of Endangered Species
• Closing the Barn Door: Construction and Endangered Species Restrictions
• Engaging Fishers’ Ecological Knowledge for Endangered Species Conservation: Four Advantages to Emphasizing Voice in Participatory Action Research
• Public Preferences for Endangered Species Recovery: An Examination of Geospatial Scale and Non-market Values
• Endangered Species and Uncertainty: The Economics of a Safe Minimum Standard
• Keystone Species and the Importance of Raising Endangered Species Awareness
• Endangered Species and Natural Resource Exploitation: Extinction vs. Coexistence
• How Trophy Hunting Can Help Many Endangered Species
• Agricultural Water Security and Instream Flows for Endangered Species
• Endangered Species Conservation, Cultural, Economic, and Political Constraints
• Integrating Land Cover Modeling and Adaptive Management to Conserve Endangered Species and Reduce Catastrophic Fire Risk
• Funding and Support for People Responsible for Protecting Endangered Species
• Strategies for Improving the Cost-Effectiveness of Endangered Species Management
• Elephant Ivory and the Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species
• General Information About the Endangered Species Act in the United States of America
• Endangered Species and Environment: Human Moral Obligations
• Allocating Scarce Resources for Endangered Species Recovery
• Optimal Compensation for Endangered Species Protection Under Asymmetric Information
• Economic Growth and Threatened and Endangered Species
• Biodiversity and Endangered Species: Bald Eagle
• Takings, Compensation, and Endangered Species Protection on Private Lands
• Financial Issues and the Protection of Endangered Species
• Interspecies Management and Land Use Strategies to Protect Endangered Species
• Human Overpopulation and Its Effects on Endangered Species
• External Causes That Affect the Survival of Endangered Species
• Preemptive Habitat Destruction Under the Endangered Species Act
• Endangered Species: Keystone Law or Waste of Money
• Threatened Species and Endangered Species: What’s Different
• Charismatic Megafauna: How These Species Are Influencing the Endangered Species Act
• Black Rhino: Critically Endangered Species
• Allocating Conservation Resources Under the Endangered Species Act
• Horizontal Implementation, Divided Government, and Other Forms of Public Policy Involved With Clean Water Act and Endangered Species
• Cloning Animals and the Salvation of Endangered Species
• Habitat Conservation Plan: Endangered Species, Biodiversity, and Environmental Problems
• Conserving Endangered Species Through Regulation of Urban Development
• Perverse Incentives and Safe Harbors in the Endangered Species Act: Evidence From Timber Harvests Near Woodpeckers
• Animal Rights and Endangered Species
• Political, Economic, and Cultural Constraints That Limit the Application of Ecology in Conserving Endangered Species
• What Types of Species Are Included in the Endangered Species Act?
• What Is the Important Role of Zoos in the Conservation of Endangered Species?
• How Does the Endangered Species Act Protect the Environment?
• Endangered Species: Are Animal Rights Respected?
• How Many Endangered Animal Species Are There on the Planet?
• Are All Conservation Measures for Endangered Species Legitimate?
• What Kinds of Species Are Endangered?
• Can Minnesota Justify Taking the Grey Wolf off the Endangered Species List?
• What Changes Should Be Made to the Endangered Species Act?
• What Are the Causes and Effects of Endangered Species?
• What Are the Benefits of Endangered Species?
• Can Animal Cloning Save Endangered Species?
• What External Causes Affect the Survival of Endangered Species?
• How Overpopulation Caused Animal Extinction and Endangerment?
• Why Is It Important to Save Endangered Species?
• What Is the Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species?
• How Do Environmental Problems Affect Endangered Species?
• How Does Pollution Cause Endangered Species?
• How Do Endangered Species Affect People’s Lives?
• How Does Logging Affect Endangered Species?
• Is the Government Doing Enough to Protect Endangered Species?
• What Are the Cultural, Economic, and Political Constraints on Species Conservation?
• Why Is the Topic of Endangered Species Controversial in Modern Society?
• Why Does the US Have So Many Endangered Species?
• How Is the Recovery of Endangered Species?
• What Are the Tasks of the Endangered Species Working Group?
• How Many Species Are on the Endangered and Threatened List?
• What Are the Moral Obligations of Humans to Endangered Species?
• How Can Protect and Management of Endangered Plant Species?
• What Are the Facts About the Endangered Species of Grizzly Bears?
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Extinction and the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Noah greenwald.

1 Center for Biological Diversity, Portland, OR, USA

Kieran F. Suckling

2 Center for Biological Diversity, Tucson, AZ, USA

Brett Hartl

3 Center for Biological Diversity, Washington, DC, USA

Loyal A. Mehrhoff

4 Center for Biological Diversity, Honolulu, HI, USA

Associated Data

The following information was supplied regarding data availability:

The raw data are available in a Supplementary File and include a complete list of the species we identified as extinct or possibly extinct along with all supporting information.

The U.S. Endangered Species Act is one of the strongest laws of any nation for preventing species extinction, but quantifying the Act’s effectiveness has proven difficult. To provide one measure of effectiveness, we identified listed species that have gone extinct and used previously developed methods to update an estimate of the number of species extinctions prevented by the Act. To date, only four species have been confirmed extinct with another 22 possibly extinct following protection. Another 71 listed species are extinct or possibly extinct, but were last seen before protections were enacted, meaning the Act’s protections never had the opportunity to save these species. In contrast, a total of 39 species have been fully recovered, including 23 in the last 10 years. We estimate the Endangered Species Act has prevented the extinction of roughly 291 species since passage in 1973, and has to date saved more than 99% of species under its protection.

Introduction

Passed in 1973, the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) includes strong protections for listed threatened and endangered species and has helped stabilize and recover hundreds of listed species, such as the bald eagle and gray whale ( Taylor, Suckling & Rachlinski, 2005 ; Schwartz, 2008 ; Suckling et al., 2016 ). In part because of its strong protections, the ESA has engendered substantial opposition from industry lobby groups, who perceive the law as threatening their profits and have been effective in generating opposition to species protections among members of the U.S. Congress. One common refrain from opponents of the ESA in Congress and elsewhere is that the law is a failure because only 2% of listed species have been fully recovered and delisted ( Bishop, 2013 ).

The number of delistings, however, is a poor measure of the success of the ESA because most species have not been protected for sufficient time such that they would be expected to have recovered. Suckling et al. (2016) , for example, found that on average listed birds had been protected just 36 years, but their federal recovery plans estimated an average of 63 years for recovery. Short of recovery, a number of studies have found the ESA is effectively stabilizing or improving the status of species, using both biennial status assessments produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for Congress and abundance trends ( Male & Bean, 2005 ; Taylor, Suckling & Rachlinski, 2005 ; Gibbs & Currie, 2012 ; Suckling et al., 2016 ).

In addition to recovering species, one of the primary purposes of the ESA is to prevent species extinction. Previous studies indicate the ESA has been successful in this regard ( McMillan & Wilcove, 1994 ; Scott et al., 2006 ). As of 2008, the ESA was estimated to have prevented the extinction of at least 227 species and the number of species delisted due to recovery outnumbered the number of species delisted for extinction by 14–7 ( Scott et al., 2006 ). In this study, we identified all ESA listed species that are extinct or possibly extinct to quantify the number of species for which ESA protections have failed and use these figures to update the estimated number of species extinctions prevented. This is the first study in over 20 years to compile data on extinction of ESA listed species, providing an important measure of one of the world’s strongest conservation laws ( McMillan & Wilcove, 1994 ).

To identify extinct or possibly extinct ESA listed species, we examined the status of all 1,747 (species, subspecies and distinct population segments) U.S. listed or formerly listed species, excluding species delisted based on a change in taxonomy or new information showing the original listing to have been erroneous. We determined species to be extinct or possibly extinct based on not being observed for at least 10 years, the occurrence of adequate surveys of their habitat, and presence of threats, such as destruction of habitat of the last known location or presence of invasive species known to eliminate the species.

To differentiate extinct and possibly extinct species we relied on determinations by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, IUCN, species experts and other sources. In most cases, these determinations were qualitative rather quantitative. Species were considered extinct if surveys since the last observation were considered sufficient to conclude the species is highly likely to no longer exist, and possibly extinct if surveys were conducted after the last observation, but were not considered sufficient to conclude that extinction is highly likely ( Butchart, Stattersfield & Brooks, 2006 ; Scott et al., 2008 ).

Source information included 5-year reviews, listing rules and critical habitat designations by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (for aquatic and terrestrial species) or NOAA Fisheries (for marine species), published and gray literature, personal communication with species experts and classifications and accounts by NatureServe, IUCN and the Hawaiian Plant Extinction Prevention program. For each species, we identified year of listing, year last seen, NatureServe and IUCN ranking, taxonomic group, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service region. For species last seen after listing, we also searched for abundance estimates at time of listing in order to give a sense of likelihood of survival regardless of ESA protection.

Following previously developed methods, we estimated the number of species extinctions prevented by the ESA by assuming that listed threatened and endangered species have a comparable extinction risk to IUCN endangered species, which was estimated as an average of 67% over 100 years ( Mace, 1995 ; Schwartz, 1999 ; Scott et al., 2006 ). We believe this estimate of extinction risk is conservative based on similarity of IUCN criteria to factors considered in ESA listings, observed low numbers for species at time of ESA listing and observed correspondence between ESA listed species and species classified as endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN ( Wilcove, McMillan & Winston, 1993 ; Wilcove & Master, 2005 ; Harris et al., 2012 ). Presumed extinction risk was then multiplied by the number of extant listed species and the proportion of a century in which species were protected by the ESA. Previous studies used the length of time the ESA has been in existence (1973-present) for the proportion of a century species have been protected ( Schwartz, 1999 ; Scott et al., 2006 ), but because many species have not been protected the entire 45 years the law has existed, we instead used the more conservative average length species were protected (25 years). This corresponds to the following formula:

We identified a total of 97 ESA listed species that are extinct (23) or possibly extinct (74). Of these, we found 71 extinct (19) or possibly extinct (52) species were last observed before they were listed under the ESA and thus are not relevant to determining the Act’s success in preventing extinction ( Table S1 ). These species were last seen an average of 24 years before protection was granted with a range of one to more than 80 years prior.

A total of 26 species were last seen after listing, of which four are confirmed extinct and 22 are possibly extinct ( Table S2 ). On average, these species were last seen 13 years after listing with a range of 2–23 years. We were able to find an abundance estimate at the time of listing for 19 of these species, ranging from one individual to more than 2,000 with an average of 272. In several cases, these estimates were based on extrapolations from very few sightings.

The distribution of extinct and possibly extinct species was non-random with 64 of the 97 species from Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, followed by 18 from the southeast ( Fig. 1 ). This was also the case for taxonomy. A total of 40 of the 97 species were mollusks dominated by Hawaiian tree snails and southeast mussels, followed by birds (18) and plants (17) ( Fig. 2 ).

Extinct or possibly extinct listed species by taxonomic group.

Extinct or possibly extinct listed species by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region.

We identified several other species that have been missing for more than 10 years, but for which there has not been any effective surveys and thus classifying them as possibly extinct did not seem appropriate, including two Hawaiian yellow-faced bees ( Hylaeus facilis and Hylaeus hilaris ) (K. Magnacca, 2018, personal communication) and Fosberg’s love grass ( Eragrostis fosbergii ) ( U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2011 ). If indeed extinct, all three were lost prior to protection under the ESA.

Including updated figures for number of listed species, time of protection and species extinctions, we estimate the ESA has prevented the extinction of roughly 291 species in its 45 year history. Based on the number of confirmed extinctions following listing, we further estimate that the ESA has to date prevented the extinction of more than 99% of species under its protection. To date, a total of 39 species have been delisted for recovery compared to four species that are extinct and 22 that are potentially extinct.

The few number of listed species that have gone extinct following protection combined with an estimated 291 species for which extinction was prevented demonstrate the ESA has achieved one of its core purposes—halting the loss of species. We will not attempt to catalog them here, but numerous individual examples provide further support for this conclusion. Well known species like the California condor ( Gymnogyps californianus ), black-footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes ) and Hawaiian monk seal ( Neomonachus schauinslandi ), as well as lesser known species like the yellowfin madtom ( Noturus flavipinnis ), are but a few of the species that likely would have been lost were it not for the ESA.

The madtom is a case in point. Wrongly presumed extinct when described in 1969, individual madtom were found in the Powell River in Tennessee and Copper Creek in Virginia and the species was protected under the ESA in 1977 ( U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1977 ). Following protection, federal and state officials worked with a non-governmental organization, Conservation Fisheries Inc., to discover additional populations and repatriate the species to rivers and streams in its historic range and there are now populations of the yellowfin madtom in three different watersheds ( U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2012a ). The history of the ESA is replete with similar such stories.

The distribution of extinct or possibly extinct listed species largely tracks those regions with the highest rates of species endangerment, including Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands with 64 of the 97 extinctions or possible extinctions, and the Southeast with 18 of the extinctions or possible extinctions, mostly freshwater species. The fragility of Hawaii’s endemic fauna to introduced species and habitat destruction and high degree of species imperilment is well recognized ( Duffy & Kraus, 2006 ). Similarly, the extinction and endangerment of freshwater fauna in the southeast is well documented ( Benz & Collins, 1997 ). To avoid further extinctions, these areas should be priorities for increased funding and effort.

Protection under the ESA came too late for the 71 species last seen prior to listing. It’s possible that some of these species survived undetected following listing, but we find this unlikely for most if not all of the species. It is very difficult to document extinction, but all of the species were the subject of survey both before and after listing, which is described in the listing rules and subsequent status surveys. In addition, the 71 species were last seen an average of 24 years prior to listing, providing a long window for detection prior to listing. If some of these species did survive after listing it was likely at very low numbers, such that recovery would have been difficult at best.

That these 71 species were lost before protections were applied clearly highlights the need to move quickly to protect species. Indeed, Suckling, Slack & Nowicki (2004) identified 42 species that went extinct while under consideration for protection. Since that analysis was completed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined five additional species did not qualify for protection because they were extinct, including the Tacoma pocket gopher ( Thomomys mazama tacomensis ), Tatum Cave beetle ( Pseudanophthalmus parvus ), Stephan’s riffle beetle ( Heterelmis stephani), beaverpond marstonia ( Marstonia castor ) and Ozark pyrg ( Marstonia ozarkensis ), meaning there are now 47 species that have gone extinct waiting for protection ( U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2012b , 2016 , 2017 , 2018a ).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently faces a backlog of more than 500 species that have been determined to potentially warrant protection, but which await a decision ( U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2018b ). Under the ESA, decisions about protection for species are supposed to take 2 years, but on average it has taken the Fish and Wildlife Service 12 years ( Puckett, Kesler & Greenwald, 2016 ). Such lengthy wait times are certain to result in loss of further species and run counter to the purpose of the statute. This problem can be addressed by streamlining the Service’s process for listing species, which has become increasingly cumbersome, and by increasing funding for the listing program. For every species listed, the Service’s process includes review by upward of 20 people, including numerous individuals who have no specific knowledge of the species and in a number of cases are political appointees. We instead recommend that the Service adopt a process similar to scientific peer review, involving review by two to three qualified individuals.

The loss of 26 species after they were protected is indicative of conservation failure. This failure, however, in most cases cannot be wholly attributed to the ESA because most of these species were reduced to very low numbers by the time they were protected, making recovery difficult to impossible. Of the 19 species we could find an abundance estimate for at the time of listing, 13 had an estimated population fewer than 100 with eight having fewer than 10 individuals. Of the six other species, two Hawaiian birds, Oahu creeper ( Paroreomyza maculate ) and ‘O’u ( Psittirostra psittacea ) had estimated populations in the hundreds, but this was based on sightings of single individuals. Given the lack of further sightings and the presence of disease carrying mosquitoes throughout their habitat, these estimates were likely optimistic. The other four species, the dusky seaside sparrow ( Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens ), Morro Bay kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys heermanni morroensis ), pamakani ( Tetramolopium capillare ) and Curtis’ pearlymussel ( Epioblasma florentina curtisii ), had populations at the time of listing ranging from 100 to 3,000 individuals, but sufficient action was not taken to save them, making them true conservation failures.

At some level, all of the 97 ESA listed species that we identified as possibly extinct or extinct are conservation failures. For 42 of these species, the law itself was too late because they were last seen before the ESA was passed in 1973. But for others, there may have been time and we did not act quickly enough or dedicate sufficient resources to saving them. There are many examples of species both in the U.S. and internationally that have been successfully recovered even after dropping to very small numbers, but this can only occur with fast, effective action, resources and in many cases luck. The Mauritius kestrel ( Falco punctatus) , for example, was brought back from just two pairs ( Cade & Jones, 1993 ) and the Hawaiian plant extinction prevention program, which focuses on saving plants with fewer than 50 individuals, has rediscovered many species believed extinct, brought 177 species into cultivation, constructed fences to protect species from non-native predators and reintroduced many species into the wild ( Wood, 2012 , http://www.pepphi.org/ ).

The failure to provide sufficient resources for conservation of listed species, however, continues to the present. As many as 27 species of Oahu tree snail ( achatinella spp. ) are extinct or possibly extinct, yet expenditures for the species that still survive are inadequate to support minimal survey and captive propagation efforts. Likewise, the Hawaiian plant extinction prevention program, which has been so effective in saving species on the brink of extinction, is facing a budget cut of roughly 70% in 2019 ( http://www.pepphi.org/ ), which very likely could mean the extinction of dozens of plants that otherwise could be saved. Overall, Greenwald et al. (2016) estimate current recovery funding is roughly 3% of estimated recovery costs from federal recovery plans. We can save species from extinction, but it must be more of a priority for federal spending. Nevertheless, despite funding shortfalls and the tragedy of these species having gone extinct, the ESA has succeeded in preventing the extinction of the vast majority of listed species and in this regard is a success.

Management implications

Of the 97 species we identified as extinct or potentially extinct, only 11 have been delisted for extinction. Another 11 have been recommended for delisting due to extinction. The San Marcos gambusia ( Gambusia georgei ) could also be delisted since there is very little hope it survives. For the other 74 possibly extinct species, we recommend retaining protections in the hope that some will be rediscovered and because there is little cost in retaining listing.

Supplemental Information

Supplemental information 1.

Extinct or possibly extinct species broken out by whether last seen before or after protection was enacted, including relevant source data and literature cited.

Funding Statement

The authors received no funding for this work.

Additional Information and Declarations

All authors are employed by the Center for Biological Diversity which works to protect endangered species and their habitats.

Noah Greenwald conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, prepared figures and/or tables, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.

Kieran F. Suckling conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.

Brett Hartl conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.

Loyal A. Mehrhoff conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.

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Endangered Species

An endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation.

Biology, Ecology, Geography, Conservation

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An endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction . Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation . Loss of Habitat A loss of habitat can happen naturally. Nonavian dinosaurs , for instance, lost their habitat about 65 million years ago. The hot, dry climate of the Cretaceous period changed very quickly, most likely because of an asteroid striking Earth. The impact of the asteroid forced debris into the atmosphere , reducing the amount of heat and light that reached Earth’s surface. The dinosaurs were unable to adapt to this new, cooler habitat. Nonavian dinosaurs became endangered, then extinct . Human activity can also contribute to a loss of habitat. Development for housing, industry , and agriculture reduces the habitat of native organisms. This can happen in a number of different ways. Development can eliminate habitat and native species directly. In the Amazon rainforest of South America, developers have cleared hundreds of thousands of acres. To “clear” a piece of land is to remove all trees and vegetation from it. The Amazon rainforest is cleared for cattle ranches , logging , and ur ban use. Development can also endanger species indirectly. Some species, such as fig trees of the rainforest, may provide habitat for other species. As trees are destroyed, species that depend on that tree habitat may also become endangered. Tree crowns provide habitat in the canopy , or top layer, of a rainforest . Plants such as vines, fungi such as mushrooms, and insects such as butterflies live in the rainforest canopy. So do hundreds of species of tropical birds and mammals such as monkeys. As trees are cut down, this habitat is lost. Species have less room to live and reproduce . Loss of habitat may happen as development takes place in a species range . Many animals have a range of hundreds of square kilometers. The mountain lion ( Puma concolor ) of North America, for instance, has a range of up to 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles). To successfully live and reproduce, a single mountain lion patrols this much territory. Urban areas , such as Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, grew rapidly during the 20th century. As these areas expanded into the wilderness, the mountain lion’s habitat became smaller. That means the habitat can support fewer mountain lions. Because enormous parts of the Sierra Nevada, Rocky, and Cascade mountain ranges remain undeveloped, however, mountain lions are not endangered. Loss of habitat can also lead to increased encounters between wild species and people. As development brings people deeper into a species range, they may have more exposure to wild species. Poisonous plants and fungi may grow closer to homes and schools. Wild animals are also spotted more frequently . These animals are simply patrolling their range, but interaction with people can be deadly. Polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ), mountain lions, and alligators are all predators brought into close contact with people as they lose their habitat to homes, farms , and businesses. As people kill these wild animals, through pesticides , accidents such as collisions with cars, or hunting, native species may become endangered.

Loss of Genetic Variation Genetic variation is the diversity found within a species. It’s why human beings may have blond, red, brown, or black hair. Genetic variation allows species to adapt to changes in the environment. Usually, the greater the population of a species, the greater its genetic variation. Inbreeding is reproduction with close family members. Groups of species that have a tendency to inbreed usually have little genetic variation, because no new genetic information is introduced to the group. Disease is much more common, and much more deadly, among inbred groups. Inbred species do not have the genetic variation to develop resistance to the disease. For this reason, fewer offspring of inbred groups survive to maturity. Loss of genetic variation can occur naturally. Cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ) are a threatened species native to Africa and Asia. These big cats have very little genetic variation. Biologists say that during the last Ice Age , cheetahs went through a long period of inbreeding. As a result, there are very few genetic differences between cheetahs. They cannot adapt to changes in the environment as quickly as other animals, and fewer cheetahs survive to maturity. Cheetahs are also much more difficult to breed in captivity than other big cats, such as lions ( Panthera leo ). Human activity can also lead to a loss of genetic variation. Overhunting and overfishing have reduced the populations of many animals. Reduced population means there are fewer breeding pairs . A breeding pair is made up of two mature members of the species that are not closely related and can produce healthy offspring. With fewer breeding pairs, genetic variation shrinks. Monoculture , the agricultural method of growing a single crop , can also reduce genetic variation. Modern agribusiness relies on monocultures. Almost all potatoes cultivated , sold, and consumed, for instance, are from a single species, the Russet Burbank ( Solanum tuberosum ). Potatoes, native to the Andes Mountains of South America, have dozens of natural varieties. The genetic variation of wild potatoes allows them to adapt to climate change and disease. For Russet Burbanks, however, farmers must use fertilizers and pesticides to ensure healthy crops because the plant has almost no genetic variation. Plant breeders often go back to wild varieties to collect genes that will help cultivated plants resist pests and drought, and adapt to climate change. However, climate change is also threatening wild varieties. That means domesticated plants may lose an important source of traits that help them overcome new threats. The Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps a “Red List of Threatened Species.” The Red List de fines the severity and specific causes of a species’ threat of extinction. The Red List has seven levels of conservation: least concern , near threatened , vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered , extinct in the wild , and extinct. Each category represents a different threat level. Species that are not threatened by extinction are placed within the first two categories—least concern and near-threatened. Those that are most threatened are placed within the next three categories, known as the threatened categories —vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered. Those species that are extinct in some form are placed within the last two categories—extinct in the wild and extinct. Classifying a species as endangered has to do with its range and habitat, as well as its actual population. For this reason, a species can be of least concern in one area and endangered in another. The gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus ), for instance, has a healthy population in the eastern Pacific Ocean, along the coast of North and South America. The population in the western Pacific, however, is critically endangered.

Least Concern Least concern is the lowest level of conservation . A species of least concern is one that has a widespread and abundant population. Human beings are a species of least concern, along with most domestic animals , such as dogs ( Canis familiaris ) and cats ( Felis catus ). Many wild animals, such as pigeons and houseflies ( Musca domestica ), are also classified as least concern. Near Threatened A near threatened species is one that is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future. Many species of violets , native to tropical jungles in South America and Africa, are near threatened, for instance. They have healthy populations, but their rainforest habitat is disappearing at a fast pace. People are cutting down huge areas of rainforest for development and timber . Many violet species are likely to become threatened. Vulnerable Species The definitions of the three threatened categories (vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered) are based on five criteria: population reduction rate , geographic range, population size, population restrictions , and probability of extinction . Threatened categories have different thresholds for these criteria. As the population and range of the species decreases, the species becomes more threatened. 1) Population reduction rate A species is classified as vulnerable if its population has declined between 30 and 50 percent. This decline is measured over 10 years or three generations of the species, whichever is longer. A generation is the period of time between the birth of an animal and the time it is able to reproduce. Mice are able to reproduce when they are about one month old. Mouse populations are mostly tracked over 10-year periods. An elephant's generation lasts about 15 years. So, elephant populations are measured over 45-year periods. A species is vulnerable if its population has declined at least 50 percent and the cause of the decline is known. Habitat loss is the leading known cause of population decline. A species is also classified as vulnerable if its population has declined at least 30 percent and the cause of the decline is not known. A new, unknown virus , for example, could kill hundreds or even thousands of individuals before being identified. 2) Geographic range A species is vulnerable if its “ extent of occurrence ” is estimated to be less than 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles). An extent of occurrence is the smallest area that could contain all sites of a species’ population. If all members of a species could survive in a single area, the size of that area is the species’ extent of occurrence. A species is also classified as vulnerable if its “ area of occupancy ” is estimated to be less than 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles). An area of occupancy is where a specific population of that species resides. This area is often a breeding or nesting site in a species range. 3) Population size Species with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals are vulnerable. The species is also vulnerable if that population declines by at least 10 percent within 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer. 4) Population restrictions Population restriction is a combination of population and area of occupancy. A species is vulnerable if it is restricted to less than 1,000 mature individuals or an area of occupancy of less than 20 square kilometers (8 square miles). 5) Probability of extinction in the wild is at least 10 percent within 100 years. Biologists, anthropologists, meteorologists , and other scientists have developed complex ways to determine a species’ probability of extinction. These formulas calculate the chances a species can survive, without human protection, in the wild. Vulnerable Species: Ethiopian Banana Frog The Ethiopian banana frog ( Afrixalus enseticola ) is a small frog native to high- altitude areas of southern Ethiopia. It is a vulnerable species because its area of occupancy is less than 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles). The extent and quality of its forest habitat are in decline. Threats to this habitat include forest clearance, mostly for housing and agriculture. Vulnerable Species: Snaggletooth Shark The snaggletooth shark ( Hemipristis elongatus ) is found in the tropical, coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its area of occupancy is enormous, from Southeast Africa to the Philippines, and from China to Australia. However, the snaggletooth shark is a vulnerable species because of a severe population reduction rate. Its population has fallen more than 10 percent over 10 years. The number of these sharks is declining due to fisheries, especially in the Java Sea and Gulf of Thailand. The snaggletooth shark’s flesh, fins, and liver are considered high-quality foods. They are sold in commercial fish markets, as well as restaurants. Vulnerable Species: Galapagos Kelp Galapagos kelp ( Eisenia galapagensis ) is a type of seaweed only found near the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Galapagos kelp is classified as vulnerable because its population has declined more than 10 percent over 10 years. Climate change is the leading cause of decline among Galapagos kelp. El Niño, the natural weather pattern that brings unusually warm water to the Galapagos, is the leading agent of climate change in this area. Galapagos kelp is a cold-water species and does not adapt quickly to changes in water temperature.

Endangered Species 1) Population reduction rate A species is classified as endangered when its population has declined between 50 and 70 percent. This decline is measured over 10 years or three generations of the species, whichever is longer. A species is classified as endangered when its population has declined at least 70 percent and the cause of the decline is known. A species is also classified as endangered when its population has declined at least 50 percent and the cause of the decline is not known. 2) Geographic range An endangered species’ extent of occurrence is less than 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles). An endangered species’ area of occupancy is less than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles). 3) Population size A species is classified as endangered when there are fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. When a species population declines by at least 20 percent within five years or two generations, it is also classified as endangered. 4) Population restrictions A species is classified as endangered when its population is restricted to less than 250 mature individuals. When a species’ population is this low, its area of occupancy is not considered. 5) Probability of extinction in the wild is at least 20 percent within 20 years or five generations, whichever is longer.

Endangered Species: Scimitar -horned Oryx The scimitar-horned oryx ( Oryx dammah ) is a species of antelope with long horns. Its range extends across northern Africa. Previously, the scimitar-horned oryx was listed as extinct in the wild because the last confirmed sighting of one was in 1988. However, the first group of scimitar-horned oryx was released back into the wild in Chad, in August 2016, and the population is growing. Overhunting and habitat loss, including competition with domestic livestock , are the main reasons for the decline of the oryx’s wild population. Captive herds are now kept in protected areas of Tunisia, Senegal, and Morocco. Scimitar-horned oryxes are also found in many zoos . Critically Endangered Species 1) Population reduction rate A critically endangered species’ population has declined between 80 and 90 percent. This decline is measured over 10 years or three generations of the species, whichever is longer. A species is classified as critically endangered when its population has declined at least 90 percent and the cause of the decline is known. A species is also classified as endangered when its population has declined at least 80 percent and the cause of the decline is not known. 2) Geographic range A critically endangered species’ extent of occurrence is less than 100 square kilometers (39 square miles). A critically endangered species’ area of occupancy is estimated to be less than 10 square kilometers (4 square miles). 3) Population size A species is classified as critically endangered when there are fewer than 250 mature individuals. A species is also classified as critically endangered when the number of mature individuals declines by at least 25 percent within three years or one generation, whichever is longer. 4) Population restrictions A species is classified as critically endangered when its population is restricted to less than 50 mature individuals. When a species’ population is this low, its area of occupancy is not considered. 5) Probability of extinction in the wild is at least 50 percent within 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer. Critically Endangered Species: Bolivian Chinchilla Rat The Bolivian chinchilla rat ( Abrocoma boliviensis ) is a rodent found in a small section of the Santa Cruz region of Bolivia. It is critically endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than 100 square kilometers (39 square miles). The major threat to this species is loss of its cloud forest habitat. People are clearing forests to create cattle pastures .

Critically Endangered Species: Transcaucasian Racerunner The Transcaucasian racerunner ( Eremias pleskei ) is a lizard found on the Armenian Plateau , located in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey. The Transcaucasian racerunner is a critically endangered species because of a huge population decline, estimated at more than 80 percent during the past 10 years. Threats to this species include the salination , or increased saltiness, of soil . Fertilizers used for agricultural development seep into the soil, increasing its saltiness. Racerunners live in and among the rocks and soil, and cannot adapt to the increased salt in their food and shelter. The racerunner is also losing habitat as people create trash dumps on their area of occupancy. Critically Endangered Species: White Ferula Mushroom The white ferula mushroom ( Pleurotus nebrodensis ) is a critically endangered species of fungus. The mushroom is critically endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than 100 square kilometers (39 square miles). It is only found in the northern part of the Italian island of Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea. The leading threats to white ferula mushrooms are loss of habitat and overharvesting. White ferula mushrooms are a gourmet food item. Farmers and amateur mushroom hunters harvest the fungus for food and profit. The mushrooms can be sold for up to $100 per kilogram (2.2 pounds). Extinct in the Wild A species is extinct in the wild when it only survives in cultivation (plants), in captivity (animals), or as a population well outside its established range. A species may be listed as extinct in the wild only after years of surveys have failed to record an individual in its native or expected habitat.

Extinct in the Wild: Monut Kaala Cyanea The Mount Kaala cyanea ( Cyanea superba ) is a large, flowering tree native to the island of Oahu, in the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. The Mount Kaala cyanea has large, broad leaves and fleshy fruit. The tree is extinct in the wild largely because of invasive species. Non-native plants crowded the cyanea out of its habitat, and non-native animals such as pigs, rats, and slugs ate its fruit more quickly than it could reproduce. Mount Kaala cyanea trees survive in tropical nurseries and botanical gardens . Many botanists and conservationists look forward to establishing a new population in the wild. Extinct A species is extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last remaining individual of that species has died. Extinct: Cuban Macaw The Cuban macaw ( Ara tricolor ) was a tropical parrot native to Cuba and a small Cuban island, Isla de la Juventud. Hunting and collecting the birds for pets led to the bird’s extinction. The last specimen of the Cuban macaw was collected in 1864. Extinct: Ridley’s Stick Insect Ridley’s stick insect ( Pseudobactricia ridleyi ) was native to the tropical jungle of the island of Singapore. This insect, whose long, segmented body resembled a tree limb, is only known through a single specimen, collected more than 100 years ago. During the 20th century, Singapore experienced rapid development. Almost the entire jungle was cleared, depriving the insect of its habitat.

Endangered Species and People When a species is classified as endangered, governments and international organizations can work to protect it. Laws may limit hunting and destruction of the species’ habitat. Individuals and organizations that break these laws may face huge fines. Because of such actions, many species have recovered from their endangered status. The brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis ) was taken off the endangered species list in 2009, for instance. This seabird is native to the coasts of North America and South America, as well as the islands of the Caribbean Sea. It is the state bird of the U.S. state of Louisiana. In 1970, the number of brown pelicans in the wild was estimated at 10,000. The bird was classified as vulnerable. During the 1970s and 1980s, governments and conservation groups worked to help the brown pelican recover. Young chicks were reared in hatching sites, then released into the wild. Human access to nesting sites was severely restricted. The pesticide DDT , which damaged the eggs of the brown pelican, was banned. During the 1980s, the number of brown pelicans soared. In 1988, the IUCN “delisted” the brown pelican. The bird, whose population is now in the hundreds of thousands, is now in the category of least concern.

Convention on Biological Diversity The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty to sustain and protect the diversity of life on Earth. This includes conservation, sustainability, and sharing the benefits of genetic research and resources. The Convention on Biological Diversity has adopted the IUCN Red List of endangered species in order to monitor and research species' population and habitats. Three nations have not ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity: Andorra, the Holy See (Vatican), and the United States.

Lonesome George Lonesome George was the only living member of the Pinta Island tortoise ( Chelonoidis abingdoni ) known to exist. The Pinta Island tortoise was only found on Pinta, one of the Galapagos Islands. The Charles Darwin Research Station, a scientific facility in the Galapagos, offered a $10,000 reward to any zoo or individual for locating a single Pinta Island tortoise female. On June 25, 2012, Lonesome George died, leaving one more extinct species in the world.

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Human Impact — Endangered Species

Essays on Endangered Species

Endangered species essay topics and outline examples, essay title 1: vanishing wonders: the plight of endangered species and conservation efforts.

Thesis Statement: This essay explores the critical issue of endangered species, delving into the causes of endangerment, the ecological significance of these species, and the conservation strategies aimed at preserving them for future generations.

• Introduction
• Understanding Endangered Species: Definitions and Criteria
• Causes of Endangerment: Habitat Loss, Climate Change, Poaching, and Pollution
• Ecological Significance: The Role of Endangered Species in Ecosystems
• Conservation Strategies: Protected Areas, Breeding Programs, and Legal Protections
• Success Stories: Examples of Species Recovery and Reintroduction
• Ongoing Challenges: Balancing Conservation with Human Needs
• Conclusion: The Urgent Need for Global Action in Protecting Endangered Species

Essay Title 2: Beyond the Numbers: The Ethical and Moral Imperatives of Endangered Species Preservation

Thesis Statement: This essay examines the ethical dimensions of endangered species preservation, addressing questions of human responsibility, intrinsic value, and the moral imperative to protect and restore these species.

• The Ethical Dilemma: Balancing Human Needs and Species Preservation
• Intrinsic Value: Recognizing the Inherent Worth of All Species
• Interconnectedness: Understanding the Ripple Effects of Species Loss
• Human Responsibility: The Moral Imperative to Protect Endangered Species
• Conservation Ethics: Ethical Frameworks and Philosophical Perspectives
• Legislation and International Agreements: Legal Approaches to Ethical Conservation
• Conclusion: Embracing Our Role as Stewards of Biodiversity

Essay Title 3: The Economic Value of Biodiversity: Endangered Species and Sustainable Development

Thesis Statement: This essay explores the economic aspects of endangered species conservation, highlighting the potential economic benefits of preserving biodiversity, sustainable ecotourism, and the long-term economic consequences of species loss.

• Economic Importance of Biodiversity: Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being
• Sustainable Ecotourism: How Endangered Species Can Drive Local Economies
• Case Studies: Success Stories of Economic Benefits from Species Conservation
• The Costs of Inaction: Economic Consequences of Species Extinction
• Corporate Responsibility: Businesses and Conservation Partnerships
• Balancing Economic Growth with Conservation: The Path to Sustainable Development
• Conclusion: The Interplay Between Biodiversity, Economics, and a Sustainable Future

Endangered Species Extinction Paper

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Endangered Species: The African Elephant

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De-extinction Can Help to Protect Endangered Species

Protection of endangered species can help us to survive, the way zoos helps to protect endangered species, ways of protection endangered species, sharks demand protection just like endangered species, the reasons why the koala species is endangered, the issue of philippine eagle endangerment, the issue of conserving endangered animals in the jungles of southeast asia, primates research project: the bushmeat crisis, the negative impact of the food culture on the environment and jani actman article that fish on your dinner plate may be an endangered species, nesting and population ecology of western chimpanzee in bia conservation area, human impact on red panda populations , the impact of climate change on the antarctic region, the ethics of bengal tigers, poaching and the illegal trade, giant pandas ailuropoda.

Endangered species are living organisms that face a high risk of extinction in the near future. They are characterized by dwindling population numbers and a significant decline in their natural habitats. These species are vulnerable to various factors, including habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, overexploitation, and invasive species, which disrupt their ecological balance and threaten their survival.

The early stages of human civilization witnessed a relatively harmonious coexistence with the natural world. Indigenous cultures across the globe held deep reverence for the interconnectedness of all living beings, fostering a sense of stewardship and respect for the environment. Nevertheless, with the rise of industrialization and modernization, the exploitation of natural resources escalated at an unprecedented pace. The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked a turning point, as rapid urbanization, deforestation, pollution, and overhunting posed significant threats to numerous species. The dawn of globalization further accelerated these challenges, as international trade in exotic species intensified and habitats faced relentless encroachment. In response to this growing concern, conservation movements emerged worldwide. Influential figures such as John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Aldo Leopold championed the cause of environmental preservation, raising awareness about the fragility of ecosystems and the need for proactive measures. International conventions and treaties, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), were established to regulate and monitor the trade of endangered species across borders. As our understanding of ecological dynamics deepened, scientific advancements and conservation efforts gained momentum. Endangered species recovery programs, habitat restoration initiatives, and the establishment of protected areas have all played a vital role in safeguarding vulnerable populations. However, the struggle to protect endangered species continues in the face of ongoing challenges. Climate change, habitat destruction, poaching, and illegal wildlife trade persist as formidable threats. Efforts to conserve endangered species require a multi-faceted approach, encompassing scientific research, policy development, sustainable practices, and international collaboration.

Leonardo DiCaprio: An acclaimed actor and environmental activist, DiCaprio has been an outspoken advocate for wildlife conservation. Through the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, he has supported various initiatives aimed at protecting endangered species and their habitats. Sigourney Weaver: Besides her notable acting career, Sigourney Weaver has been a passionate environmental activist. She has advocated for the protection of endangered species, particularly in her role as an honorary co-chair of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Prince William: The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, has shown a deep commitment to wildlife conservation. He has actively supported initiatives such as United for Wildlife, which aims to combat the illegal wildlife trade and protect endangered species. Edward Norton: Actor and environmental activist Edward Norton has been actively involved in various conservation efforts. He co-founded the Conservation International's Marine Program and has been vocal about the need to protect endangered species and their habitats.

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) Javan Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) Vaquita (Phocoena sinus) Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation 2. Climate Change 3. Pollution 4. Overexploitation and Illegal Wildlife Trade 5. Invasive Species 6. Disease and Pathogens 7. Lack of Conservation Efforts and Awareness 8. Genetic Issues 9. Natural Factors

The majority of the public recognizes the significance of conserving endangered species. Many people believe that it is our moral obligation to protect and preserve the Earth's diverse wildlife. They understand that losing species not only disrupts ecosystems but also deprives future generations of the natural beauty and ecological services they provide. Some individuals view endangered species conservation through an economic lens. They understand that wildlife and ecosystems contribute to tourism, provide ecosystem services like clean water and air, and support local economies. These economic arguments often align with conservation efforts, highlighting the potential benefits of protecting endangered species. Additionally, public opinion on endangered species is often shaped by awareness campaigns, education initiatives, and media coverage. Increased access to information about the threats faced by endangered species and the consequences of their decline has resulted in a greater understanding and concern among the public. Many people support the implementation and enforcement of laws and regulations aimed at protecting endangered species. They believe that legal frameworks are essential for ensuring the survival of vulnerable species and holding individuals and industries accountable for actions that harm wildlife. Moreover, individuals increasingly feel a sense of personal responsibility in addressing the issue of endangered species. This includes making conscious choices about consumption, supporting sustainable practices, and engaging in activities that contribute to conservation efforts, such as volunteering or donating to wildlife organizations. Public opinion can vary when it comes to instances where the protection of endangered species conflicts with human interests, such as land use, agriculture, or development projects. These situations can lead to debates and differing perspectives on how to balance conservation needs with other societal needs.

"Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson: Published in 1962, this influential book is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Carson's seminal work highlighted the devastating impacts of pesticides, including their effects on wildlife and the environment. It drew attention to the need for conservation and sparked widespread concern for endangered species. "Gorillas in the Mist" by Dian Fossey: Fossey's book, published in 1983, chronicled her experiences studying and protecting mountain gorillas in Rwanda. It shed light on the challenges faced by these endangered primates and brought their conservation needs to the forefront of public consciousness. "March of the Penguins" (2005): This acclaimed documentary film depicted the annual journey of emperor penguins in Antarctica. By showcasing the hardships and perils these penguins face, the film garnered widespread attention and empathy for these remarkable creatures, raising awareness about their vulnerability and the impacts of climate change. "The Cove" (2009): This documentary exposed the brutal practice of dolphin hunting in Taiji, Japan. It not only brought attention to the mistreatment of dolphins but also highlighted the interconnectedness of species and the urgent need for their protection. "Racing Extinction" (2015): This documentary film by the Oceanic Preservation Society addressed the issue of mass species extinction and the human-driven factors contributing to it. It aimed to inspire viewers to take action and make positive changes to protect endangered species and their habitats.

1. It is estimated that around 26,000 species are currently threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 2. The illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest illegal trade globally, following drugs, counterfeiting, and human trafficking. It is a significant contributor to species endangerment. 3. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports that since 1970, global wildlife populations have declined by an average of 68%. 4. Habitat loss is the primary cause of species endangerment, with deforestation alone accounting for the loss of around 18.7 million acres of forest annually. 5. The poaching crisis has pushed some iconic species to the brink of extinction. For example, it is estimated that only about 3,900 tigers remain in the wild. 6. The Hawaiian Islands are considered the endangered species capital of the world, with more than 500 endangered or threatened species due to habitat loss and invasive species. 7. Coral reefs, one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, are under significant threat. It is estimated that 75% of the world's coral reefs are currently threatened, primarily due to climate change, pollution, and overfishing. 8. The illegal pet trade is a significant threat to many species. It is estimated that for every live animal captured for the pet trade, several die during capture or transport. 9. The IUCN Red List, a comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of species, currently includes more than 38,000 species, with approximately 28% of them classified as threatened with extinction.

The topic of endangered species holds immense importance for writing an essay due to several compelling reasons. Firstly, endangered species represent a vital component of the Earth's biodiversity, playing crucial roles in maintaining ecosystem balance and functioning. Exploring this topic allows us to understand the interconnectedness of species and their habitats, emphasizing the intricate web of life on our planet. Secondly, the issue of endangered species is a direct reflection of human impacts on the environment. It brings attention to the consequences of habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and unsustainable practices. By studying this topic, we can delve into the root causes of species endangerment and contemplate the ethical and moral dimensions of our responsibility towards other living beings. Moreover, the plight of endangered species evokes strong emotional responses, prompting discussions on the intrinsic value of nature and our duty to conserve it for future generations. Writing about endangered species enables us to raise awareness, foster empathy, and advocate for sustainable practices and conservation initiatives.

1. Dudley, N., & Stolton, S. (Eds.). (2010). Arguments for protected areas: Multiple benefits for conservation and use. Earthscan. 2. Fearn, E., & Butler, C. D. (Eds.). (2019). Routledge handbook of eco-anxiety. Routledge. 3. Groombridge, B., & Jenkins, M. D. (2002). World atlas of biodiversity: Earth's living resources in the 21st century. University of California Press. 4. Hoekstra, J. M., Boucher, T. M., Ricketts, T. H., & Roberts, C. (2005). Confronting a biome crisis: Global disparities of habitat loss and protection. Ecology Letters, 8(1), 23-29. 5. Kiesecker, J. M., & Copeland, H. E. (Eds.). (2018). The biogeography of endangered species: Patterns and applications. Island Press. 6. Laurance, W. F., Sayer, J., & Cassman, K. G. (2014). Agricultural expansion and its impacts on tropical nature. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 29(2), 107-116. 7. Meffe, G. K., & Carroll, C. R. (Eds.). (1997). Principles of conservation biology. Sinauer Associates. 8. Primack, R. B. (2014). Essentials of conservation biology. Sinauer Associates. 9. Soulé, M. E., & Terborgh, J. (Eds.). (1999). Continental conservation: Scientific foundations of regional reserve networks. Island Press. 10. Wilson, E. O. (2016). Half-earth: Our planet's fight for life. Liveright Publishing.

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Research Paper

Endangered species.

Controversies about endangered species center on the value of species and the cost of protecting and preserving them and their habitats. There are debates about whether a particular species is going extinct and whether a particular policy actually does protect a designated species. Natural resource extraction (logging, mining, grazing), land and road development into wildlife habitats, and increased recreational use are all central issues in this controversy.

Species extinctions have occurred along with evolution. As plant and animal species evolve over time, some adaptations fail. As human population has increased, along with our hunting, farming, and foraging capacities, plant and animal species have begun to disappear faster. Pollution, climate change, and other significant environmental impacts can destroy species in sensitive niches in the food chain. In most cases species are endangered because of human impacts, but each case can present its own issues.

The evidence for human impact on species in the United States is often based on successful eradication programs for problem pests. Knowledge about species extinctions grew as environmentalists, hunters, researchers, and others observed extinctions and near-extinctions of several species, such as the buffalo and pigeon. Endangered species create a great concern for productive bioregions and ecosystem integrity. They can represent a significant part of the food web, and their loss can forever weaken other parts of that food web. Eventually, this great social concern for endangered species found its way into law, now one of the main tools used by advocates on either side of the debate.

Debate over Saving a Species

Debates arise about whether a species is in danger of becoming extinct. When a species is designated endangered, more debate ensues over whether it is worth saving and what governmental polices might help to preserve it. One consideration is the species’ habitat. Should activities that might benefit humans—such as mining, logging and grazing—be permitted? Should industrial and residential development continue? Should recreation be limited in wildlife areas?

Species Have Disappeared Naturally

As plant and animal species evolved over hundreds of thousands of years, some became extinct because they failed to adapt appropriately to the natural world. Scientists think that an increasing human population accelerated the process of extinction. Hunting, farming, pollution, climate change, and other human encroachments on species’ environments can destroy species in sensitive niches in the food chain. What to do about these activities and conditions is subject to debate.

The evidence for human impact on species in the United States is often based on successful eradication programs for problem pests. Knowledge about dwindling species has resulted from the observations of hunters, researchers, environmentalists, and others. Examples are the much smaller number of American bison and the extinction of the passenger pigeon, which has not been seen in the wild since the 1920s. Endangered species can be a great concern for bioregions and the ecosystem. They can be an important part of the food chain, and their loss can weaken other parts of that chain. Eventually, the concern for species becoming endangered found its way into laws that have become a subject of debate.

U.S. Laws Stir Controversy

The 1966 federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) sets the policy for species preservation. It is controversial and involves issues such as long-term leases of public lands, private property, and defensible science. Scientific controversies include ecosystem risk assessment, the concept of a species and how it has been interpreted for ESA application, and conflicts between species when individual species are identified for protection and others are not. One such controversy is over the preservation of the habitat for the spotted owl in Oregon, which prevented logging. Approximately 60 logging mills subsequently closed. There are current discussions about whether saving the owl’s habitat saved the bird (note: why was saving the bird important?). Endangered species designation can affects natural resource extraction such as logging and mining by prohibiting or limiting it.

Before a plant or animal species can receive protection under the ESA, it must first be placed on the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. The listing program follows a strict legal process to determine whether to list a species, depending on the degree of threat it faces. The law has levels of designation: An endangered species is one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A threatened species is one that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. The federal government maintains a list of plants and animals native to the United States that have potential to be added to the federal list of endangered species.

Small but Important Step

When the U.S. Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act, the law was deemed a small but important first step toward species preservation. The law allows listing of only native animal species as endangered and provided limited means for the protection of species so listed. The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Defense were to seek to protect listed species and to preserve the habitats of such species. Land acquisition for protection of endangered species was also authorized by law. In 1969, another law was passed to provide additional protection to species in danger of worldwide extinction. The next law was the Endangered Species Conservation Act. This law bans the importation and sale of such species in the United States.

World Wakes Up to Problem

The 1969 act also called for an international meeting to adopt a convention on the conservation of endangered species, and in 1973 a conference in Washington led to the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It restricts international commerce in plant and animal species believed to be actually or potentially harmed by trade. After that conference, the U.S. Congress passed the ESA of 1973. This law combined and strengthened the provisions of earlier laws. It also had the effect of intensifying the controversy.

Its principal provisions follow:

• U.S. and foreign species lists were combined, with uniform provisions applied to both categories of endangered and threatened.
• Plants and all classes of invertebrates were eligible for protection, as they are under CITES.
• All federal agencies were required to undertake programs for the conservation of endangered and threatened species and were prohibited from authorizing, funding, or carrying out any action that would jeopardize a listed species or destroy or modify its critical habitat.
• Broad prohibitions were applied to all endangered animal species, which could also apply to threatened animals by special regulation.
• Matching federal funds became available for states with cooperative agreements.
• Authority was provided to acquire land for listed animals and for plants listed under CITES.
• U.S. implementation of CITES was provided.

Although the overall thrust of the 1973 act has remained the same, amendments were enacted in 1978, 1982, and 1988. Principal amendments are as follows:

• Provisions were added to Section 7, allowing federal agencies to undertake an action that would jeopardize listed species if the action were exempted by a cabinet-level committee convened for this purpose.
• Critical habitat was required to be designated concurrently with the listing of a species, when prudent, and economic and other effects of designation were required to be considered in deciding the boundaries.
• The secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture were directed to develop a program for conserving fish, wildlife, and plants, including listed species, and land acquisition authority was extended to such species.
• The definition of species with respect to populations was restricted to vertebrates; otherwise, any species, subspecies, variety of plant, or species or subspecies of animal remained listable under the act.
• Determinations of the status of species were required to be made solely on the basis of biological and trade information, without any consideration of possible economic or other effects.
• A final ruling on the status of a species was required to follow within one year of its proposal unless withdrawn for cause.
• Provision was made for designation of experimental populations of listed species that could be subject to different treatment under Section 4, for critical habitat, and Section 7.
• A prohibition was inserted against removing listed plants from land under federal jurisdiction and reducing them to possession.
• Monitoring of candidate and recovered species was required, with adoption of emergency listing when there is evidence of significant risk.
• A new section requires a report of all reasonably identifi able expenditures on a species-by-species basis that were made to assist the recovery of endangered or threatened species by the states and the federal government.
• Protection for endangered plants was extended to include destruction on federal land and other taking when it violates state law.

Several amendments dealt with recovery matters:

• Recovery plans are required to undergo public notice and review, and affected federal agencies must give consideration to those comments.
• Five years of monitoring of species that have recovered are required.
• Biennial reports are required on the development and implementation of recovery plans and on the status of all species with plans.

Roll Call of the Imperiled

As of June 2010, a total of 1,220 species of animals and 798 species of plants in the United States were listed as threatened and endangered or proposed for listing as threatened or endangered. Forty-nine bird and animal species are currently proposed for listing, with 252 species in the United States designated as candidates for endangered status.

Over the years, 557 habitat conservation plans (HCPs) have been approved. According to law, a HCP outlines ways of maintaining, enhancing, and protecting a given habitat type needed to protect species. It usually includes measures to minimize adverse affects and may include provisions for permanently protecting land, restoring habitat, and relocating plants or animals to another area.

As of 2010, administrators approved 1,043 species for recovery plans. A recovery plan is a document drafted by a knowledgeable individual or group that serves as a guide for activities to be undertaken by federal, state, or private entities in helping to recover and conserve endangered or threatened species. Recovery priority is also determined in these plans. There can be differences of opinion as to how high a priority certain species should have in a recovery plan. A rank ranges from a high of 1 to a low of 18, and these set the priorities assigned to listed species and recovery tasks. The assignment of rank is based on degree of threat, recovery potential, taxonomic distinctiveness, and presence of an actual or imminent conflict between the species and development activities.

The regulations for protection of endangered species generally require protection of species habitat. As our population grows and development expands into natural areas, the protection of wildlife habitat becomes more important and more difficult. Preservation of riparian (water) migratory pathways, private conservation efforts, and applied scientific research all hold promise for species preservation. However, the need for wildlife habitat preservation will still impair the ability of some property owners use their land as they wish. The controversies around species preservation are likely to be around for a long time.

As human habitation extends into more wild areas, more species are likely to become extinct. Coral reefs are rapidly dying in many parts of the world and with them, many of the species that thrive there. There are strong world conservation efforts for species protection but also strong political conflict when it comes to that kind of preservation. As more information on human environmental impacts on marine environments develops, so too will lists of endangered species.

Also check the list of 100 most popular argumentative research paper topics .

Bibliography:

• Barrow, Mark V. Jr., Nature’s Ghosts: Confronting Extinction from the Age of Jeff erson to the Age of Ecology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009.
• “Endangered and Extinct Species Lists,” http://eelink.net/EndSpp.old.bak/ES.lists.html
• Goble, Dale D., J. Michael Scott, and Frank W. Davis, eds., The Endangered Species Act at Thirty. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2006.
• Office of Protected Resources, “Species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).” http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/esa/
• Shogren, Jason F., and John Tschirhart, eds., Protecting Endangered Species in the United States: Biological Needs, Political Realities, Economic Choices. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, “Endangered Species Program.” June 2010. http://www.fws.gov/endangered/about/index.html
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, “TESS Database Species Report.” June 2010. http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/
• Westley, Frances R., and Philip S. Miller, Experiments in Consilience: Integrating Social and Scientific Responses to Save Endangered Species. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2003.

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Research Topics About Endangered Species

• Environmental Attitudes, Motivations, and the Conditional Evaluation of Nonuse Values: Endangered Species
• Permanent Land Use and the Survival of Endangered Species
• Service Providing Units, Existence Values, and the Assessment of Endangered Species
• Closing the Stable Door: Construction Restrictions for Endangered Species
• Four Advantages of Emphasizing Participant Voice in Action Research to Involve Fishers in Ecological Knowledge for Protecting Endangered Species
• An Examination of Geospatial Scale and Non-Market Values of Public Preferences for Endangered Species Recovery
• The Economics of a Safe Minimum Standard with Regards to Endangered Species
• Keystone Species and the Importance of Raising Awareness About Endangered Species
• Endangered Species and the Exploitation of Natural Resources: Extinction vs. Coexistence
• How Trophy Hunting Benefits Numerous Endangered Species
• Water Security for Agriculture and Instream Flows for Endangered Species
• Conservation of Endangered Species: Cultural, Economic, and Political Constraints
• Integrating Land Cover Modelling and Adaptive Management to Conserve Endangered Species and Reduce Fire Hazard
• Funding and Assistance for Those Charged with Protecting Endangered Species
• Strategies for Improving the Cost-Effectiveness of the Management of Endangered Species
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Elephant Ivory
• General Information Regarding the Endangered Species Act in the United States
• Threatened Species and the Natural World: Human Moral Obligations
• Allocating Limited Resources for the Recovery of Endangered Species
• Optimal Compensation for Endangered Species Protection in the Presence of Asymmetric Information

Endangered Species Essay Titles

• Economic Development and Endangered and Threatened Species
• The Bald Eagle and Biodiversity and Endangered Species
• Takings, Compensation, and Protection of Endangered Species on Private Lands
• Financial Concerns and Endangered Species Conservation
• Strategies for Interspecies Management and Land Use to Protect Endangered Species
• The Effects of Human Overpopulation on Endangered Species
• External Factors Contributing to the Endangerment of Species
• Habitat Destruction Before Endangered Species Act Listing
• Endangered Species: Keystone Legislation or Money Spent
• What Are the Differences between Threatened and Endangered Species?
• Charismatic Megafauna: the Influence of These Species on the Endangered Species Act
• Critically Endangered Black Rhino Species
• Allocating Conservation Resources According to the Endangered Species Act
• Other Forms of Public Policy Involved with the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Involve Horizontal Implementation, Divided Government, and Others
• Animal Cloning and the Rescue of Endangered Species
• Habitat Conservation Plan: Threatened Species, Biological Diversity, and Environmental Issues
• Regulation of City Growth as a Means of Protecting Endangered Species.
• Evidence from Timber Harvests Near Woodpeckers of Perverse Incentives in the Endangered Species Act and Safe Harbours
• Rights of Animals and Endangered Species
• Political, Economic, and Cultural Restraints on the Application of Ecology to the Conservation of Endangered Species

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REPORTS, ARTICLES AND RESEARCH PAPERS

Endangered species.

    • Paving the Road to Extinction: Congress’ Expanded Assault on Endangered Species Through Appropriations Poison-Pill Riders .Kurose, S., and Hartl, B., Center for Biological Diversity, January 2024.     • Recovery of the Grizzly Bear at the Intersection of Law and Science . Greenwald, N. August 2023.     • No Refuge: How America’s National Wildlife Refuges Are Needlessly Sprayed With Nearly Half a Million Pounds of Pesticides Each Year . Connor, H. May 2018.     • Mexico's 10 Most Iconic Endangered Species . Olivera, A. April 2018.      • A Wall in the Wild: The Disastrous Impacts of Trump's Border Wall on Wildlife . Greenwald, N., Segee, B., Curry, T. and Bradley, C. May 2017.      • Pollinators in Peril: A Systematic Status Review of North American and Hawaiian Native Bees . Kopec, K., Center for biological Diversity, February 2017.      • Removing the Walls to Recovery: Top 10 Species Priorities for a New Administration. Endangered Species Coalition (including the Center). December 2016.      • Shortchanged: Funding Needed to Save America's Most Endangered Species . Greenwald, N., Hartl, , B., Mehrhoff, L., Pang, J. December 2016.      • Taxa, Petitioning Agency, and Lawsuits Affect Time Spent Awaiting Listing Under the US Endangered Species Act . Greenwald, N., Kesler, D., Puckett, E. Biological Conservation . September 2016.      • Fishing Down Nutrients on Coral Reefs . Allgeier, J.E., Valdivia,A., Cox, C. & Layman, C.A. Nature Communications . August 2016.      • A Wild Success: A Systematic Review of Bird Recovery Under the Endangered Species Act . Suckling, K., Mehrhoff, L., 2016. Beam, R. & Hartl, B. June 2016.      • Poisoned Waters: How Cyanide Fishing and the Aquarium Trade Are Devastating Coral Reefs and Tropical Fish . Center for Biological Diversity & For the Fishes. June 2016.     • Lethal Loophole: How the Obama Administration Is Increasingly Allowing Special Interests to Endanger Rare Wildlife . Sanerib, T., Elkins, C., and Greenwald, N. February 2016.     • Biodiversity on the Brink: The Role of “Assisted Migration" in Managing Endangered Species Threatened With Rising Seas . Lopez, J. Harvard Environmental Law Review Vol. 39. 2015.     • Politics of Extinction: The Unprecedented Republican Attack on Endangered Species and the Endangered Species Act . Pand, J., and Greenwald, N. July 2015.     • Runaway Risks: Oil Trains and the Government's Failure to Protect People, Wildlife and the Environments . Margolis, J., 2015.     • Sea-Level Rise and Species Survival along the Florida Coast . Lopez, J. 2014.     • Collision Course: The Government's Failing System for Protecting Florida Manatees from Deadly Boat Strikes . Center for Biological Diversity. September 2014.      • Nourished by Wildfire: The Ecological Benefits of the Rim Fire and the Threat of Salvage Logging . Center for Biological Diversity and John Muir Projejct, January 2014.      • Deadly Waters: How Rising Seas Threaten 233 Endangered Species . Center for Biological Diversity. 2013.     • In Harm's Way: How the U.S. State Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Have Ignored the Dangers of the Keystone XL Pipeline to Endangered Species . Burd, L., Greenwald, N., & Bradley, C., 2013.     • Dying for Protection: The 10 Most Vulnerable, Least Protected Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States . Adkins Giese, C. 2013.     • On Thin Ice: After Five Years on the Endangered Species List, Polar Bears Still Face a Troubling Future . Center for Biological Diversity. 2013.     • A Poor Track Record, but a Chance to Excel . Snape, W., 2013. The Environmental FORUM   Environmental Law Institute, www.eli.org ) 30(1): 53.     • Can A Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan Save San Diego's Vulnerable Vernal Pool Species? Buse, J., 2012. Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal 6(1): 52-80.     • On Time, On Target: How the Endangered Species Act Is Saving America's Wildlife . Suckling, K., Greenwald, N., Curry, T. 2012.     • Protecting Rare Amphibians Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act . Adkins Giese, C., FrogLog (May 2012): 21-23.     • White-nose Syndrome Headed to a Cave Near You . Matteson, M. Desert Report (June 2011): 6-7.     • Impact of Dunes Sagebrush Lizard on Oil and Gas Activities in New Mexico . Lininger, J. & Bradley, C., 2011.    • Assessing Protection for Imperiled Species of Nevada, U.S.A.: Are Species Slipping Through the Cracks of Existing Protections? Bradley, C. & Greenwald, N., 2008.     • Not Too Late to Save the Polar Bear: A Rapid Action Plan to Address the Arctic Meltdown . Siegel, K., Cummings, B., Moritz, A. & Nowicki, B., 2007.     • Status of the Bald Eagle in the Lower 48 States and the District of Columbia: 1963-2007 . Suckling, K. & Hodges, W., 2007.     • The Bureaucratically Imperiled Mexican Wolf . Povilitis, A., Parsons, D.R., Robinson, M.J., & Becker, C.D., 2006.     • A Review of Northern Goshawk Habitat Selection in the Home Range and Implications for Forest Management in the Western United States . Greenwald, D. N., Crocker-Bedford, C., Broberg, l., & Suckling, K., 2005.     • Suitable Habitat for Jaguars in New Mexico . Robinson, M., Bradley, C., Boyd, J., 2005.     • Impacts of the 2003 Southern California Wildfires on Four Species Listed as Threatened or Endangered Under the Federal Endangered Species Act: Quino Checkerspot Butterfly, Mountain Yellow-legged Frog, Coastal California Gnatcatcher, Least Bell's Vireo . Bond, M. & Bradley, C., 2003.     • A Conservation Alternative for the Management of the Four Southern California National Forests (Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland) . Penrod, K., et al., 2002.     • Analysis of Compliance by U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region with Incidental Take Statements Issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Three Biological Opinions of 1999 . Taylor, M. 2001.

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

   • Taxa, Petitioning Agency, and Lawsuits Affect Time Spent Awaiting Listing Under the US Endangered Species Act . Greenwald, N., Kesler, D., Puckett, E. Biological Conservation . September 2016.     • A Wild Success: A Systematic Review of Bird Recovery Under the Endangered Species Act . Suckling, K., Mehrhoff, L., Beam, R. & Hartl, B. June 2016.     • Saving Species and Wild Spaces: 10 Extraordinary Places Saved by the Endangered Species Act , Pang, J. & Hartl, B. May 2016.     • Politics of Extinction: The Unprecedented Republican Attack on Endangered Species and the Endangered Species Act . Pang, J., and Greenwald, N. July 2015.     • A Different Perspective on the Endangered Species Act at 40 Responding to Damien M. Schiff . Buse, J., 2015. University of California, Davis 38(1): 145-166.     • Making Room for Wolf Recovery: The Case for Maintaining Endangered Species Act Protections for America's Wolves . Weiss, A., Greenwald, N. & Bradey, C. Center for Biological Diversity, November 2014.     • A Wild Success: American Voices on the Endangered Species Act at 40 . Center for Biological Diversity, Endangered Species Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife, February 2014.     • On Time, On Target: How the Endangered Species Act Is Saving America's Wildlife . Suckling, K., Greenwald, N., Curry, T., 2012.     • A Future for All: A Blueprint for Strengthening the Endangered Species Act . 2011.     • Effects on Species' Conservation of Reinterpreting the Phrase “Significant Portion of its Range” in the U.S. Endangered Species Act . Greenwald, N., 2009. Conservation Biology 23(6): 1375-1377.     • State Endangered Species Acts . In Baur, D.C. & Irvin, W.R. (eds.), Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy, and Perspectives , second edition. American Bar Association. George, S. & Snape, W., 2010.     • Politicizing Extinction: The Bush Administration's Dangerous Approach to Endangered Wildlife . Greenwald, N., 2007.     • Measuring the Success of the Endangered Species Act, Recovery Trends in the Northeastern United States . Suckling, K.F., 2006.     • Factors Affecting the Rate and Taxonomy of Species Listings under the US Endangered Species Act . In Gobel, D, Scott, M.J. & Davis, F.W. (eds.), The Endangered Species Act at Thirty: Renewing the Conservation Commitment . Island Press. Greenwald, D.N., Suckling, K.F. & Taylor, M.F.J., 2006.     • Critical Habitat and Recovery . In: Gobel, D., Scott, M.J. & Davis, F.W. (eds.), The Endangered Species Act at Thirty: Renewing the Conservation Commitmen t. Island Press. Suckling, K.F. & Taylor, M.F.J., 2006.     • The Listing Record . In Gobel, D., Scott, M.J., & Davis, F.W. (eds.), The Endangered Species Act at Thirty: Renewing the Conservation Commitmen t. Island Press. Greenwald, D.N., K.F. Suckling and M.F.J. Taylor, 2006.      • Progress or Extinction? A Systematic Review of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Act Listing Program. 1974-2004 . Greenwald, D. N. & Suckling, K. F., 2005     • The Effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act: A Quantitative Analysis . Taylor, M.F.J., Suckling, K.F. & Rachlinski, J.J., 2005. BioScience 55(4): 360-367.     • Extinction and the Endangered Species Act . Suckling, K., Nowicki, B. & Slack, R., 2004.     • A Review of the Bush Critical Habitat Record . 2003.     • Bush Administration Attacks Endangered Species Act .     • Safeguarding Citizen Rights Under the Endangered Species Act . Senatore, M., & Suckling, K., 2001.

BIODIVERSITY

    • Hidden In Plain Sight: California's Native Habitats Are Valuable Carbon Sinks . Yap, T., Prabhala, A., Anderson, I. Center for Biological Diversity. July 2023.     • Bullfrogs: A Trojan Horse for a Deadly Fungus? Yap, T., Koo, M., Ambrose, R., Vredenburg, V.T. Science Journal for Kids . October 2018.     • Mexico's 10 Most Iconic Endangered Species . Olivera, A. April 2018.     • A Multi-method Approach to Delineate and Validate Migratory Corridors . Bond, M., Bradley, C., Kiffner, C., Morrison, T., and Lee, D. Landscape Ecology . May 2017.    • Biodiversity on the Brink: The Role of “Assisted Migration" in Managing Endangered Species Threatened With Rising Seas . Lopez, J. Harvard Environmental Law Review Vol. 39. 2015.    • Nourished by Wildfire: The Ecological Benefits of the Rim Fire and the Threat of Salvage Logging . Center for Biological Diversity and John Muir Projejct, January 2014.    • Joining the Convention on Biological Diversity: A Legal and Scientific Overview of Why the United States Must Wake Up . Snape, B., 2010. Sustainable Development Law & Policy 10(3): 6-18.    • Highways to Hell: A Critical Examination of the Environmental Impacts of the Security and Prosperity Partnership . Lopez, J., 2009. [3 MB version]    • Rana Aurora (Northern Red-legged Frog) Egg Mass Disturbance. Curry, T. R., and Hayes, M. P., 2009. Herpetological Review 40(2): 208-209.    • Greenwashing Risks to Baby-boomers Abroad: An Assessment of Available Strategies to Address “Green” Marketing Misrepresentation to U.S. Retiree Real Estate Investors Overseas. 2009.    • Life History Diversity and Protection of the Southwestern Washington/Columbia River Distinct Population Segment of the Coastal Cutthroat Trout . Greenwald, N. & Mashuda, S., 2008.     • Predation on the Coastal Tailed Frog ( Ascaphus truei ) by a Shrew ( Sorex spp.) in Washington State . Lund, E., Hayes, M., Curry, T., Marsten, J. & Young, 2008. Northwestern Naturalist 89(3): 200-202.     • Assessing Protection for Imperiled Species of Nevada, U.S.A.: Are Species Slipping Through the Cracks of Existing Protections? Greenwald, N. & Bradley, C., 2008.     • Medicinal Plants at Risk — Nature's Pharmacy, Our Treasure Chest: Why We Must Preserve Our Natural Heritage . Roberson, E., 2008.     • Species of Concern of the Tillamook Rainforest and North Coast, Oregon . Greenwald, N. & Garty, A., 2007.     • The Bering Sea: A Biodiversity Assessment of Vertebrate Species . Greenwald, N., Callimanis, S., Garty, A. & Peters, E., 2006.     • Saving All the Parts: Protecting Species of Northwest Old-growth Forests . Greenwald, N. & Greason, S., 2004.     • Imperiled Western Trout and the Importance of Roadless Areas . 2001.     • A Conservation Alternative for the Management of the Four Southern California National Forests (Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland) . Penrod, K., et al., 2002.     • Principles of Wildlife Corridor Design . Bond, M., 2003.

    • A  Wall  of  Lights  Through the Wild: 1,800 Stadium Lights on Arizona Conservation Lands Threaten Wildlife . McSpadden, R., Jordahl, L., and Bradley, C. Center for Biological Diversity. June 2023.     • Hidden In Plain Sight: California's Native Habitats Are Valuable Carbon Sinks . Yap, T., Prabhala, A., Anderson, I. Center for Biological Diversity. July 2023.     • Deadpool Highway: How Interstate 11 Would Worsen Arizona’s Water Crisis . McSpadden, R., and Bradley, C. Center for Biological Diversity. May 2023.     • State of Utom River 2022: Challenges, Opportunities for Southern California’s Signature River . Center for Biological Diversity. August 2022.     • A Wall in the Wild: The Disastrous Impacts of Trump's Border Wall on Wildlife . Greenwald, N., Segee, B., Curry, T. and Bradley, C. May 2017.     • A Multi-Method Approach to Delineate and Validate Migratory Corridors . Bond, M., Bradley, C., Kiffner, C., Morrison, T., and Lee, D. Landscape Ecology . May 2017.     • Public Lands Enemies: 15 Federal Lawmakers Plotting to Seize, Destroy and Privatize America's Public Lands . Spivak, R. & Beam, R. March 2017.     • Runaway Risks: Oil Trains and the Government's Failure to Protect People, Wildlife and the Environments . Margolis, J., 2015.     • Nourished by Wildfire: The Ecological Benefits of the Rim Fire and the Threat of Salvage Logging . Center for Biological Diversity and John Muir Projejct, January 2014.     • Groups Join Together to Confront Water-rights Issue . Mrowka, R. Desert Report (June 2011): 2, 13.     • Saving Our National Legacy: The Future of America's Last Heritage Forests . Fink, M., Kassar, C., Matteson, M., and McKinnon, T., July 2009.     • America's Newest Fossil Beds National Monument: Tule Springs/Upper Las Vegas Wash . Mrowka, R. and Davis, L., 2009.     • Wild at Heart: Saving the Last of America's Backcountry . 2008.     • Imperiled Western Trout and the Importance of Roadless Areas . 2001.     • Protection and Conservation of Roadless Areas in the Southwest . Greenwald, N.     • A Conservation Alternative for the Management of the Four Southern California National Forests (Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland) . Penrod, K., et al., 2002.

CLIMATE CHANGE

   • Flight Path: A Trajectory for U.S. Aviation to Meet Global Climate Goals . Center for Biological Diversity. October 2020.    • From Bailout to Righting the Course: The Commonsense Action the United States Must Take to Address the Flood Crisis . Lopez, J. 2020.    • Stealing California's Future: How Monterey County's Dirty Oil Business Worsens the Climate Crisis . Center for Biological Diversity. September 2016.    • Throwing Shade: 10 Sunny States Blocking Distributed Solar Development . Greer, R. April 2016.    • Up in the Air: How Airplane Carbon Pollution Jeopardizes Global Climate Goals . Pardee, V. December 2015.    • Biodiversity on the Brink: The Role of “Assisted Migration" in Managing Endangered Species Threatened With Rising Seas . Lopez, J. Harvard Environmental Law Review Vol. 39. 2015.    • Grounded: The President's Power to Fight Climate Change, Protect Public Lands by Keeping Publicly Owned Fossil Fuels in the Ground . Saul, M., McKinnon, T., Spivak, R., 2015.    • What Happens When Species Move But Reserves Do Not? Creating Climate Adaptive Solutions to Climate Change . Whipps, N., 2015. Hastings Law Journal Vol. 66.    • Runaway Risks: Oil Trains and the Government's Failure to Protect People, Wildlife and the Environments . Margolis, J., 2015.    • The Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions From U.S. Federal Fossil Fuels . Ecoshift Consulting, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth. August 2015.    • Troubled Waters: Offshore Fracking's Threat to California's Ocean, Air and Seismic Stability . Center for Biological Diversity, 2014.    • On Shaky Ground: Fracking, Acidizing, and Increased Earthquake Risk in California . Earthworks, Center for Biological Diversity, Clean Water Action, 2014.    • Deadly Waters: How Rising Seas Threaten 233 Endangered Species . Center for Biological Diversity, 2013.    • The New Normal: Climate Change Victims in Post- Kiobel United States Federal Courts . Lopez, J., 2013. Charleston Law Review 8(1).    • Not Just a Number: Achieving a CO 2 Concentration of 350 ppm or Less to Avoid Catastrophic Climate Impacts. Center for Biological Diversity and 350.org, 2010.    • Extinction: It's Not Just for Polar Bears. A Center for Biological Diversity and Care for the Wild International report. Wolf, S., 2010.    • Yes, He Can: President Obama's Power to Make an International Climate Commitment Without Waiting for Congress . Bundy, K., Cummings, B., Pardee, V. & Siegel, K., 2009.    • 350 Reasons We Need to Get to 350: Species Threatened by Global Warming; An Interactive Installation by the Center for Biological Diversity . 2009.    • No Reason to Wait: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through the Clean Air Act . Siegel, K., Snape, W., and Vespa, M., June 2009.    • Why 350? Climate Policy Must Aim to Stabilize Greenhouse Gases at the Level Necessary to Minimize the Risk of Catastrophic Outcomes . Vespa, M., 2009. Ecology Law Currents 36(1): 185-194. • Fuel to Burn: The Climate and Public Health Implications of Off-road Vehicle Pollution in California . Kassar, C. & Spitler, P., 2008.     • Not Too Late to Save the Polar Bear: A Rapid Action Plan to Address the Arctic Meltdown . Siegel, K., Cummings, B., Moritz, A. & Nowicki, B., 2007.     • The California Environmental Quality Act: On the Front Lines of California's Fight Against Global Warming . Siegel, K., Vespa, M. & Nowicki, B., 2007.

    • Powerless in the United States: How Utilities Drive Shutoffs and Energy Injustice . Center for Biological Diversity, March 2023.     • Rooftop-Solar Justice: Why Net Metering is Good for People and the Planet and Why Monopoly Utilities Want to Kill It . Crystal,. H., Lin, R., and Su, J., Center for Biological Diversity, Energy and Policy Institute, BailoutWatch, January 2023.    • Fueling Extinction: How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink . Endangered Species Coalition (incl. the Center for Biological Diversity), 2012.    • A Deadly Toll: The Gulf Oil Spill and the Unfolding Wildlife Disaster . 2011. Center for Biological Diversity.    • What We Should Learn From the BP Spill . Lopez, J., 2011. Environmental Law News 20 (1): 35.    • Too Much Oil for the Rubber Stamp: The Government's Role in the BP Oil Spill . Lopez, J., 2011.    • BP's Well Evaded Environmental Review: Categorical Exclusion Policy Remains Unchanged . Lopez, J., 2010. Ecology Law Currents 37 (93): 93-103.    • Corporate Profile of Salt River Project . Draffan, G., 2001.    • Ecological and Community Problems with Biomass-to-Energy . Schulke, T.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH/POLLUTION

    • Collateral Damage: How Factory Farming Drives Upthe Use of Toxic Agricultural Pesticides . Center for Biological Diversity, World Animal Protection, 2022.     • Pesticides and Environmental Injustice in the USA: Root Causes, Current Regulatory Reinforcement and a Path Forward . Donley, N., Bullard, R., Economos, J., Figueroa, I., Lee, J., Liebman, A., Navarro Martinez, D., & Shafiei, F. BMC Public Health , April 2022.     • Toxic Hangover: How the EPA Is Approving New Products With Dangerous Pesticides It Committed to Phasing Out . Donley, N., Jan. 2020.     • A Menace to Monarchs: Drift-prone Dicamba Poses a Dangerous New Threat to Monarch Butterflies . Donley, N., March 2018.     • Toxic Concoctions: How the EPA Ignores the Dangers of Pesticide Cocktails . Donley, N., July 2016.     • Can't We Just All Get Along: Reconciling Pesticide Use and Species Protection . Lopez, J. 2015.     • Lost in the Mist: How Glyphosate Use Disproportionately Threatens California's Most Impoverished Counties . Center for Biological Diversity, 2015.       • Perdido en la niebla: Como El uso de glifosato desproporcionadamente amenaza los condados más pobres de California . Center for Biological Diversity, 2015.     • Dispersants: The Lesser of Two Evils or a Cure Worse Than the Disease? Kilduff, C. and Lopez, J., 2012. Ocean and Coastal Law Journal 16 (2): 375-394.     • Endocrine-disrupting Chemical Pollution: Why the EPA Should Regulate These Chemicals Under the Clean Water Act . Lopez, J., 2010. Sustainable Development Law & Policy 10(3): 19-23.     • Poisoning Our Imperiled Wildlife: San Francisco Bay Area Endangered Species at Risk from Pesticides . Miller, J., Miller, J., Beeland, T.D. & Bradley, C., 2006.     • Silent Spring Revisited: Pesticide Use and Endangered Species . Litmans, B. & Miller, J, 2004.

POPULATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

    • Alternative Economies: Uplifting Activities for a Sustainable Future . Dennings, K., Adoma, A.; 2023.     • At What Cost: Unraveling the Harms of the Fast Fashion Industry . Shedlock, K., Feldstein, S.; 2023.     • Too Hot for Knitwear: Climate Crisis, Biodiversity and Fashion Brands Using Woll and Synthetics . Feldstein, S., Hakansson, E.; 2023.     • Talking Trash: U.S. Perspectives on the Language of Waste Reduction . Dennings, K., Adoma, A.; 2023.     • Unwrapped: Perceptions of Winter Holiday Consumerism, Gift Giving and Waste . Dennings, K., Adoma, A; 2023.     • The Influence of Environmental Toxicity, Inequity and Capitalism on Reproductive Health . Dennings, K., Grossman, A; 2022.     • Gender and the Climate Crisis: Equitable Solutions for Climate Plans . Dennings, K., Baillie, S., and Baxter, C; 2022.     • Public Perceptions on Population: US Survey Results . Dennings, K., Baillie, S., Ricciardi, R. and Addo, A; 2022; Population and Sustainability 6(1): 1-23.     • Sheer Destruction: Wool, Fashion and the Biodiversity Crisis . Feldstein, S., Hakansson, E., Katcher, J., Vance, V.; 2021.     • Endangered Species Condoms: A Social Marketing Tool for Starting Conversations About Population . Baillie, S., Dennings, K. and Feldstein S.; 2020; Journal of Population and Sustainability 4(2): 31-44.     • Contraception and Consumption in the Age of Extinction: U.S. Survey Results . Dennings, K., 2020.     • Appetite for Change: A Policy Guide to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions of U.S. Diets by 2030 . Feldstein, S., 2020.     • Catering to the Climate: How Earth-Friendly Menus at Events Can Help Save the Planet . Molidor, J., Emery., I., 2019.     • Towards a Psychology of the Food‐Energy‐Water Nexus: Costs and Opportunities . Dreyer, S.J., Kurz, T., Prosser, A.M.B., Abrash, A.W., Dennings, K., McNeill, I., Saber, D.A., Swim, J.K., 2019. Journal of Social Issues 76(1).     • Slow Road to Zero: A Report Card on U.S. Supermarkets’ Path to Zero Food Waste . Molidor, J., Feldstein, S., Figueiredo, J., 2019.     • Checked Out: How U.S. Supermarkets Fail to Make the Grade in Reducing Food Waste . Molidor, J., Feldstein, S., 2018.     • Wasting Biodiversity: Why Food Waste Needs to Be a Conservation Priority . Feldstein, S., 2017. Biodiversity 18 (2-3): 75-77.     • Habitat-Fed Food: Grass-fed Beef and Sustainable Solutions . Molidor, J., 2017. Biodiversity 18 (2-3): 78-81.

FIRE AND FOREST RESTORATION

    • Nourished by Wildfire: The Ecological Benefits of the Rim Fire and the Threat of Salvage Logging . Center for Biological Diversity and John Muir Projejct, January 2014.     • Influence of Pre-Fire Tree Mortality on Fire Severity in Conifer Forests of the San Bernardino Mountains, California , 2009. Bond, M., Lee, D. E., Bradley, C. & Hanson, T. Open Forest Science Journal 2:41-47.     • Impacts of the 2003 Southern California Wildfires on Four Species Listed as Threatened or Endangered Under the Federal Endangered Species Act: Quino Checkerspot Butterfly, Mountain Yellow-legged Frog, Coastal California Gnatcatcher, Least Bell's Vireo . Bond, M. & Bradley, C., 2003.     • Ecological Restoration of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems: A Broad Perspective . Allen, C.D., Savage, M., Falk, D.A., Suckling, K. F., Swetnam, T. W., Schulke, T., Stacey, P. B., Morgan, P., Hoffman, M. & Klingel, J. T., 2002. Ecological Applications 12(5): 1418-1433.     • Prelude to Catastrophe: Recent and Historic Land Management within the Rodeo-Chedeski Fire Area .     • Effectively Treating the Wildland-Urban Interface to Protect Houses and Communities from the Threat of Forest Fire . Nowicki, B., 2002.     • Protection and Conservation of Roadless Areas in the Southwest . Greenwald, N.     • An Ecologically Integrated Approach to Managing Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium) in Southwest Forests .  Pollock, Michael M., Ph. D.  Kieran Suckling, 1995.      • A Conservation Alternative for the Management of the Four Southern California National Forests (Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland) . Penrod, K., et al., 2002.     • Fire & Forest Ecosystem Health in the American Southwest . Suckling, K., 1996.

LIVESTOCK GRAZING

    • Costs and Consequences: The Real Price of Livestock Grazing on America's Public Lands . Glaser, C., Romaniello, C. & Moskowitz, K. (prepared for the Center for Biological Diversity), 2015.     • Assessing the Full Cost of the Federal Grazing Program . Moskowitz, K., & Romaniello, C., 2002.     • Ecological Restoration of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems: A Broad Perspective . Allen, C.D., Savage, M., Falk, D.A., Suckling, K.F., Swetnam, T.W., Schulke, T., Stacey, P.B., Morgan, P., Hoffman, M. & Klingel, J.T., 2002. Ecological Applications 12(5): 1418-1433.     • Cattle Grazing and the Loss of Biodiversity in the East Bay .      • Livestock Grazing, Fire Regimes, and Tree Densities: A Literature Review .

    • Frogs . In Bernheimer, K. (ed.), Brothers and Beasts: An Anthology of Men on Fairy Tales. Wayne State University Press. Suckling, K.F., 2007.     • Biodiversity, Linguistic Diversity and Identity — Toward an Ecology of Language in an Age of Extinction . Suckling, K., 2000. Langscape 17: 14-20.     • A House on Fire: Connecting the Biological and Linguistic Diversity Crises . 2002. Animal Law 6: 193-202.

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Endangered Species

Great Nicobar Island Is a Paradise in Danger

A container port the Indian government plans for this remote island threatens unique Indigenous cultures and biodiversity

Madhusree Mukerjee

How a Cloned Ferret Inspired a DNA Bank for Endangered Species

The birth of a cloned black-footed ferret named Elizabeth Ann, and her two new sisters, has sparked a new pilot program to preserve the tissues of hundreds of endangered species “just in case”

Deepwater Sharks Are Threatened by Demand for Liver Oil

One in seven species of deepwater sharks and rays is threatened with extinction because of the liver oil and meat trade and emerging fishing technologies that make it possible to catch deep-sea fishes

David Shiffman

Antarctica’s Penguins Could Be Devastated by Avian Influenza

Scientists are watching closely to see whether avian influenza will reach Antarctica before this year’s penguin chicks disperse for the season

Meghan Bartels

Which Lost Species May be Found Again? Huge Study Reveals Clues

There are 856 mammal, bird, amphibian and reptile species currently missing—but researchers continue to search

Daniel Shailer

Cats Kill a Staggering Number of Species across the World

Domestic cats are cherished human companions, but a new study shows the enormous breadth of species the felines prey on when they are left to roam freely

Jack Tamisiea

Golden Mole That Swims through Sand Rediscovered after 86 Years

The iridescent, blind De Winton’s golden mole was last seen in 1937 and later declared officially lost. But scientists have since rediscovered it by tracking its environmental DNA

Samantha Mynhardt, The Conversation US

Restoring the Planet Will Need More than a Climate Price Tag

We can’t put a price on a healthy biosphere. We must instead reorient our economy into one that values the living world

Chirag Dhara, Vandana Singh

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The Editors

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Tosin Thompson, Nature magazine

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Scientists Suggest Freezing Endangered Animals’ Cells and Preserving Them on the Moon

Shadowed areas in lunar craters may be cold enough to safeguard species’ DNA amid “climate disasters and social disasters” on Earth, according to Smithsonian-led research

Carlyn Kranking

Assistant Editor, Science and Innovation

As more species become threatened with extinction, scientists have proposed an ambitious idea to secure the planet’s biodiversity: a back-up repository of animals’ genetic data, frozen and stored on the moon.

In a paper published late last month in the journal BioScience , researchers propose assembling a box full of cryopreserved cells from a diverse range of animal species—then sending it to a shadowed region on the moon, where conditions are naturally cold enough to keep the samples frozen.

“The purpose is really to create a biorepository to ensure long-term safeguarding of species from extinction,” study co-author John Bischof , an engineer studying cryobiology at the University of Minnesota, tells Minnesota Public Radio ’s Cathy Wurzer. “This is a way of actually putting away really important genetic material in a place where it will be safe for, potentially, generations.”

The idea of a repository to protect biodiversity has been decades in the making. Lead author Mary Hagedorn , a senior research scientist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, has spent 20 years working on cryopreserving corals. Now, experts across the planet are working to build coral biobanks that will hold samples of every coral species on Earth. Last year, another research team led by Hagedorn successfully cryopreserved and revived fragments of coral in a world first for conservation.

A lunar biorepository would follow the same idea, but for a wider range of animals. The team hasn’t made any final decisions about what creatures would have their cells included, but they might focus on pollinators , endangered species , ecosystem engineers and animals of cultural importance . The plan is to use a type of skin cell known as a fibroblast cell, which can be easily cryopreserved. For species that don’t exactly have skin, the team might include larvae or reproductive cells .

Could the moon save Earth’s biodiversity? In a recent paper, Smithsonian scientists proposed a genetic Plan B should we lose more of Earth's biodiversity. Listen to lead author Mary Hagedorn, discuss the topic on the podcast Space Cafe! https://t.co/pSIi6nWpTh — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) August 17, 2024

When cells are cryopreserved, they are still alive, which means they could be revived and cloned, reports the Guardian ’s Tanya Procyshyn. But cryopreserved cells have to be frozen at minus 196 degrees Celsius. “If it varies much from that, it starts to damage the material,” Hagedorn tells Smithsonian magazine.

On Earth, that means samples have to be cooled with liquid nitrogen and electricity and maintained by human staff. A disruption to any of these resources could jeopardize the collection. But in permanently shadowed regions of the moon that never get sunlight—such as the floors of craters near its poles—the ambient temperature may be low enough to keep cryopreserved cells viable without any maintenance or artificial cooling system, the team reports.

Some of the scientists’ inspiration comes from the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, otherwise known as the ‘doomsday’ vault . There, more than one million seed samples representing nearly every country in the world are preserved in rooms cut into a rocky mountainside underneath the permafrost, which naturally cools them. The vault works as a fail-safe to protect key plant species in case something happens to them on the rest of the planet.

But in 2017, the seed vault was flooded with water from melting permafrost amid climate change. No seeds were lost, but the incident was a signal to the research team that even seemingly secure places on Earth could be vulnerable to natural disasters. Then, in 2022, part of Ukraine’s national seed collection was destroyed by a Russian bomb .

“We’re seeing the beginnings of both climate disasters and social disasters that could collide in ways that we just couldn’t possibly imagine,” Hagedorn says. Of the need for a biorepository, she says, “I think it’s always good to be ready for the future, no matter what.”

Of course, even on the moon , a collection of animal cells would face threats. With only a thin atmosphere , the moon is exposed to solar and cosmic radiation that can degrade DNA. To combat this, the team plans to design and test a box that can protect the cryopreserved samples from radiation en route to their lunar destination, then bury the repository several meters underground, where it will be shielded by rocks.

“The authors do a good job laying out many of the challenges,” Benjamin Greenhagen , a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory who was not involved in the research, says to Science News ’ Gennaro Tomma. But lunar dust , which sticks to materials and “gets in everything,” could be another problem, he adds. “If their storage requires mechanisms or seals, they will want to consider dust mitigation from the very earliest stages.”

So far, the researchers have managed to cryopreserve skin samples from a reef fish known as the starry goby. While the goby itself isn’t endangered, it’s a key species for the health of coral reefs.

The team still has a slew of challenges to think through before their plan can come to fruition. But in publicizing their idea, they hope to find new partners who can bring fresh perspectives to the work.

“One of the main reasons we wrote the paper was really to start people thinking and to get a wider audience,” Hagedorn says. “We need more people who are interested in working with us, and hearing their voice, hearing their concepts.”

They will also have to build relationships internationally and take into account the cultural dimensions of their work. “There are communities on Earth to whom the moon is sacred ,” Greenhagen says to Science News . “The authors should proactively engage these communities and look for an inclusive path forward.”

Soon, the researchers might have an opportunity to test their idea. When NASA canceled its planned VIPER mission to the lunar south pole over budget concerns in July, it left a vacant spot on an upcoming space flight in September 2025. The researchers heard that NASA was looking for proposals of projects that could fill that spot, so they got together and assembled a plan.

“We sat on Zoom for almost a week and a half … and we now have a mock-up or design for a box that we would carry the samples in,” Hagedorn says. The goal would be to fly the box, measure the amount of radiation at its exterior and interior, then run experiments back on Earth exposing cryopreserved cells to that level of radiation.

She anticipates hearing whether they got a place on the mission within two weeks. They’re also looking into conducting experiments on the International Space Station.

Some other experts questioned whether a lunar biorepository is the best move for endangered species at this time. “The cost and effort involved in establishing such a resource on the moon would be very substantial and would detract from ongoing conservation efforts,” Rob Brooker , head of ecological sciences at the James Hutton Institute in Scotland who was not involved in the research, says to CNN ’s Jack Guy.

“I don’t think it’s [the] right idea for right now,” Noah Greenwald , the endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told CBS News ’ Alexis Guerrero, David Schechter and Grace Manthey in April. “I think we really need to focus on protecting more of the natural world, so we don’t lose species in the first place.”

But to Hagedorn, conditions on Earth already call for a repository of animal biodiversity. She says the best time to get these samples to the moon was “last week, actually.”

“Life is precious and, as far as we know, rare in the universe,” Hagedorn says in a statement . “This biorepository provides another, parallel approach to conserving Earth’s precious biodiversity.”

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Carlyn Kranking | | READ MORE

Carlyn Kranking is the assistant web editor for science and innovation.

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A systematic assessment of leishmania donovani infection in domestic and wild animal reservoir hosts of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in india.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, data literature search, 3. study selection criteria, 4. quality assessment and data extraction, 5. results and discussion.

6. Conclusions

Author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Ghouse Peer, G.D.; Priyadarshini, A.; Gupta, A.; Vibhuti, A.; Leal, E.; da Costa, A.C.; Prudencio, C.; Kaur, K.; Ahmad, S.; Raj, V.S.; et al. A Systematic Assessment of Leishmania donovani Infection in Domestic and Wild Animal Reservoir Hosts of Zoonotic Visceral Leishmaniasis in India. Microbiol. Res. 2024 , 15 , 1645-1654. https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15030109

Ghouse Peer GD, Priyadarshini A, Gupta A, Vibhuti A, Leal E, da Costa AC, Prudencio C, Kaur K, Ahmad S, Raj VS, et al. A Systematic Assessment of Leishmania donovani Infection in Domestic and Wild Animal Reservoir Hosts of Zoonotic Visceral Leishmaniasis in India. Microbiology Research . 2024; 15(3):1645-1654. https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15030109

Ghouse Peer, Gajala Deethamvali, Anjali Priyadarshini, Archana Gupta, Arpana Vibhuti, Elcio Leal, Antonio Charlys da Costa, Carlos Prudencio, Kirtanjot Kaur, Saheem Ahmad, V. Samuel Raj, and et al. 2024. "A Systematic Assessment of Leishmania donovani Infection in Domestic and Wild Animal Reservoir Hosts of Zoonotic Visceral Leishmaniasis in India" Microbiology Research 15, no. 3: 1645-1654. https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15030109

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