https://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/For-Teachers

Iowa’s ecosystems have significantly changed since the state was dominated by untouched prairies. Many changes to the state include prairie reduction, deforestation, channelization of streams and rivers, soil erosion, urbanization, and the rapid growth of agriculture. All of these changes have negatively impacted the native wildlife of Iowa and have led to the endangerment of many species of plants and animals. The link above displays a list of the current endangered plants and animals of Iowa.

Many people do not believe that endangered species are an important environmental problem. I mean, who cares if a bird goes extinct, it will not affect the economic prosperity and overall well-being of that person. However, what if this particular species of bird helped control certain environmental populations? Let’s say this bird eats insects that are devastating the local tree population. If this bird goes extinct, the insect population will drastically grow and eliminate the tree population. This would affect logging, timber production, and other large businesses. This is why it is important if one “insignificant species” becomes endangered. Wildlife can dramatically impact how people live.

More and more species are becoming endangered everyday. If we do not take the necessary steps to reduce the rate of the disappearance of animals, we will be in a real crisis. Through methods such as education, conservation, and increasing resource efficiency, we can limit the number of endangered plants and animals.