Southeast Asian Endangered Species
Southeast Asian Endangered SpeciesNicole HarrisBIO/280March 10, 2014Shameema SarkerSoutheast Asian Endangered Species Endangered species are living things whose population have declined so much that they are on the brink of extinction. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is the world’s oldest and largest conservation organization that is the main authority on the conservation status of species. The status of species on the Red List are indicated by nine different categories – extinct (EX), extinct in the wild (EW), critically endangered (CR), endangered (EN), vulnerable (VU), near threatened (NT), least concern (LC), data deficient
(DD), and not evaluated (NE). Thousands of species are included in these categories, many of which live in the Southeast region of Asia. The Southeast Asian rainforests are considered the oldest rainforests on Earth, dating back 70 million years. Although many areas on Earth have gone through warming and cooling periods, the Asian rainforest have remained more or less the same and is considered the most biologically rich and diverse rainforest in the world. Hundreds of plant and animal species are threatened with extinction in Southeast Asia due to human encroachment, logging, and wildlife trade. Each one of these threats has a hand in reducing their habitat to the point where it can no longer support many species who live in these ecosystems. Political instability has resulted in very little law enforcement within protected wildlife areas, leaving many endangered species vulnerable to poachers and habitat loss. In 1992, the local people took control of the land and began logging and farming the rainforests with little regard for the animals living there and the environmental effects of their actions. The illegal logging has affected thousands of plants and animals by upsetting the natural balance of the ecosystem that keeps the rainforests healthy and stable.
(DD), and not evaluated (NE). Thousands of species are included in these categories, many of which live in the Southeast region of Asia. The Southeast Asian rainforests are considered the oldest rainforests on Earth, dating back 70 million years. Although many areas on Earth have gone through warming and cooling periods, the Asian rainforest have remained more or less the same and is considered the most biologically rich and diverse rainforest in the world. Hundreds of plant and animal species are threatened with extinction in Southeast Asia due to human encroachment, logging, and wildlife trade. Each one of these threats has a hand in reducing their habitat to the point where it can no longer support many species who live in these ecosystems. Political instability has resulted in very little law enforcement within protected wildlife areas, leaving many endangered species vulnerable to poachers and habitat loss. In 1992, the local people took control of the land and began logging and farming the rainforests with little regard for the animals living there and the environmental effects of their actions. The illegal logging has affected thousands of plants and animals by upsetting the natural balance of the ecosystem that keeps the rainforests healthy and stable.