Endangered Species
Why rare plants and animals matter — and how protecting their habitat keeps them alive.
Treasures of our natural heritage
Rare, endangered and threatened plants and animals are part of our natural heritage that is declining rapidly or on the verge of vanishing. They exist in such small numbers that they may be lost forever unless we act quickly to stop their decline.
They matter not only because they are beautiful, but because they already serve us — cleaning the air, regulating weather and water, controlling crop pests and diseases, and offering a vast genetic library. Scientists believe most of the world’s species have not even been described, and any one of them may hold values yet undiscovered: a new medicine, or a disease-resistant crop.
Why species become endangered
Habitat loss
Usually the most important cause. Highly specialized species — and those that need several habitats close together — are the most vulnerable, and a habitat does not have to be destroyed completely to become useless to them.
Exploitation
Before conservation laws, many animals were hunted for food or fur, and some were driven to extinction.
Disturbance
The constant presence of people and machines can drive animals away even when their habitat is intact — and it is most harmful during the nesting season.
What are the solutions?
Habitat protection is the key: a species cannot survive without a home. The first step is to identify where vanishing species are found; the second is to plan, case by case, how each species and its habitat can best be protected and managed so that it stays healthy.
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