Wildlife
There are only a few places on planet Earth where the impact of people has not yet been felt. We have traversed the continents, explored the land and seas and left our footprint on practically every corner of the globe. As the world’s population and its needs grow, we seem to have less room for wildlife.
What is wildlife? The modern day definition of wildlife includes all plants, fungi and any organisms that grow without being introduced to the ecosystems by humans. Today, wildlife can be found in all ecosystems; distinct forms of wildlife can be seen in deserts, forests, rain forests, plains, grasslands and even urban cities.
Wildlife is under threat by many human activities, from directly destroying habitat to spreading invasive species and disease. Most ecosystems are facing multiple threats. Each new threat places additional burden on already weakened ecosystems and their inhabitants.
One of the primary threats to wildlife is habitat loss from habitat destruction, fragmentation or degradation. Habitat destruction is the process where the natural habitat is destroyed and damaged, leaving it unable to support the species and ecological communities that naturally occur there. As populations increase, humans consume more land for agriculture and urbanization to support their needs. When human populations encroach into wildlife habitats, the natural wildlife is displaced leading to the extinction of species and subsequently the loss of biodiversity. Habitat destruction is currently ranked as the primary cause of species extinction worldwide.
Wildlife is under threat by many human activities, from directly destroying habitat to spreading invasive species and disease.
Another cause of habitat loss is habitat fragmentation where remaining terrestrial wildlife habitats are divided into fragments by roads or development and aquatic species’ habitats are split by dams and water diversions. These fragments of habitats are not large enough to support species needing bigger territory to find mates and food for survival.
The last source of habitat loss is habitat degradation such as pollution and the disruption of ecosystem processes. These progressions transform the ecosystems drastically, making them unfit environments for animals to find adequate food, water and a safe environment to raise their young. Should the depletion of natural habitats continue at its current rate, wildlife will become increasingly endangered and may eventually become extinct.
For many centuries, wildlife has served as a crucial source of food, clothing and medicine for humans. However, human greed and our insatiable appetites have propagated irresponsible behaviours such as overfishing, and the illegal wildlife trade. Overfishing stems from the industrialization of the fishing industry and the increasing demand for seafood. Through industrialization, technology has improved in leaps and bounds and the fishing industry has become more efficient at harvesting fish and other shellfish. These improvements in technology are driven by people taking more fish from oceans, lakes and rivers than is sustainable. The fishing nets also catch anything too big to pass through them causing the deaths of many other species in the process. For example, many tonnes of fish are killed or thrown away in the catch for prawns while thousands of porpoises and dolphins are killed by fishermen in the catch for fish each year.
Hundreds of millions of animals are caught from the wild and then resold as food, pets, accessories, souvenirs and medicine on an annual basis. With the world’s population growing increasingly affluent, more people have the means to purchase illegal products derived from endangered species such as elephants, rhinoceros and tigers. This demand fuels the illegal wildlife trade, making it the 4th most profitable illegal business in the world. The goal of poachers is profit by any means necessary and they have no qualms about driving species towards extinction. Between 2007 and 2012, there was a 5000% increase in rhino poaching in South Africa with 900 rhinos being slaughtered in 2012 alone. In 2011, 28,300 freshwater turtles were traded every day, leaving 80% of Asia’s freshwater turtle and tortoise species at the risk of extinction. Recent statistics show a 95% decrease in tiger numbers with less than 3200 tigers left in the wild today. These figures are highly alarming; should humans continue with their wanton disregard for wildlife, many species of animals will die out and become extinct.
Hundreds of millions of animals are caught from the wild and then resold as food, pets, accessories, souvenirs and medicine on an annual basis.
Why is it important then to prevent the extinction of wildlife? Wildlife holds much value and plays an important role in the world. On a rudimentary level, wildlife provides economic value to Man. Many industries are dependent on the survival of wildlife with the international wildlife trade estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually. The trade is diverse with hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens and varies from live animals and plants to a vast array of products derived from wildlife— food products, exotic leather goods, luxurious fashion items, tourist curios and medicines.
On a deeper level, wildlife provides scientific value, giving scientists a better understanding of the process of evolution. Wildlife contributes a large genetic pool of different plants and animals, allowing scientists to carry out studies to develop and discover new treatments and medicines, giving Man a better future. However, the most important role of wildlife is maintaining ecological balance of nature, food chain and nature cycles. As the ecosystem is intricately connected, the eradication of any species would inevitably have a ripple effect, endangering other species within the fragile ecosystem in the long term. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), about one third of all known species are threatened with extinction globally. That includes 29% of all amphibians, 21% of all mammals and 12% of all birds.
Wildlife conservation is therefore necessary. One of the most important conservation tools is The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is an international agreement between governments that ensures international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Though many wildlife species in trade are not endangered, the existence of the agreement ensures the sustainability of trade while safeguarding these resources for the future. As trade in wildlife spans borders, to regulate it requires international cooperation. Today, CITES accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 species of wildlife—both animals and plants, whether live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs. As of February 2014, CITES has one of the largest number of global signatories; 180 parties who have ratified the convention.
However, the most important role of wildlife is maintaining ecological balance of nature, food chain and nature cycles.