Why Protect Biodiversity and
Endangered Species?
Here are some reasons ---
The preamble to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, sums it up well by stating that endangered species of fish, wildlife, and plants "are of aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people."
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Protecting endangered species often protects the entire ecosystem.
- Species exist in nature in an enormous web of complexity. A butterfly may rely on a particular species of plant for larval food. The plant may rely upon another insect for pollination. Loss of any one species my result in the loss of many other species. Rarely do we even know a small fraction of the interrelationships that exist. Rarely do we know the effect that losing one species will have on the ecosystem, including man.
- At least a quarter of all prescriptions written annually in the United States contain chemicals discovered in plants and animals. If these organisms had been destroyed before their chemistries were known, their secrets would have died with them.
- Many of our major food plants have pregenators that are poorly known and rare. They also have relatives that are rare. Protecting these rare plants protects the genetic diversity of our food plants and provides a reservoir of genes from which new cultivars can be developed. Resistance to diseases, genetic adaptations to specialized local environments, etc. may be found in these sometimes rare relatives of important food species.
- New products sometimes come from rare species or species not known in the developed world. Products such as new lubricants or fuel oil replacements could potentially be found in rare plants.
- Some species which often go unnoticed are Nature's "911", an early warning system for pollution and environmental degradation that may someday affect human health. Species, such as lichens, are known to be particularly sensitive to pollution and may act as bioindicators.
- Rare species are sometimes indicators of environmental quality (such as endangered mussels as indicators of water quality).
- States and localities with healthy natural environments, the same environments that provide habitats for most listed plant species, attract residents and businesses interested in a good quality of life.
- Healthy natural environments sustain jobs (for example, commercial fishing, tourism, outdoor equipment and clothing).
- Unhealthy ecosystems can cost money (for instance, loss of wetlands can increase flooding and cost millions in flood losses).
- Some localities celebrate their endangered species to attract tourist revenue (for example, the Kirtland's warbler in Michigan and the Festival of the Cranes in New Mexico).
- Rare species can support ecotourism. This includes birders looking for rare birds or orchid fanciers wanting to see rare species.
- Americans spent $96.9 billion on fish and wildlife-related recreation in 1996. That accounts for about 1.3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, a measure of the size of the economy.
- Stewardship for the land and wildlife is a part of the American tradition, from President Theodore Roosevelt to Thoreau and Aldo Leopold.
- Protecting endangered species saves a part of nature for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.
- Major religious organizations have endorsed protecting endangered species because they believe in protecting God's creations.
- Americans never turn away from something that is worth doing, like saving endangered species, just because it might be tough. They are proud of saving the bald eagle and look forward to other successes. Many Americans regret losses of important parts of our natural heritage, such as the extinction of the passenger pigeon.
