Wildlife conservation

Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to

maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance
natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation,
overexploitation, poaching, pollution, climate change, and the illegal wildlife trade.
The IUCN estimates that 42,100 species of the ones assessed are at risk for extinction.[1] Expanding
to all existing species, a 2019 UN report on biodiversity put this estimate even higher at a million
species. It is also being acknowledged that an increasing number of ecosystems on Earth containing
endangered species are disappearing. To address these issues, there have been both national and
international governmental efforts to preserve Earth's wildlife. Prominent conservation agreements
include the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity

Threats to wildlife
Habitat destruction[edit]
Habitat destruction decreases 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.[4] 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 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.[5]The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant shift in
human behavior, resulting in mandatory and voluntary limitations on movement. As 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[edit]
Deforestation is the clearing and cutting down forests on purpose. Deforestation is a cause of
human-induced habitat destruction, by cutting down habitats of different species in 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.
[7]
 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.[8] Deforestation 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.
[9]
 Some policies have been enacted to attempt to stop deforestation in different parts of the world,
like the Wilderness Act of 1964 which designated specific areas wilderness to be protected.
Overexploitation[edit]
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.[11] The danger of overexploitation is that if
too many of a species offspring are taken, then the species may not recover.[12] 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[edit]
Poaching for illegal wildlife trading is a major threat to certain species, particularly endangered ones
whose status makes them economically valuable.[13] Such species include many large mammals like
African elephants, tigers, and rhinoceros (traded for their tusks, skins, and horns respectively).[13]
[14]
 Less well-known targets of poaching include the harvest of protected plants and animals for
souvenirs, food, skins, pets, and more.[15] 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.

Ocean Acidification[edit]
Main article: Ocean acidification

Pterapod shell dissolved in seawater adjusted to an ocean chemistry projected for the year 2100

As carbon dioxide levels increase concentration in the atmosphere, they increase in the ocean as
well. Typically, the ocean will absorb carbon from 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 a habitat for many of corals diverse
habitants. 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

Pollution[edit]
A wide range of pollutants negatively impact wildlife health. For some pollutants, simple exposure 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.

 Air pollutants: Most air pollutants come from burning fossil fuels and industrial emissions.
These have direct and indirect effects on the health of wildlife and their ecosystems. For
example, high levels of sulfur oxides (SOx) can damage plants and stunt their growth.[23] Sulfur
oxides also contribute to acid rain, harming both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Other air
pollutants like smog, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter decrease air quality.
 Heavy metals: Heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury naturally occur at low levels in the
environment, but when ingested in high doses, can cause organ damage and cancer.[24] How
toxic they are depends on the exact metal, how much was ingested, and the animal that
ingested it. Human activities such as mining, smelting, burning fossil fuels, and various industrial
processes have contributed to the rise in heavy metal levels in the environment.

Illegal Wildlife Trade[edit]

The illegal wildlife trade is the illegal trading of plants and wildlife. This illegal trading is worth an
estimate of 7-23 billion[29] and an annual trade of around 100 million plants and animals.[30] In 2021 it
was found that this trade has caused a 60% decline in species abundance, and 80% for endangered
species.[30]
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 is through [Link] new species will outcompete the native species and take
over, therefore causing the local or global extinction of a species.[31]
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 the reproduction rates being slower.[32]
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.

Habitat conservation[edit]

Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis)

Habitat conservation is the practice of protecting a habitat[40] in order to protect the species within it.
[4]
 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 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).
[41]
 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 a park or reserve, it can still be monitored and
maintained.