Animal or plant species in danger of disappearing from the planet forever
That is, if it is not cared for or measures are proposed to preserve it, in the short term, it will disappear forever. When a species becomes extinct, its exponent will disappear and when its last representative dies, there will be no reproduction and therefore no thought of new generations. There are two factors that could lead to a situation of danger of extinction such as the one mentioned: direct predation on the species and the disappearance of a resource on which it absolutely depended to continue existing, either as a consequence of human action, changes in the environment. environment, the succession of a natural disaster (earthquake) or gradual changes in the climate
A species in danger of extinction, whatever its origin, plant or animal, will be considered as such when its permanence in the world is compromised at a global level.Direct predation, absence of basic natural resources, climate change and human action, among its main causes
In order to declare a species extinct, the absence of its direct observation in the natural environment for more than fifty years will be considered in principle.
When addressing this issue, we cannot ignore the so-called rare species, which are those that consist of small populations and then this issue of little natural quantity makes them sensitive to their disappearance and therefore an even greater protection will be demanded over them.
Organizations and laws that protect species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an organization dedicated exclusively to the conservation of natural resources and since its foundation in 1948 it has been dealing with these issues. Meanwhile, with respect to the last year, 2009, the IUCN has reported that at the moment 2,448 animal species and 2,280 plant species are in danger, while 1,665 animal taxa and 1,575 plants are in critical danger.
Given this situation, many nations of the world have strict legislation in order to be able, with the weight of the law on their side, to protect all those species that are in danger of subsistence, for example, the prohibition and penalty of the practice of the hunting is one of the most used resources.
We should all understand that the extinction of a species is an irreparable and irreversible fact for the moment, which will affect, either directly or indirectly, the food chain, the balance of the natural system and also the human being himself.
The conservation status is the data to follow and that in some way will tell us the probability that this or that species has the possibility or not of continuing to survive in the present and in the near future and that, as we mentioned above, it is closely related to factors such as population, distribution, natural and biological history, and predators.
Endangered animal species today
Sticking to the case of animals in danger of extinction, because without a doubt, it is the one that is most talked about, there are many species that are currently in serious danger. Recurring causes are climate change, poaching and the destruction of their habitat; As we appreciate, all of them are a direct or indirect consequence of the intervention of the human being.
Today, species such as whales, some species of sharks, polar bear, pygmy elephant, snow leopard, Javanese rhinoceros, penguin, kangaroo, tiger, the largest feline on our planet are also in a state of conservation. is in concrete danger, its population has decreased by 60% as a result of the invasion of man to its habitat and also because of the calamity caused by poaching, bluefin tuna, Asian elephant, mountain gorilla, vaquita porpoise, orangutan of Sumatra and the leatherback turtle, among others.
And the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) turns out to be the body in charge of regulating the trade of those threatened species in order to guarantee their survival.
In most countries, regulations have been issued to precisely protect these endangered species and of course also the natural environments that they inhabit, otherwise the crusade would be in vain. Normally within these laws the categories of danger of extinction are indicated, the most common being immediate risk and threatened species.
