Importance for Wildlife Conservation
- Maintains ecological balance & the organisms have their unique positions in food chains, food webs which keep ecological balance.
- Wild life contributes to the maintenance of material cycles such as carbon and nitrogen cycles.
- For improvement and progress in agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries the genes from wild life preserved as gene bank are utilised in breeding programmes.
- Wild life provides a number of useful products like food, medicine, honey, lac, wax, resin, etc.
- Colourful birds, insects, beautiful flowers, trees make environment beautiful.
- Food, pets, traditional medicines. Anthropologists believe that the Stone Age peoples and hunter-gatherers relied on wildlife, both plant and animal, for their food. In fact, some species may have been hunted to extinction by early human hunters. Today, hunting, fishing, or gathering wildlife is still a significant food source in some parts of the world.
In other areas, hunting and non-commercial fishing are mainly seen as a sport or recreation, Many Amazon species, including peccaries, agoutis, turtles, turtle eggs, anacondas, armadillos, etc.
How Human Survival Depends on Environment
Our own survival as a species is dependent upon the preservation of biodiversity and is tied to the survival and vitality of every living thing on this planet. For instance, honeybees and other insects are vital in the pollination of fruit and vegetable crops which humans use for food. Over one billion people globally depend on fish and seafood for their primary source of protein. Meat consumption from a number of wild species is critical in many impoverished countries that depend upon these animals for their food nd livelihoods.
In addition, microscopic organisms are also tied to the process of crop growing, as well as photosynthesis and oxygen production. Wildlife conservation is also important because humans have a vested socioeconomic interest in the continued sustainability and biodiversity of the earth’s ecosystems. The economic impact alone in the form of goods and services that are dependent upon healthy ecosystems is staggering — $33 trillion dollars per year.
The biggest threat to the earth’s flora and fauna is habitat destruction and degradation, followed by overexploitation of species through hunting, fishing, harvesting, and economic trade. These are areas that can be controlled and managed with better practices. Other reasons for the endangerment of wildlife include pollution, disease, and alien species invasions. Global warming and climate change are also contributing factors. As ecosystems change due to increases in planetary temperatures, this results in the disappearance of the natural habitats where animals, birds, and other wild creatures live and threatens their survival.
Conclusion
Wildlife conservation efforts are aimed in several main areas. These include the creation of nature sanctuaries where wildlife can live protected and free from harm, and where scientific studies can be conducted to better understand the threats to various species and what solutions are needed to ensure their survival. Captive breeding and subsequent reintroduction into the wild is often necessary for species that are severely threatened.
In addition, restrictions on the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other toxic chemicals, as well as governmental policies and legislation supportive of conservation efforts are also extremely important. For example, theEndangered Species Act of 1973 is a law which places endangered species under federal protection, and has helped to save the most threatened animals, birds, and other wild creatures from the brink of extinction. Governmental policies and legislation such as this are crucial for the long term preservation and protection of wildlife.
