Human Impact on Endangered Species

Positive:

Whenever I visit a national park, I think about the people there helping conserve the wildlife. This has made me become interested in wildlife and endangered species. It makes me want to help protect these fascinating creatures. Humans also help species by making breeding programs to help bring back species with very low numbers. They also create conservation areas like national parks and reserves that don’t allow clearing of land and hunting of threatened species. Now when I visit a conservation area, I really appreciate the people working to save these beautiful parts of nature.

Negative:

Habitat Loss:

Habitat loss is the loss of a species habitat or a place it lives. This can happen naturally and by humans. Housing, industry, and agriculture can destroy habitats that endanger species. In the Amazon rainforest in South America, people clear trees and plants for logging, urban use, and cattle ranches. Some animals that have become endangered because of habitat loss are, Orangutans, Tigers, Asian elephants, Black Rhinoceros, Gaint Pandas, Red pandas, Mountain gorillas, Whales, and the list goes on.

Poaching:

Poaching is the illegal hunting of animals for their body parts. Too much brings populations down and makes species extinct and endangered. Some animals that are poached are, Elephants for their tusks, Rhinos for their horns, big cats for their fur coats, and more.

Climate Change:

Climate Change is the warming of our earth. As temperatures rise, lots of species die and can get endangered or extinct from this. For example, the polar bear. it relies on ice in the winter to hunt. Every summer the ice that froze over the arctic melts. But now the ice melts quicker and summers get longer. This affects the polar bears and they can go hungry. Many more species are affected by climate change.

Invasive Species:

Invasive species are species brought to habitats that they don't belong in by humans. That can lead to species becoming endangered and extinct. Invasive species can eat and kill smaller harmless species that hurts the ecosystem. The Nile perch is an invasive species. It was brought by people to Lake victoria. It ate smaller fish and made lots of species extinct and endangered.