Next, Russow provides objections to three traditional arguments for why species do matter. The first is the argument for stewardship which Russow dismisses due to its assumption that species are valuable. The second is the argument for extrinsic value of species regarding their contribution to big picture of life. Russow objects to three different extrinsic value perspectives by 1) stating that we cannot use a specie’s declination as a sign that humans are doing something wrong because that cannot account for unforeseen events, 2) stating that not every species is required for ecological stability, and 3) denying the evolutionary chain argument because…
Thus, the true lesson of the snail darter is that when we fight to save a river, we fight to save part of ourselves.” It should be noted that Maclester University states that the snail darter has been delisted from the endangered species list and this is confirmed by the Act itself.…
Kolbert’s logical appeal strengthens her argument, as she weaves a compelling thread of logic and scientific evidence into it. For instance, Kolbert writes about the introduction of rosy wolfsnails in Hawaii in the 1950’s to exemplify the repercussions of introducing new species in a habitat, such as threatening the well-being of native ones (Kolbert 2014, 203). According to Kolbert, Hawaiians first introduced the rosy wolfsnail in their island to reduce the population of giant African snails, which “had become an agricultural pest” ( Kolbert 2014, 203). However, wolfsnails preyed only on Hawaii’s native snails (Kolbert 2014, 203). As a consequence, ninety percent of native snail species in Hawaii became extinct (Kolbert 2014, 203). While…
Important fact to consider is extinction risk is much smaller than total percentage of species influenced by climate change. This is a crucial little explored supporting detail to the author's claim of need to urgently curb climate change. Studies incorporate factors that both increase or decrease predicted risks. Evolution is the major factor for decreasing predicted risks, and it happens pretty slow. The extinction risk is predicted to grow exponentially with each degree of climate change. It's apparent we need to act now to save…
Biomes and Diversity. As you have learned in the readings, extinction is a natural selection process. You have also read that humans are often responsible for accelerating this process. Using at least two scholarly sources, address whether or not we as humans should be concerned with the extinction rate. Additionally, discuss whether or not humans strive to preserve representative samples of all biomes on the planet…
Species diversity of lithified samples from the Pliocene Jackson Bluff formation of Liberty County, Florida with notes on Fossil Diagenesis, Taphonomy, and preservation…
ASHFORD POL 310 Week 1 DQ 2 Common Pool Resources – Privatization or Collective Action…
Elizabeth Kolbert wrote The Sixth Extinction as an attempt to explain and give examples of what seems to be a 6th extinction event currently happening in the modern world. We have discussed and learned about five other extinction events throughout this semester, and Kolbert pushes this 6th extinction event as a new rapid extinction predominantly caused by humans. One of the underlying causes of this 6th extinction event discussed in the book is the mass killing of both animals and humans. Another underlying cause of this extinction event discussed in the book, which is probably more prevalent now than ever before, is climate change caused by humans. This book goes chapter by chapter giving examples of various species that are on the verge of going…
We should be concerned with the extinction and try and preserve the biomes and ecosystems that are present. Over time the ecosystem and biomes have evolved changed in some form or fashion that will leave us in difference from this particular time now. It’s important to have something to be able to look back on for information and or instructions on how to change things that we as human may make a mistake and mess up.…
Stuart Pimm offers a degree in Conservation Ecology from Duke University. His Argument focuses largely on humans are not ready for De-Extinction in that since humans were the ones that pushed them to disappear, they are not going to want those species back. He gives the example that “hunters at [the Pyrenean ibex] to extinction. Reintroduce a resurrected ibex to the area where it belongs and it will become the most expensive cabrito every eaten.” He notes that the problem is whether we can resurrect these species or not, but more along the lines of whether the rest of the population will accept the animals back in their original homes. He also believes that De-Extinction “seduces” those granting research money and support into thinking they are doing well when it simply gives “unscrupulous developers a veil to hide their rapaciousness, with promises to fix things later.”…
So who cares if a bird or two goes extinct? Or an elephant? Or a bug? To most people it doesn’t really matter. But species extinction is a great moral wrong. Every species has a role in its ecosystem and by intruding on the natural balance of things and thus causing the early extinction of species we are throwing the natural balance out of whack and reducing biodiversity. Biodiversity is key in surviving ecological hardship. When difficult situations arise, it is up to species to adapt and evolve to overcome. By intervening and accelerating the hardship of not just one species, but entire ecosystems, we are creating so much stress of the species present that they simply cannot adapt or evolve quick enough in such a short span of time. Thus, human actions are directly responsible for the extinction of many species, which directly correlates to a decrease in genetic and biodiversity. It is hard to deny that we rely on, and take for granted, all of the species and their roles in their ecosystem and how they keep things afloat. And by irreparably damaging these systems, we are directly relating to our ability to gather supplies such as food sources and lumber and agriculture in the future. Thus it falls upon humanity to act accordingly to try and prevent the damage we will cause if we continue “business as usual” in the…
We place value in species by evaluating its instrumental and intrinsic value. A species instrumental value is determined by its ability to provide the means for acquiring something else of value. It’s intrinsic value is determined by the understanding that each species has value, in and of itself but also determining how rare or endangered a species is. We should determine both values of a species when placing priority on conservation efforts. Such as, how many “like” species there are, would supporting the endangered species habitat benefit more than one threatened species. Will the species extinction greatly modify the food chain or have other long term effects etc.…
This paper is to discuss endangered species. It is meant to help understand how a species becomes endangered. It tells who decides which species are considered endangered and what conditions would lead them to become endangered. The paper tells about how endangered species can affect the lives of just a few people but an entire town. Examples are included in the text about how this has happened before. It is easy to understand how a species can be considered endangered but the purpose of the paper is to distinguish the difference between a species and a subspecies. The status of whether a species is a subspecies or a species can have a drastic impact of human lives.…
It is found that “ninety-nine percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and global warming” (“The Extinction Crisis”). The Endangered Species Act was put into place in 1973 as citizens of the United States began to realize the harsh effects of their everyday living on the living species around them. Plants and animals began to disappear, causing discord in the overall health of the surrounding environment. Members of Congress ascertained that as ecosystems unravel from the loss of these endangered species, not only are even more plants and animals put at risk, but humans as well. The controversy…
De-Extinction is one of the hottest topics in the science world currently and it tops the lists of conservation and genetic scientists alike for next big project. Though this could be a great way to learn of past species and finally see them for ourselves, at what cost is a species revived? The idea of bringing back an extinct species, such as some type of dinosaur, comes with many questions that most find to be debatable. Conflicts arise from every aspect of this “new” animal including how it is created and if an environment can be created for it to live. This loss of habitat is what has triggered many of the human-caused extinctions in the past century. Humans are responsible for the extinction of about 500 species including the Xerces blue butterfly, American chestnut tree, Stellar’s sea cow and the Gold Macaw.…