MAY 2, 1992 PUBLIC WORKSHOP SUMMARY AND ATTACHMENTS
Section 2
Endangered and threatened species: The what, where, and why
Books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, and TV carry this information,
yet there is
still considerable misundetstanding about the meaning and significance of
terms, lists,
and programs.
In this circular you will find answers to questions about endangered
species and their
preservation, and about how endangered-species preservation might affect
you.
Numerous animals and plants have bocome rare (very uncommon occurrence)
or extinct (no
living individuals survive) with no interference from peopIe.
Extinctions occur regularly in nature. They may occur because of
seemingly minor
changes in weather, competition with other animals or plants, or other
features of the
natural environment.
On the other hand, a variety of human actions has resulted in the
extinction, or the
threat of extinction, of many otherwise healthy plant and animal
populations. At the turn
of the century, killing too many animals of the same species and
destroying their habitat
(the special place where they live) were among the chief causes.
More recently. the California condor population has been affected by
needless shooting,
collecting for zoos and museums, changes in food supply, disturbance of
their nesting
sites, and pesticides.
Habitat loss is by far the greatest cause for species' becoming extinct
or being
threatened with extinction. Most animals and plants can live in a variety
of locations and
habitats, but some require a specific environment.
Even relatively minor changes in the vegetation where a bird builds its
nest, in the
temperature of the water where a fish lives, or in the soil where a plant
is found, can be
disastrous.
Such changes occur more frequently as the pressure of increasing human
populations
results in alterations and/or loss of habitat.
A species is a group of individuals that can interbreed. For
example, all
African lions belong to a species, and all bald eagles are another species.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 defines an endangered species
as one that is
in danger of becoming extinct and a threatened species as one that
is likely to
become endangered if current trends continue.
These Federal designations can include entire species (such as the blue
whale
throughout all the ocens of the world) or distinct populations of a
species (those grizzly
bears occuring in the lower 48 states) or a geographic population within a
species (the
panther specificilly recognized as the Florida panther, found in the
extreme southeastern
United States).
Species included on the Federal list of endangered and threatened
species receive
Federal protection and are eligible to receive special management.
Other descriptive terms such as rare and sensitive are used by certain
goverement
offices and private organizations to identify species that need special
protection or
management but which may not be covered by the Federal Endangered Species
Act.
Continued on next page
Source: Oregon State University Extension Service
Rare. Endangered. Threatened. Sensitive. People concerned with
conservation and/or
involved in land-use planning and management hear these terms daily.
Concern for the
preservation and management of a wide variety of wildlife and plant
species is growing
each year.
Extension Circular 1123 / July 1983
Why do
species become endangered?
Definitions
