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92-441: The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust founded in 1963 is a wildlife conservation charity working to protect and enhance the wildlife and habitats of Nottinghamshire . They care for over 60 nature reserves covering more than 2,000 acres (8.1 km) of wildlife habitat ranging from wildflower meadows to wetlands to ancient woodland . Key reserves are Attenborough Nature Reserve and Idle Valley Nature Reserve . They engage

184-554: A cautionary tale about the delicate balance between human activity and biodiversity and highlights the potential consequences of over-hunting and habitat destruction. A second wave of extinctions occurred later with European settlement. This period marked significant ecological disruption, largely due to the introduction of new species and land-use changes. European settlers brought with them animals such as rats, cats, and stoats, which preyed upon native birds and other wildlife. Additionally, deforestation for agriculture significantly altered

276-505: A cute and fun side of owning exotic pets, therefore indirectly encouraging illegal wildlife trade. On March 30, 2021, TikTik joined the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online. They, along with other big social media companies work to protect species from illegal, harmful trade online. Research has shown that machine learning can filter through social media posts to identify indications of illegal wildlife trade. This filtration system

368-410: A fishery starts harvesting fish from a previously unexploited stock, the biomass of the fish stock will decrease, since harvesting means fish are being removed. For sustainability, the rate at which the fish replenish biomass through reproduction must balance the rate at which the fish are being harvested. If the harvest rate is increased, then the stock biomass will further decrease. At a certain point,

460-410: A habitat for many of coral's diverse inhabitants. Research (conducted through methods such as coral fossils and ancient ice core carbon analysis) suggests ocean acidification has occurred in the geological past (more likely at a slower pace), and correlate with past extinction events. Culling is the deliberate and selective killing of wildlife by governments for various purposes. An example of this

552-696: A hard shell, and is endangered. It is found throughout the central Pacific and Atlantic Oceans but several of its populations are in decline across the globe (though not all). The leatherback sea turtle faces numerous threats including being caught as bycatch , harvest of its eggs, loss of nesting habitats, and marine pollution . In the US where the leatherback is listed under the Endangered Species Act , measures to protect it include reducing bycatch captures through fishing gear modifications, monitoring and protecting its habitat (both nesting beaches and in

644-603: A key role in human societies, comparable to the roles of water and cultivable land. Today, developed countries continue to utilize timber for building houses, and wood pulp for paper . In developing countries almost three billion people rely on wood for heating and cooking. Short-term economic gains made by conversion of forest to agriculture, or overexploitation of wood products, typically leads to loss of long-term income and long term biological productivity. West Africa , Madagascar , Southeast Asia and many other regions have experienced lower revenue because of overexploitation and

736-406: A large scale study of fisheries that used ITQs, and ones that did not, provided strong evidence that ITQs help prevent collapses and restore fisheries that appear to be in decline. Water resources, such as lakes and aquifers , are usually renewable resources which naturally recharge (the term fossil water is sometimes used to describe aquifers which do not recharge). Overexploitation occurs if

828-479: A major source of aquifer depletion. Depleted aquifers can become polluted with contaminants such as nitrates , or permanently damaged through subsidence or through saline intrusion from the ocean. This turns much of the world's underground water and lakes into finite resources with peak usage debates similar to oil . These debates usually centre around agriculture and suburban water usage but generation of electricity from nuclear energy or coal and tar sands mining

920-542: A majority of its funding through appropriations from the federal budget, annual federal and state grants, and financial efforts from programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program , Wetlands Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program . A substantial amount of funding comes from the sale of hunting/fishing licenses, game tags, stamps, and excise taxes from the purchase of hunting equipment and ammunition. The Endangered Species Act

1012-587: A mere 200 years after the first human settlements, ten species of the giant moa birds were driven to extinction by the Māori . This rapid extinction underscores the significant impact humans can have on native wildlife, especially in isolated ecosystems like New Zealand. The Māori, relying on the moa as a primary food source and for resources such as feathers and bones, hunted these birds extensively. The moa's inability to fly and their size, which made them easier targets, contributed to their rapid decline. This event serves as

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1104-466: A more complete picture of population viability. When designing a wildlife monitoring strategy, it is important to minimize harm to the animal and implement the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). In wildlife research, this can be done through the use of non-invasive methods, sharing samples and data with other research groups, or optimizing traps to prevent injuries. Distributing vaccinations to wildlife who are particularly vulnerable

1196-625: A park or reserve, it can still be monitored and maintained. The red-cockaded woodpecker ( Picoides borealis) is an endangered bird in the southeastern US. It only lives in longleaf pine savannas which are maintained by wildfires in mature pine forests. Today, it is a rare habitat (as fires have become rare and many pine forests have been cut down for agriculture) and is commonly found on land occupied by US military bases, where pine forests are kept for military training purposes and occasional bombings (also for training) set fires that maintain pine savannas. Woodpeckers live in tree cavities they excavate in

1288-623: A popular method is to use camera traps for population estimation along with mark-recapture techniques. This method has been used successfully with tigers, black bears and numerous other species. Trail cameras can be triggered remotely and automatically via sound, infrared sensors, etc. Computer vision -based animal individual re-identification methods have been developed to automate such sight-resight calculations. Mark-recapture methods are also used with genetic data from non-invasive hair or fecal samples. Such information can be analyzed independently or in conjunction with photographic methods to get

1380-451: A population to extinction without human intervention. Methods of vaccination varies depending on both the extent and efficiency of limiting the transmission of disease, and can be applied orally , topically , intranasally (IN), or injected either subcutaneously (SC) or intramuscularly (IM). Conservation efforts regarding vaccinations often only serve the purpose of preventing disease related extinction. Rather than completely cleansing

1472-516: A prime example of the direct negative effect climate change has on wildlife and ecosystems. Meanwhile, a warming climate, fluctuating precipitation, and changing weather patterns will impact species ranges. Overall, the effects of climate change increase stress on ecosystems, and species unable to cope with the rapidly changing conditions will go extinct. While modern climate change is caused by humans, past climate change events occurred naturally and have led to extinctions. The illegal wildlife trade

1564-576: A registered charity. The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust was formed in May 1963 as the Nottinghamshire Trust for Nature Conservation. Attenborough Nature Reserve was the first site to be under the control of the Trust in 1966, when the land was leased from CEMEX . The first reserve the trust purchased outright was Treswell Wood in 1973. In 1989, the Trust purchased a small section of what is now

1656-416: A result, people have started utilizing green spaces more frequently, which were previously habitats for wildlife. Unfortunately, this increased human activity has caused destruction to the natural habitat of various species. Deforestation is the clearing and cutting down forests on purpose. Deforestation is a cause of human-induced habitat action destruction, by cutting down habitats of different species in

1748-402: A select species are often prioritized on several factors which include significant economic and ecological value, as well as desirability or attractiveness. Yet, because resources are limited, sometimes it is not possible to give all species that need conservation due consideration. The leatherback sea turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea ) is the largest turtle in the world, is the only turtle without

1840-500: A vital human activity for survival, providing food, clothing, and tools. However, the history of hunting also includes episodes of overexploitation, particularly in the form of overhunting. The overkill hypothesis , which addresses the Quaternary extinction events, explains the relatively rapid extinction of megafauna . This hypothesis suggests that these extinctions were closely linked to human migration and population growth. One of

1932-474: A water resource, such as the Ogallala Aquifer , is mined or extracted at a rate that exceeds the recharge rate, that is, at a rate that exceeds the practical sustained yield. Recharge usually comes from area streams, rivers and lakes. An aquifer which has been overexploited is said to be overdrafted or depleted. Forests enhance the recharge of aquifers in some locales, although generally forests are

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2024-890: Is shark culling , in which "shark control" programs in Queensland and New South Wales (in Australia ) have killed thousands of sharks , as well as turtles , dolphins , whales , and other marine life. The Queensland "shark control" program alone has killed about 50,000 sharks — it has also killed more than 84,000 marine animals. There are also examples of population culling in the United States, such as bison in Montana and swans, geese, and deer in New York and other places. A wide range of pollutants negatively impact wildlife health. For some pollutants, simple exposure

2116-589: Is a continuously updated list that remains up-to-date on species that are endangered or threatened. Along with the update of the list, the Endangered Species Act also seeks to implement actions to protect the species within its list. Furthermore, the Endangered Species Act also lists the species that the act has recovered. It is estimated that the act has prevented the extinction of about 291 species, like bald eagles and humpback whales , since its implementation through its different recovery plans and

2208-489: Is a main concern in the tropical forests of the world. Tropical forests, like the Amazon , are home to the most biodiversity out of any other biome, making deforestation there an even more prevalent issue, especially in populated areas, as in these areas deforestation leads to habitat destruction and the endangerment of many species in one area. Some policies have been enacted to attempt to stop deforestation in different parts of

2300-842: Is able to search for keywords, pictures, and phrases that indicate illegal wildlife trade, and report it. It is estimated that, because of human activities, current species extinction rates are about 1000 times greater than the background extinction rate (the 'normal' extinction rate that occurs without additional influence). According to the IUCN , out of all species assessed, over 42,100 are at risk of extinction and should be under conservation . Of these, 25% are mammals, 14% are birds, and 40% are amphibians. However, because not all species have been assessed, these numbers could be even higher. A 2019 UN report assessing global biodiversity extrapolated IUCN data to all species and estimated that 1 million species worldwide could face extinction. Conservation of

2392-645: Is also water resource intensive. A modified Hubbert curve applies to any resource that can be harvested faster than it can be replaced. Though Hubbert's original analysis did not apply to renewable resources, their overexploitation can result in a Hubbert-like peak . This has led to the concept of peak water . Forests are overexploited when they are logged at a rate faster than reforestation takes place. Reforestation competes with other land uses such as food production, livestock grazing, and living space for further economic growth. Historically utilization of forest products, including timber and fuel wood, have played

2484-501: Is an ever-present threat for species richness . This is more prevalent when looking at island ecology and the species that inhabit them, as islands can be viewed as the world in miniature. Island endemic populations are more prone to extinction from overexploitation, as they often exist at low densities with reduced reproductive rates. A good example of this are island snails, such as the Hawaiian Achatinella and

2576-465: Is appropriately regulated. Hardin's use of "commons" has frequently been misunderstood, leading Hardin to later remark that he should have titled his work "The tragedy of the unregulated commons". In wild fisheries , overexploitation or overfishing occurs when a fish stock has been fished down "below the size that, on average, would support the long-term maximum sustainable yield of the fishery". However, overexploitation can be sustainable. When

2668-399: Is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it", as well as to Hobbes and his Leviathan . The opposite situation to a tragedy of the commons is sometimes referred to as a tragedy of the anticommons : a situation in which rational individuals, acting separately, collectively waste a given resource by underutilizing it. The tragedy of the commons can be avoided if it

2760-488: Is drug discovery and the availability of medicinal resources. A significant proportion of drugs are natural products derived, directly or indirectly, from biological sources. Marine ecosystems are of particular interest in this regard. However, unregulated and inappropriate bioprospecting could potentially lead to overexploitation, ecosystem degradation and loss of biodiversity . Species from all groups of fauna and flora are affected by overexploitation. This phenomenon

2852-668: Is enough to do damage (e.g. pesticides). For others, its through inhaling (e.g. air pollutants) or ingesting it (e.g. toxic metals). Pollutants affect different species in different ways so a pollutant that is bad for one might not affect another. Humans are responsible for present-day climate change currently changing Earth's environmental conditions. It is related to some of the aforementioned threats to wildlife like habitat destruction and pollution. Rising temperatures, melting ice sheets, changes in precipitation patterns, severe droughts , more frequent heat waves , storm intensification, ocean acidification , and rising sea levels are some of

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2944-446: Is in each herder's individual interest to graze each new cow that the herder acquires on the common land, even if the carrying capacity of the common is exceeded, which damages the common for all the herders. The self-interested herder receives all of the benefits of having the additional cow, while all the herders share the damage to the common. However, all herders reach the same rational decision to buy additional cows and graze them on

3036-498: Is not bound by taxonomy; it spans across mammals, birds, fish, insects, and plants alike. Animals are hunted for their fur, tusks, or meat, while plants are harvested for medicinal purposes, timber, or ornamental uses. This unsustainable practice disrupts ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and leading to the potential extinction of vulnerable species. All living organisms require resources to survive. Overexploitation of these resources for protracted periods can deplete natural stocks to

3128-481: Is often true of species living in biodiversity hotspots , which are areas of the world with an exceptionally high concentration of endemic species (species found nowhere else in the world). Many of these hotspots are in the tropics, mainly tropical forests like the Amazon. Habitat conservation is usually carried out by setting aside protected areas like national parks or nature reserves. Even when an area isn't made into

3220-455: Is reduced until the stock biomass returns to the optimal biomass. At this point, harvesting can be resumed near the maximum sustainable yield. The tragedy of the commons can be avoided within the context of fisheries if fishing effort and practices are regulated appropriately by fisheries management . One effective approach may be assigning some measure of ownership in the form of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) to fishermen. In 2008,

3312-597: Is that if too many of a species offspring are taken, then the species may not recover. For example, overfishing of top marine predatory fish like tuna and salmon over the past century has led to a decline in fish sizes as well as fish numbers. Poaching for illegal wildlife trading is a major threat to certain species, particularly endangered ones whose status makes them economically valuable. Such species include many large mammals like African elephants, tigers, and rhinoceros (traded for their tusks , skins, and horns respectively). Less well-known targets of poaching include

3404-433: Is the sea urchin . When hunters caused sea otter populations to decline, an ecological release of sea urchin populations occurred. The sea urchins then overexploited their main food source, kelp , creating urchin barrens, areas of seabed denuded of kelp, but carpeted with urchins. No longer having food to eat, the sea urchin became locally extinct as well. Also, since kelp forest ecosystems are homes to many other species,

3496-690: Is the illegal trading of plants and wildlife. This illegal trading is worth an estimate of 7-23 billion and an annual trade of around 100 million plants and animals. In 2021 it was found that this trade has caused a 60% decline in species abundance, and 80% for endangered species. This trade can be devastating to both humans and animals. It has the capacity to spread zoonotic diseases to humans, as well as contribute to local extinction. The pathogens to humans may be spread through small animal vectors like ticks, or through ingestion of food and water. Extinction can be caused due to non-native species being introduced that become invasive. An example of how this may happen

3588-604: Is through by-catch.These new species will outcompete the native species and take over, therefore causing the local or global extinction of a species. Due to the fittest animals in the species being hunted or poached, the less fit organisms will mate, causing less fitness in the generations to come. In addition to species fitness being lowered and therefore endangering species, the illegal wildlife trade has ecological costs. Sex-ratio balances may be tipped or reproduction rates are slowed, which can be detrimental to vulnerable species. The recovery of these populations may take longer due to

3680-435: Is typically a high priority as well. High genetic diversity increases survival because it means greater capacity to adapt to future environmental changes. Meanwhile, effects associated with low genetic diversity, such as inbreeding depression and loss of diversity from genetic drift , often decrease species survival by reducing the species' capacity to adapt or by increasing the frequency of genetic problems. Though not always

3772-455: Is useful in conservation to prevent or decelerate extreme population declination in a species from disease and also decrease the risk of a zoonotic spillover to humans. A pathogen that has never once been exposed to a specific species' evolutionary pathway can have detrimental impacts on the population. In most cases, these risks escalate in conjunction to other anthropogenic stressors, such as climate change or habitat loss, that ultimately lead

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3864-522: The Congo and Rwanda , firearms have become common and the breakdown of food distribution networks in such countries leaves the resources of the natural environment vulnerable. Animals are even killed as target practice, or simply to spite the government. Populations of large primates, such as gorillas and chimpanzees , ungulates and other mammals, may be reduced by 80% or more by hunting, and certain species may be eliminated. This decline has been called

3956-545: The bushmeat crisis . Overexploitation threatens one-third of endangered vertebrates , as well as other groups. Excluding edible fish, the illegal trade in wildlife is valued at $ 10 billion per year. Industries responsible for this include the trade in bushmeat , the trade in Chinese medicine , and the fur trade . The Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES

4048-496: The exploitation of many species beyond sustainable levels. In practical terms, if continued, it reduces valuable resources to such low levels that their exploitation is no longer sustainable and can lead to the extinction of a species, in addition to having dramatic, unforeseen effects , on the ecosystem . Overexploitation often occurs rapidly as markets open, utilising previously untapped resources, or locally used species. Today, overexploitation and misuse of natural resources

4140-628: The 1961 Foreign Assistance Act. Many NGOs exist to actively promote, or be involved with, wildlife conservation: Overexploitation Overexploitation , also called overharvesting or ecological overshoot , refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns . Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term applies to natural resources such as water aquifers , grazing pastures and forests , wild medicinal plants , fish stocks and other wildlife . In ecology , overexploitation describes one of

4232-444: The 1970s and 1980s, leading to their abrupt collapse in 1992. Even though fishing has ceased, the cod stocks have failed to recover. The absence of cod as the apex predator in many areas has led to trophic cascades . About 25% of world fisheries are now overexploited to the point where their current biomass is less than the level that maximizes their sustainable yield. These depleted fisheries can often recover if fishing pressure

4324-535: The Commons". It was based on a parable that William Forster Lloyd published in 1833 to explain how individuals innocently acting in their own self-interest can overexploit, and destroy, a resource that they all share. Lloyd described a simplified hypothetical situation based on medieval land tenure in Europe. Herders share common land on which they are each entitled to graze their cows. In Hardin's article, it

4416-560: The Florida panther population had tripled and offspring between Florida and Texas individuals had higher fertility and less genetic problems. In 2015, the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there were 230 adult Florida panthers and in 2017, there were signs that the population's range was expanding within Florida. Monitoring of wildlife populations is an important part of conservation because it allows managers to gather information about

4508-479: The French Polynesian Partula . Achatinelline snails have 15 species listed as extinct and 24 critically endangered while 60 species of partulidae are considered extinct with 14 listed as critically endangered. The WCMC have attributed over-collecting and very low lifetime fecundity for the extreme vulnerability exhibited among these species. As another example, when the humble hedgehog

4600-555: The Idle Valley Nature Reserve, which the Trust has since bought the rest of the site. As of February 2020 the Trust were working to purchase Attenborough Nature Reserve from CEMEX, having raised funds in excess of their £1 million target. This article about an organisation in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wildlife conservation Habitat destruction decreases

4692-476: The animals, whereas indirect methods rely on "signs" that indicate the animals are present. For terrestrial vertebrates, common direct monitoring methods include direct observation, mark-recapture , transects , and variable plot surveys. Indirect methods include track stations, fecal counts, food removal, open or closed burrow-opening counts, burrow counts, runaway counts, knockdown cards, snow tracks, or responses to audio calls. For large, terrestrial vertebrates,

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4784-495: The annals of modern environmental awareness, traces back to ancient practices embedded in human history. Contrary to the notion that overexploitation is an exclusively contemporary issue, the phenomenon has been documented for millennia and is not limited to human activities alone. Historical evidence reveals that various cultures and societies have engaged in practices leading to the overuse of natural resources, sometimes with drastic consequences. One poignant example can be found in

4876-407: The atmosphere, where it can be sequestered in the deep ocean and sea floor; this is a process called the biological pump . Increased carbon dioxide emissions and increased stratification (which slows the biological pump) decrease the ocean pH, making it more acidic. Calcifying organisms such as coral are especially susceptible to decreased pH, resulting in mass bleaching events, inevitably destroying

4968-406: The case, certain species are under threat because they have very low genetic diversity. As such, the best conservation action would be to restore their genetic diversity. The Florida panther is a subspecies of cougar (specifically Puma concolor coryi) that resides in the state of Florida and is currently endangered. Historically, the Florida panther's range covered the entire southeastern US. In

5060-406: The ceremonial cloaks of Hawaiian kings , which were adorned with the feathers of the now-extinct mamo bird. Crafting a single cloak required the feathers of approximately 70,000 adult mamo birds, illustrating a staggering scale of resource extraction that ultimately contributed to its extinction. This instance underscores how cultural traditions and their associated demands can sometimes precipitate

5152-435: The common, which eventually destroys the common. Hardin concludes: Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit—in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all. In the course of his essay, Hardin develops

5244-431: The consequent declining timber harvests. Overexploitation is one of the main threats to global biodiversity . Other threats include pollution , introduced and invasive species, habitat fragmentation , habitat destruction , uncontrolled hybridization , climate change , ocean acidification and the driver behind many of these, human overpopulation . One of the key health issues associated with biodiversity

5336-471: The context of fishing, the term overfishing can be used instead of overexploitation, as can overgrazing in stock management , overlogging in forest management , overdrafting in aquifer management, and endangered species in species monitoring. Overexploitation is not an activity limited to humans. Introduced predators and herbivores, for example, can overexploit native flora and fauna . The concern about overexploitation, while relatively recent in

5428-512: The destruction of the resource, nor is it necessarily unsustainable. However, depleting the numbers or amount of the resource can change its quality. For example, footstool palm is a wild palm tree found in Southeast Asia. Its leaves are used for thatching and food wrapping, and overharvesting has resulted in its leaf size becoming smaller. In 1968, the journal Science published an article by Garrett Hardin entitled "The Tragedy of

5520-440: The early 1990s, only a single population with 20-25 individuals were left. The population had very low genetic diversity, was highly inbred, and suffered from several genetic issues including kinked tails, cardiac defects, and low fertility. In 1995, eight female Texas cougars were introduced to the Florida population. The goal was to increase genetic diversity by introducing genes from a different, unrelated puma population. By 2007,

5612-491: The effects of climate change. Phenomena like droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, intense storms, ocean acidification , and rising sea levels , directly lead to habitat destruction. For example, longer dry seasons, warmer springs, and dry soil has been observed to increase the length of wildfire season in forests, shrublands and grasslands. Increased severity and longevity of wildfires can completely wipe out entire ecosystems, causing them to take decades to fully recover. Wildfires are

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5704-425: The five main activities threatening global biodiversity . Ecologists use the term to describe populations that are harvested at an unsustainable rate, given their natural rates of mortality and capacities for reproduction. This can result in extinction at the population level and even extinction of whole species. In conservation biology , the term is usually used in the context of human economic activity that involves

5796-602: The habitats of many endemic species. These combined factors accelerated the decline of New Zealand's unique biodiversity, leading to the extinction of several more species. The European settlement period serves as a poignant example of how human activities can drastically impact natural ecosystems. In more recent times, overexploitation has resulted in the gradual emergence of the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development , which has built on other concepts, such as sustainable yield , eco-development , and deep ecology . Overexploitation does not necessarily lead to

5888-408: The harvest of protected plants and animals for souvenirs, food, skins, pets, and more. Poaching causes already small populations to decline even further as hunters tend to target threatened and endangered species because of their rarity and large profits. As carbon dioxide levels increase concentration in the atmosphere, they increase in the ocean as well. Typically, the ocean will absorb carbon from

5980-460: The local community through events, information, volunteering and education opportunities and seek to ensure the county is a healthy and wildlife rich place to live. They are one of the 46 members of The Wildlife Trusts and have 11,000 members. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust also advise other landowners how to manage their land to benefit wildlife. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 748865; and

6072-467: The loss of the kelp caused other cascade effects of secondary extinctions. In 1911, when only one small group of 32 sea otters survived in a remote cove, an international treaty was signed to prevent further exploitation of the sea otters. Under heavy protection, the otters multiplied and repopulated the depleted areas, which slowly recovered. More recently, with declining numbers of fish stocks, again due to overexploitation, killer whales have experienced

6164-409: The maximum harvest yield that can be sustained will be reached, and further attempts to increase the harvest rate will result in the collapse of the fishery. This point is called the maximum sustainable yield , and in practice, usually occurs when the fishery has been fished down to about 30% of the biomass it had before harvesting started. It is possible to fish the stock down further to, say, 15% of

6256-633: The most compelling pieces of evidence supporting this theory is that approximately 80% of North American large mammal species disappeared within just approximately a thousand years of humans arriving in the Western Hemisphere . This rapid disappearance indicates a significant impact of human activity on these species, underscoring the profound influence humans have had on their environment throughout history. The fastest-ever recorded extinction of megafauna occurred in New Zealand . By 1500 AD,

6348-450: The number of places where wildlife can live in. Habitat fragmentation breaks up a continuous tract of habitat, often dividing large wildlife populations into several smaller ones. Human-caused habitat loss and fragmentation are primary drivers of species declines and extinctions. Key examples of human-induced habitat loss include deforestation, agricultural expansion , and urbanization . Habitat destruction and fragmentation can increase

6440-455: The ocean), and reducing damage from marine pollution. There is currently an international effort to protect the leatherback sea turtle. Habitat conservation is the practice of protecting a habitat in order to protect the species within it. This is sometimes preferable to focusing on a single species especially if the species in question has very specific habitat requirements or lives in a habitat with many other endangered species. The latter

6532-652: The overexploitation of a species to the brink of extinction. Similarly, the story of the dodo bird from Mauritius provides another clear example of overexploitation. The dodo, a flightless bird, exhibited a lack of fear toward predators, including humans, making it exceptionally vulnerable to hunting. The dodo's naivety and the absence of natural defenses against human hunters and introduced species led to its rapid extinction. This case offers insight into how certain species, particularly those isolated on islands, can be disproportionately affected by human activities due to their evolutionary adaptations. Hunting has long been

6624-491: The point of extinction. A classic example of cascade effects occurred with sea otters . Starting before the 17th century and not phased out until 1911, sea otters were hunted aggressively for their exceptionally warm and valuable pelts, which could fetch up to $ 2500 US. This caused cascade effects through the kelp forest ecosystems along the Pacific Coast of North America. One of the sea otters’ primary food sources

6716-413: The point where they are unable to recover within a short time frame. Humans have always harvested food and other resources they need to survive. Human populations, historically, were small, and methods of collection were limited to small quantities. With an exponential increase in human population , expanding markets and increasing demand, combined with improved access and techniques for capture, are causing

6808-496: The political and economic impact of USAID funds dispersed for preserving the environment and its natural resources. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the start of former President Bush's War on Terror , maintaining and improving the quality of the environment and its natural resources became a “priority” to “prevent international tensions” according to the Legislation on Foreign Relations Through 2002 and section 117 of

6900-417: The population of the pathogen, infection rates are limited to a smaller percentage of the population. Case study: Ethiopian Wolf The Ethiopian Wolf ( Canis simensis ), a canid native to Ethiopia , is an endangered species with less than 440 wolves remaining in the wild. These wolves are primarily exposed to the rabies virus by domestic dogs and are facing extreme population declines, especially in

6992-443: The pre-harvest biomass, and then adjust the harvest rate so the biomass remains at that level. In this case, the fishery is sustainable, but is now overexploited, because the stock has been run down to the point where the sustainable yield is less than it could be. Fish stocks are said to "collapse" if their biomass declines by more than 95 percent of their maximum historical biomass. Atlantic cod stocks were severely overexploited in

7084-460: The process of removing trees. Deforestation is often done for several reasons, often for either agricultural purposes or for logging , which is the obtainment of timber and wood for use in construction or fuel. Deforestation causes many threats to wildlife as it not only causes habitat destruction for the many animals that survive in forests, as more than 80% of the world's species live in forests but also leads to further climate change. Deforestation

7176-673: The protection that it provides for these threatened species. In the late 1980s, as the public became dissatisfied with government environmental conservation efforts, people began supporting private sector conservation efforts which included several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) . Seeing this rise in support for NGOs, the U.S. Congress made amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act in 1979 and 1986 “earmarking U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds for [biodiversity]”. From 1990 till now, environmental conservation NGOs have become increasingly more focused on

7268-511: The reproduction rates being slower. The wildlife trade also causes issues for natural resources that people use in their everyday lives. Ecotourism is how some people bring in money to their homes, and with depleting the wildlife, this may be a factor in taking away jobs. Illegal wildlife trade has also become normalized through various social media outlets. There are TikTok accounts that have gone viral for their depiction of exotic pets, such as various monkey and bird species. These accounts show

7360-628: The same year, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) was passed as part of an international agreement to prevent the global trade of endangered wildlife. In 1980, the World Conservation Strategy was developed by the IUCN with help from the UN Environmental Programme, World Wildlife Fund, UN Food and Agricultural Organization, and UNESCO. Its purpose

7452-530: The southern Ethiopia region of the Bale Mountains . To counter this, oral vaccinations are administered to these wolves within favorable bait that is widely distributed around their territories. The wolves consume the bait and with it ingest the vaccine, developing an immunity to rabies as antibodies are produced at significant levels. Wolves within these packs who did not ingest the vaccine will be protected by herd immunity as fewer wolves are exposed to

7544-476: The status of threatened species and to measure the effectiveness of management strategies. Monitoring can be local, regional, or range-wide, and can include one or many distinct populations. Metrics commonly gathered during monitoring include population numbers, geographic distribution, and genetic diversity, although many other metrics may be used. Monitoring methods can be categorized as either "direct" or "indirect". Direct methods rely on directly seeing or hearing

7636-424: The taking of biological resources, or organisms, in larger numbers than their populations can withstand. The term is also used and defined somewhat differently in fisheries , hydrology and natural resource management . Overexploitation can lead to resource destruction, including extinctions . However, it is also possible for overexploitation to be sustainable, as discussed below in the section on fisheries. In

7728-511: The theme, drawing in many examples of latter day commons, such as national parks , the atmosphere, oceans, rivers and fish stocks . The example of fish stocks had led some to call this the "tragedy of the fishers". A major theme running through the essay is the growth of human populations , with the Earth 's finite resources being the general common. The tragedy of the commons has intellectual roots tracing back to Aristotle , who noted that "what

7820-449: The total) have been subject to overexploitation, including: Overexploitation of species can result in knock-on or cascade effects . This can particularly apply if, through overexploitation, a habitat loses its apex predator . Because of the loss of the top predator, a dramatic increase in their prey species can occur. In turn, the unchecked prey can then overexploit their own food resources until population numbers dwindle, possibly to

7912-488: The trunk. In an effort to increase woodpecker numbers, artificial cavities (essentially birdhouses planted within tree trunks) were installed to give woodpeckers a place to live. An active effort is made by the US military and workers to maintain this rare habitat used by red-cockaded woodpeckers. Conservation genetics studies genetic phenomena that impact the conservation of a species. Most conservation efforts focus on managing population size, but conserving genetic diversity

8004-416: The virus. With continued periodic vaccinations, conservationists will be able to spend more resources on further proactive efforts to help prevent their extinction. In the US, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was passed to protect US species deemed in danger of extinction. The concern at the time was that the country was losing species that were scientifically, culturally, and educationally important. In

8096-457: The vulnerability of wildlife populations by reducing the space and resources available to them and by increasing the likelihood of conflict with humans. Moreover, destruction and fragmentation create smaller habitats. Smaller habitats support smaller populations, and smaller populations are more likely to go extinct. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant shift in human behavior, resulting in mandatory and voluntary limitations on movement. As

8188-468: The world, like the Wilderness Act of 1964 which designated specific areas wilderness to be protected. Overexploitation is the harvesting of animals and plants at a rate that's faster than the species' ability to recover. While often associated with Overfishing , overexploitation can apply to many groups including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and plants. The danger of overexploitation

8280-471: Was introduced to the Scottish island of Uist , the population greatly expanded and took to consuming and overexploiting shorebird eggs, with drastic consequences for their breeding success. Twelve species of avifauna are affected, with some species numbers being reduced by 39%. Where there is substantial human migration, civil unrest, or war, controls may no longer exist. With civil unrest, for example in

8372-413: Was set up in order to control and regulate the trade in endangered animals. It currently protects, to a varying degree, some 33,000 species of animals and plants. It is estimated that a quarter of the endangered vertebrates in the United States of America and half of the endangered mammals is attributed to overexploitation. Overall, 50 bird species that have become extinct since 1500 (approximately 40% of

8464-727: Was to promote the conservation of living resources important to humans. In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was agreed on at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (often called the Rio Earth Summit) as an international accord to protect the Earth's biological resources and diversity. According to the National Wildlife Federation, wildlife conservation in the US gets

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