1. Wildlife Conservation
Name – Ajay Rana
Class – X “AS”
Roll no. –
Submitted To – mrs. Renu

2. Wildlife Conservation
 In the United States alone, there are 986
endangered species (388 animals, 598
plants). Also listed are 276 species which are
threatened (129 animals, 147 plants).
 In the world, 1072 animal species are
considered endangered or threatened; 748
plant species are listed as well.

3. Wildlife Conservation
 Causes of Endangerment
 Efforts and Governmental Acts to Protect
Species
Wildlife Refuges
 American Bald Eagle Conservation
Whaling

4. Reasons for
Endangerment

5. Habitat Destruction
 Our planet is continually changing, causing habitats
to be altered and modified. Natural changes tend to
occur at a gradual pace, usually causing only a
slight impact on individual species. However, when
changes occur at a fast pace, there is little or no
time for individual species to react and adjust to new
circumstances. This can create disastrous results,
and for this reason, rapid habitat loss is the primary
cause of species endangerment. The strongest
forces in rapid habitat loss are human beings.

6. Habitat Destruction (cont’d.)
 For example, although tropical forests may look as
though they are lush, they are actually highly
susceptible to destruction. This is because the soils
in which they grow are lacking in nutrients. It may
take Centuries to re-grow a forest that was cut down
by humans or destroyed by fire, and many of the
world's severely threatened animals and plants live
in these forests. If the current rate of forest loss
continues, huge quantities of plant and animal
species will disappear.

7. Introduction of Exotic Species
 Native species are those plants and animals that are part of a
specific geographic area, and have ordinarily been a part of that
particular biological landscape for a lengthy period of time.
 These species are introduced into new environments by way of
human activities, either intentionally or accidentally. These
interlopers are viewed by the native species as foreign elements.
They may cause no obvious problems and may eventual be
considered as natural as any native species in the habitat.
However, exotic species may also seriously disrupt delicate
ecological balances and may produce a plethora of unintended
yet harmful consequences.
 Introduced insects, rats, pigs, cats, and other foreign species
have actually caused the endangerment and extinction of
hundreds of species during the past five centuries. Exotic
species are certainly a factor leading to endangerment.

8. Overexploitation
 Unrestricted whaling during the 20th century is an example of
overexploitation, and the whaling industry brought many species
of whales to extremely low population sizes. When several whale
species were nearly extinct, a number of nations (including the
United States) agreed to abide by an international moratorium on
whaling. Due to this moratorium, some whale species, such as
the grey whale, have made remarkable comebacks, while others
remain threatened or endangered.
 Animals are also deliberately hunted for their furs and the special
properties some of their body parts have in the making of
medicines. While hunting endangered species is illegal, it
continues in many parts of the world because of the large sums
of money these animals can bring. There are demands for items
such as rhino horns and tiger bones in several areas of Asia. It is
here that there exists a strong market for traditional medicines
made from these animal parts.

9. More Factors
 Disease, pollution, and limited distribution are more factors that
threaten various plant and animal species. If a species does not
have the natural genetic protection against particular pathogens,
an introduced disease can have severe effects on that specie.
For example, rabies and canine distemper viruses are presently
destroying carnivore populations in East Africa. Domestic
animals often transmit the diseases that affect wild populations,
demonstrating again how human activities lie at the root of most
causes of endangerment. Pollution has seriously affected
multiple terrestrial and aquatic species, and limited distributions
are frequently a consequence of other threats; populations
confined to few small areas due to of habitat loss, for example,
may be disastrously affected by random factors.

10. Efforts and
Governmental Acts to
Protect Species

11. The Endangered Species Act
 Passed in 1973
 Mission to conserve “the ecosystems upon which endangered
and threatened species depend”
 It is illegal to “take” an endangered species
 Administered by the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Department of Commerce’s
National Marine Fisheries Service
 Individual states are encouraged to develop their own
conservation programs for local endangered species

12. Current ESA Statistics
 517 animals are
currently endangered
 29 animals are
proposed for listing
 116 candidate species
 541 Habitat
Conservation Plans
(HCPs) have been
approved

13. NOAA Restoration Center
• Dedicated to the restoration and protection of costal habitats
• Plans and implements both large and small-scale projects
• Community-based Restoration Program (CRP)
• Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (DARP)
More information can be found at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/index.html

14. Greenpeace
 Immediately end industrial
logging and road-building in the
Earth's remaining ancient
forests
 Immediately end clear-cutting
in all forests
 U.S. businesses should
eliminate their use of all
products that destroy or
degrade ancient forests
 Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC)
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/forests/

15. Endangered Wildlife Trust
(EWT)
 Goal of conserving the
diversity of plant and
animal species in
Southern Africa
 “Working Groups”
initiate and fund
projects to further the
maintenance of
biodiversity

16. Wildlife Refuges

17. Wildlife Refuges
 “A haven or sanctuary for animals; a wildlife
refuge is an area of land or of land and water
set aside and maintained, usually by
government or private organization, for the
preservation and protection of one or more
species of wildlife.”

18. Types of Refuges
 The U.S. Wildlife Refuge System in 1997
made up more than 520 different areas in all
the states, covering over 93 million acres.
 The system is governed by the Fish and
Wildlife Service of the Dept. of the Interior.
 The work of the service includes:
 Biological research
 The administration and enforcement of relevant
federal legislation
 Numerous related projects

19. Types of Refuges (cont’d.)
 Refuges have been established for big game,
small resident game, waterfowl, and colonial
non-game birds.
 The most numerous are the waterfowl
refuges.
Waterfowl refuges are refuges that offer to
various birds breeding areas, wintering areas,
and resting and feeding areas along major
flyways during migration.

20. Types of Refuges (cont’d.)
While the main purpose of the refuge system
is to ensure survival of wildlife by providing
suitable cover, food, and protection from
humans, many refuges have permitted
hunting and fishing in season and other
recreational activities within its grounds.
 Some refuges, also, have been designated
wilderness areas.

21. Wilderness Areas
 A wilderness area is “land retaining its primeval
character with the imprint of humans minimal or
unnoticeable.”
 In the United States, the Wilderness Act of 1964
established the National Wilderness Preservation
System - 9 million acres of land in 54 different areas
that provided for the designation of new wilderness
areas.
 By 1992, the total had risen to 95 million acres in
708 areas of land.
 Alaska, with 57.6 million acres, is by far the leading
repository of wilderness in the United States.

22. Wilderness Areas (cont’d.)
 According to environmentalists, Wilderness
lands are to be preserved in their natural
condition, wild and undeveloped.
 The idea of wilderness has deep roots in
American thought and writings:
 William Penn
 Henry David Thoreau

23. The establishment of wildlife
refuges in the United States
 Refuges have been established by private
individuals and societies and by all levels of
government.
 The first state refuge was established by California
in 1870; the first federal refuge was Pelican Island in
Florida (1903).
 Other countries throughout the world also maintain
parks, refuges, and game preserves.
 Kruger National Park (est. 1898) in South Africa

24. Recent Issues with Refuges
 Maintenance and repair of facilities are enormous.
 Between 1985 – 1995, Congress added 80 refuges
to the system, but the refuges’ annual operating
budget never kept pace with this growth.
 Now, even as refuges are asked to handle more and
more public access, some of these vast holdings are
perceived as burdens on taxpayers.
 Some members of Congress have suggested selling
off portions of the refuge system.

25. Recent Issues with Refuges
(cont’d.)
 Others have favored opening them up for
more public use.
 Opponents of these measures arguing that
these bills refuges would be badly weaken
refuges throughout the country.