The Endangered Species Problem by Daniel R. Faust

Author:Daniel R. Faust
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
Published: 2021-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

WHAT MAKES A

SPECIES ENDANGERED?

When scientists talk about endangered species, they’re talking about any organism that’s threatened by extinction. There are two main ways a species can become endangered. One way is through the loss of their habitat. The other way is through the loss of genetic variation, or difference.

A habitat is the natural environment in which a plant, animal, or another organism lives. Habitats provide food, shelter, protection, and a means to reproduce. Habitats can change naturally over time due to events such as volcanic eruptions, changing ocean currents, or climate change. Sometimes a species may evolve and adapt to these changes. Other times, these changes can be too extreme, causing the species to become endangered and eventually go extinct. An example of natural habitat loss can be seen in the extinction of the dinosaurs. When Earth’s hot, dry climate quickly became much cooler 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs were unable to adapt and they became extinct.

Human activity can also lead to the loss of an organism’s habitat in a number of ways. In the Amazon rain forest in South America, for example, thousands of acres of trees and other plants have been destroyed to make room for farmers, ranchers, and the logging industry. In parts of North America, expanding human settlement has severely limited the habitats of species such as the mountain lion, coyote, and grizzly bear.

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