Saving One Species at a Time

These programs involve breeding species in captivity, with the hope of reintroducing populations to their natural habitats.

This is saving the essence of a species by preserving its genetic material. This can be in the form of seeds, sperms, eggs or pure DNA.

The original idea of these places was to put exotic species on display. Zoos, wildlife parks, aquariums and botanical gardens are living museums of the world’s biodiversity.

The most effective way to save species is to protect their habitats.

Most conservationists now give priority to protecting entire ecosystems rather than individual species. To protect biodiversity worldwide, conservationists focus on hotspots. One strategy is to identify areas of native habitat that can be preserved, restored or linked to large networks. Another strategy is to promote products that have been harvested with sustainable practices.

1973 Congress passed Endangered Species Act 1 st Provision – USFWS must compile a list of all threatened and endangered species in the U.S. 2 nd Provision – the act protects listed species from human harm. 3 rd Provision – prevents the federal government from carrying out any project that jeopardizes a listed species. 4 th Provision – USFWS must prepare a species recovery plan for each listed species.

IUCN = International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources At the global level, the IUCN facilitates efforts to protect species and habitats IUCN publishes Red Lists Also advises governments on how to manage their natural resources

CITES = the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species This is a product of the IUCN This treaty was the first effective effort to stop the slaughter of African elephants

One of the most ambitious efforts to tackle environmental issues Occurred at the first Earth Summit in 1992 Goal is to preserve biodiversity and ensure the sustainable and fair use of genetic resources in all countries

World Wildlife Fund The Nature Conservancy Conservation International Greenpeace International