Endangered Species: Importance, Legal Concerns, and Causes of Extinction

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Endangered Species
The subject of endangered is not new in the public arena and has been gaining popularity in the
past few decades following the extinction of various species in the environment. Following this,
many countries have launched legal measures to deal with the contentious matter. However,
these efforts prove futile in some cases. The popular debate on the endangered species is
centered on the high costs of preserving and protecting both the species and their habitats and the
value of the species to the environment and fellow inhabitants particularly the human beings.
The extinction of the endangered species is often linked to human activities more specifically in
natural resource extraction. Human activities such as grazing, logging, mining, development of
infrastructure and the increased use of land for recreational purposes are at the heart of the
controversy. Despite the fact that human beings are a superior entity in the environment, this
does not mean fellow living things are less important. Humans have the obligation to safeguard
the environment and ensure that it retains its inherent beauty.
Endangered species are organisms (both animals and plants) that once had big
populations but their numbers have diminished with time (Taylor and Suckling 365). The
endangered species are on the verge of becoming extinct and thus appropriate measures should
be put in place to preserve them. Some of the popular examples of endangered species include
some families of rhinos, giant pandas, Komodo dragons, snow leopards, and tigers. Typically,

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endangered species exist in some continents and are purely extinct in other continents. Animal
species become endangered mainly due to commercial poaching. These rare species are sold on
the Black Markets since it is illegal to kill them. The loss of natural habitat is also a major reason
for the rise of endangered species. Nearly every year, new structures encroach more and more in
the wild territory. The destruction of forests and grasslands leaves the species with no habitat. As
thus, these species hardly survive. The two reasons clearly imply that the human beings have the
greatest role to play in the conservation of endangered species.
Legal Concerns
Among the most popular environmental legislations concerning the endangered species is
the United States’ Endangered Species Act (ESA). This particular powerful act yet very
controversial was established in 1973 in the bid to safeguard the surviving endangered species
(Benson). The act's non-compromising stand against the loss of biodiversity has been a primary
driving force towards the restoration of the ecology in the United States. However, the criticisms
leveled against the act portray that the ESA has some weaknesses. As thus, there are some
changes that have to be made in the act to accommodate resilience. Similarly, some changes
have to be made to suit the ever-changing trends in the environmental systems. Firstly, the
strategies in management should be changed to a system-based approach from the current
species-centered approach. Chiefly, a more integrated approach has to be adopted to include the
readiness and willingness to reassess the demands by the social systems on the ecological
structures. A re-orientation in the management system is also required to shift from the
objectives linked to optimization, preservation, and restoration towards the objectives associated
with adaptive capacity and fostering complexity. The ESA is just an example of the many legal
environmental acts set to preserve the endangered species globally Many countries have adopted

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these laws with similar examples. The laws are not only at the state level but also at the local
levels. Different societies have devised varied means of preventing the possible extinction of
some species. Regardless of the country and level, all these legislations tend to assume a similar
course. Although they significantly contribute to the preservation of the endangered species, they
are hardly efficient and enough under the prevailing circumstances.
Ideally, most of the legalizations on the endangered species are coercive. This could be
blamed for poor planning and the perceived lack of awareness among the masses. Our
environments are the habitats that all the species should coexist peacefully. Certain groups
should not be given privileges over others. In order to ensure that these laws work effectively, all
eligible parties have to be consulted on the most appropriate measures. Human beings should not
be made to feel as if they are pushed to safeguard biodiversity yet it is their responsibility. On the
contrary, they should be made to be aware of why it is necessary to restore biodiversity.
Practically, people perform what they are convinced is right much better than what they are
coerced is right. As thus, preservation could only be upheld simply because an authority is on the
watch or to evade legal punishments.
Owing to the coercive nature of the environmental laws, the authorities tend to evict
people from their settlements feigning preservation. People should not be forced to vacate their
inhabitants without necessarily being compensated (Hing 226). The process of preserving the
endangered species should be interactive and systematic to ensure that no one becomes a victim
in the process of safeguarding biodiversity. The focus of the legalizations is far much too narrow
although the consultation process is very important. If people do so more voluntarily, there is the
preservation will be more successful.

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What causes the Extinction of Endangered Species?
Habitat fragmentation is one of the most latent reasons that lie at the bottom of
endangered species. It poses the greatest threat to the environmental biodiversity on the planet.
Habitat fragmentation leads to a destructive change to the environmental landscapes. This is
either caused by human action or natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, floods, and
hurricanes. Human practices such as construction, land reclamation, deforestation, the creation of
artificial drainage systems and clearing forests for agricultural use. Following these processes,
the natural habitats of the species diminish in terms of size. In other cases, the habitat is broken
down into smaller patches or even fully destroyed. The reduced size of the land or creation of the
smaller patches only tends to support reduced populations of the animal and plant species. This
poses a heightened risk to biodiversity and directly influences the long-term existence of the
species. The demolition of habitats forces inhabitants to vacate from the destroyed territory. In
most cases, these species tend to have lived in the territory for over a hundred years and fleeing
to other habitats risks their survival. Also, migrations cause intrusions to other species’ habitats
causing conflicts between them and the local species (Gallardo and Aldridge 226). If one of the
species fails to adapt to the new territories and changes it will obviously be pushed towards
extinction.
The ever-changing weather and climatic conditions directly or indirectly cause the
disappearance of the endangered species. The depletion of the ozone layer, for instance, causes
the penetration of more UV radiations affects the natural biodiversity. The UV radiations affect
how plants and animals develop and biogeochemical cycles. The radiations affect the existing
balance of greenhouse gases and other gases in the biosphere. Human activities such as the
combustion of fuels contribute to global warming which directly affects the life cycles of