Species at Risk

Species at Risk: 

Species at Risk M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 1

What are Species at Risk?: 

What are Species at Risk? Any animal, plant, or other organism that is considered at serious risk of extinction S P E C I E S A T R I S K Typically caused by human activities Occurring at a rate never seen in history M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 2

Risk Categories: 

Endangered - facing imminent extirpation or extinction Threatened - likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed Special Concern (Vulnerable) - sensitive to human activities or natural events. This makes it vulnerable to harm. Risk Categories Threatened Special Concern (Vulnerable) Endangered Vocabulary: Extirpation: Loss of a species from specific areas but still surviving elsewhere Extinction: Species no longer in existence M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 3

Around the World?: 

11,000 species face extinction Over 800 already extinct due to human causes Occurring at highest rate in history Canada: 431 species at risk of extinction Around the World? M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 4

Why are Species at Risk?: 

Why are Species at Risk? Usually species are at risk of extinction due to human activities 4 Main Reasons: Habitat loss Over exploitation (i.e. over-hunting) Pollution Exotic (alien) species M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 5

Habitat Loss: 

Habitat Loss Main threat to species. With our increased needs for space, animals lose their homes becoming extinct. We need: shopping malls, housing, farm land, roads, and electricity. M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 6

Over Exploitation: 

Over Exploitation This is occurs when we overuse living species as a resource, this is known as over-harvesting. We may use animals for food, work, or clothing Canada: Atlantic Cod was overfished to the point of being endangered. M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 7

Alien Species : 

Alien Species Alien species are plants or animals that are introduced to an area by humans, either accidentally or on purpose. The alien species may take over and kill native species by out-competing them for food or habitat M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 8

Pollution: 

Pollution Toxic chemicals are finding their way into habitats. Cause problems which are not predictable May cause local problems or problems in other areas, thousands of miles away. M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 9

Why is Wildlife Important?: 

Why is Wildlife Important? Everything on Planet Earth is connected through the Ecosystem Living things rely on each other for survival We often don’t realize this “dependence” until something has gone extinct. M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 10

Saving Wildlife?: 

Saving Wildlife? What can we or YOU do? Identify: Paying attention to these animals, allows us to create lists to know which species are at risk Protect: We create laws to protect these animals Repair: We organize the recovery of the species M.Bregar (Dante C.S.S.) 11