Endangered US species are on the rise day by day. Not only here but also endangered species are on the rise globally. In biology, extinction usually refers to the extinction of an organism or a group of taxon, or a species. Extinction is usually the moment of death of the last member of the species. After that, we can see no living specimens of that species in the natural environment or in archives. Of the 500 billion species, over 99 percent of all species that once lived on Earth have become extinct.
More recently, in May 2016, scientists reported that there are currently an estimated 1 trillion species on Earth, of which about 1 in 1,000 are known. Species become extinct when they cannot adapt to changing conditions or are defer in competition with higher powers. A common species became extinct within 10 million years of its first appearance. Although some species, known as living fossils, have survived for millions of years without any change in their anatomy. There have been many endangered US species in the last century.
Mass extinctions are very rare; however, single extinction is very common. Evidence of extinction has only recently emerged, and scientists are warning of the current high levels of extinction.
Some scientists estimate that half of the existing plant and animal species may become extinct by 2100.A 2018 report states that the phylogenetic diversity of 300 mammal species has disappeared in the human era. Since it takes 50 to 60 million years to recover from the endoplasmic reticulum.
According to the 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Environmental Services by IPBES, wildlife mammals have declined by 82%. Half of the natural ecosystem is extinct and millions of species are at risk. Extinction – Most of these result from human activity. Twenty-five percent of plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction. As of June 2019, one million species of plants and animals were at risk of extinction. At least 571 species have become extinct since 1750.
The reasons why endangered US species
No species become extinct for just one or two reasons. Millions of species have already become extinct. Let’s explain the reasons species are extinct.
Species’ Habitat destruction
Millions of trees are being cut down and deforested all over the world every day. Destruction is the habitat of the species. The United States is no exception. Except for humans and domestic animals, most of the terrestrial animals live in the forest. As the forest is being destroyed, the extinction of the species is increasing in parallel. This is one of the reasons for the increase in endangered US species.
Pollution
Environmental pollution is constantly increasing. Environmental pollution is disrupting biodiversity. Unable to adapt to this environment, various species are becoming extinct. One of the causes of endangered US species is environmental pollution.
Infinite creation of nature Aquatic animals and aquatic plants live in rivers and seas. Already, because of river exploitation, most of the world’s river’s animals and flora have become extinct. Although the extinction of marine species is comparatively less than that of rivers, but no less at all. Plastic pollution is the principal cause of the destruction of marine biodiversity.
Read about solutions to plastic pollution
Illegal hunting
The species is becoming extinct because of poaching. Hunting endangered animals is an illegal and punishable crime in the United States. However, illegally endangered animals are being hunted and trafficked here. This is another reason for the extinction of endangered US species.
Global warming
Many species have become extinct from the earth only because of rising temperatures. Because of global warming, land species and marine biodiversity are being lost.
Let’s see a shortlist of endangered US species
Smith Island cottontail:
Smith Island cottontail, Smith’s Island cottontail or Hitchen’s cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus hitchensi), was a subspecies of the Eastern cottontail rabbit that lived mainly on two islands on the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula in Virginia. It is generally considered to be extinct. Sylvilagus floridanus hitchensi was found in brush and grassy areas behind dunes, in marsh borders, in thickets of myrtle and poison ivy, and occasionally in shrubby pine or mixed deciduous and pine forests. Its home range was affected by the type of cover available, and the abundance of food.
Lesser Antillean Macaw:
The Laser Antillean Macaw or Guadeloupe Macaw is a supposedly endangered species of Macaw that is considered endemic to the Laser Antillean island region of Guadeloupe. This bird lives on berries and fruits of certain trees, but mainly in apples of Manchinial. It is the most beautiful view in the world to see ten or a dozen macaws in a green tree.
Torre’s cave rat:
(Boromys torrei) was a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It was endemic to Cuba. Its natural habitat was subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Very little is known about Torre’s cave rat.
More than a thousand species have become extinct in the wild in America. This is how the endangered US species is growing.
550 species will become extinct in the 21st century
Based on fossil evidence of extinction in the past, scientists have calculated how many mammal species could be lost in this century. According to their predictions, at least 550 species will follow the path of mammoths and cats with sharp curved teeth in this century. According to scientists, with each lost species, we lose a piece of the earth’s natural history.
But despite this “serious” fear from scientists, we can save endangered US species from extinction through conservation efforts.
The study, published in the journal Science Advances, found that humans have been almost entirely responsible for the extinction of mammals in recent decades. If protective measures are not taken now, the extinction rate will increase in the future.
Tobias Anderman of the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Center and the University of Gothenburg called for swift action. “Despite this worrisome situation, we will be able to save hundreds, if not thousands, of species through more specific and effective conservation strategies,” he said. To achieve this, we must raise collective awareness of the growing biodiversity crisis and take steps to address the global emergency. With each lost species, we will inevitably lose a unique part of the earth’s natural history.
Scientists compiled a dataset of fossils, which provides evidence of recent extinction. Their computer-based simulations predict an enormous increase in the rate of extinction by 2100 based on the current species threat.
According to these models, the extinctions that took place in the last century, compared to the extinction of the following decades, only seem like the tip of the iceberg, disappearing in an instant.
Prof. Samuel Turvey, a professor at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), says it is important to reconstruct our past effects on biodiversity to understand why certain species and ecosystems are particularly at risk for human activity. It can give us the opportunity for more effective conservation activities to fight extinction. And that’s how we can protect endangered US species.
Last year, an interstate panel of scientists said one million animal and plant species were now at risk of extinction. Scientists warned that we have now entered the sixth mass extinction. What we are doing now probably highlights the future of humanity.
Now let’s talk about the endangered US species and the overall extinction.
Over the next 100 years, 50% of the world’s species will be extinct (if the ongoing use and destruction of existing resources continue). Almost all the known mammals and fish, including the wild animals we know, such as tigers, lions, polar bears, turtles, etc., will have nothing.
Carbon dioxide emissions will increase so much that ocean water will become whole acidic water as it absorbs carbon dioxide. As a result, no shellfish can be born. This is because the shells of shellfish (sea crabs, sea oysters, sea snails, saltwater shrimps, and many invertebrates) are made with calcium carbonate. And will dissolve in reaction with calcium carbonate acid. That is, the faster the shell of a shellfish is formed, the faster it will dissolve or melt.
Soon there will be no tuna in the sea (including skipjack tuna, Bluefin tuna, and yellowfin tuna), sardines, and mackerel. There will be no sharks (Chinese donkeys will cure all cancers by eating shark fan soup!). When the shark is gone, it will start selling Mantis Ray (a type of water lily) that has just started selling in many parts of the South Pacific (especially in Indonesia). Today, people have taken the shark to the brink of extinction, where the shark has survived 3 major extinctions.
Almost all the forests will be destroyed. Every year 13 million hectares of forest are being deforested. As the temperature rises, the ice at the two poles will melt. Just below the ice of the two poles is a huge lake of methane. And methane as a greenhouse gas is 22 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. That is, as much as 1 liter of methane will damage the atmosphere, it will take 22 liters of carbon dioxide to do the same amount of damage. These are the things we should think about protecting endangered US species.
We all know that 65 million years ago, large animals, including dinosaurs, became extinct on Earth because of an asteroid impact. But very few of us know about the Permian extinction. This extinction, which occurred 252 million years ago, is the largest extinction in the world’s history 4.5 billion years. Archaeologists have dubbed it “The Great Dying”. In this extinction, 96% of the aquatic and 70% of the terrestrial animals became extinct. And 83% of insects and 50% of plants become extinct. The only reason for this extinction was the excess emissions of methane gas (from volcanoes). All that methane gas in the atmosphere is now trapped like a bottle-trapped gene beneath the pole.
By 2050, about 200 million people will be climate refugees. Somewhere I was looking at a line-
“When there will be not a single tree left to turn into the paper to print out Money, only then the rich will understand that THEY CAN’T EAT MONEY, BREATHE MONEY OR POOP MONEY”
All of the above are just possibilities. If we maintain human arbitrariness in the environment, the future may be much more miserable than now.
But yet, it’s NOT TOO LATE to hope.
Antarctica, where most of the world’s natural resources are hidden under ice, which no country can claim. There is a research center for nature conservation. Together, 49 countries have declared Antarctica’s resources for the benefit of all mankind.
2% of the world’s international seas have been declared sanctuaries. Maybe it’s a lot less, but 15 years ago it wasn’t. One and a half hundred years ago in America, the world’s first park was created for the purpose of conserving nature (Yellowstone National Park in 1872). National parks now cover about 13% of the North American continent. Where people are protecting nature with utmost care. These boosts our confidence that we can save endangered US species. This harmony of humans and nature, should become the rule, is no exception. It is important to pass and implement laws in all countries to protect nature. We are the last generation who will be able to prevent the extinction of mankind in the near future.
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