endangered species

endangered species, any species that is at risk of extinction because of a sudden rapid decrease in its population or a loss of its critical habitat. Biodiverse regions that require protection on the grounds that they host a significant number of endangered species are called hot spots.

(Read E.O. Wilson’s Britannica essay on mass extinction.)

Previously, any species of plant or animal that was threatened with extinction could be called an endangered species. The need for separate definitions of “endangered” and “threatened” species resulted in the development of various categorization systems, each containing definitions and criteria by which a species can be classified according to its risk of extinction. As a rule, a range of criteria must be analyzed before a species can be placed in one category or another.

Often such categorization systems are linked directly to national legislation, such as the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) or the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA). In addition, regional agreements, such as the European Union’s Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC), and international conservation agreements, such as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), are connected to species-assessment systems. One of the most-recognized independent international systems of species assessment is the Red List of Threatened Species, created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Human beings and endangered species

Roughly 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activities alone. By the early 21st century it could be said that human beings (Homo sapiens) are the greatest threat to biodiversity and are the major drivers of biodiversity loss. The principal threats to species in the wild are:

Britannica Quiz

13 True-or-False Questions from Britannica’s Easiest Science Quizzes

1. Habitat loss and habitat degradation
2. The spread of introduced species (that is, non-native species that negatively affect the ecosystems they become part of)
3. The growing influence of global warming and chemical pollution
4. Unsustainable hunting
5. Disease

1 of 2

2 of 2

Although some of these hazards occur naturally, most are caused by human beings and their economic and cultural activities. The most pervasive of these threats is habitat loss and degradation—that is, the large-scale conversion of land in previously undisturbed areas driven by the growing demand for commercial agriculture, logging, and infrastructure development. Because the rates of loss are highest in some of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth, a perpetual battle is waged to manage destructive activities there while limiting the impact that such restrictions may have on the well-being of local communities. The relative importance of each threat differs within and among taxa. So far, incidental mortality from ecological disturbance, temporary or limited human disturbance, and persecution have caused limited reductions in the total number of species; however, these phenomena can be serious for some susceptible groups. In addition, global warming has emerged as a widespread threat, and much research is being conducted to identify its potential effects on specific species, populations, and ecosystems.

Conflicts between human activities and conservation are at the root of many of these phenomena. Such controversies are often highly politicized and widely publicized in the global press and through social media. For example, habitat loss and species loss have resulted from the unregulated exploitation of coltan (the rare ore for tantalum used in consumer electronics products such as mobile phones and computers) in Kahuzi-Beiga National Park, one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s premier forest parks. The park is also home to much of the population of the threatened Eastern Lowland gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri). Mining has increased gorilla mortality by reducing the animal’s food resources and leading many people displaced by the mining to kill gorillas for their meat. In addition, the mountain gorilla (G. beringei beringei), a close relative of the Eastern Lowland gorilla, is also at risk of extinction. However, authorities cite poaching, disease, and crossfire between warring political groups in the vicinity of Virunga National Park as the primary sources of its population decline.

Are you a student?

Get a special academic rate on Britannica Premium.

Subscribe

Another example of a widely publicized wildlife controversy involves the relatively recent declines in amphibian populations. Known to be important global indicators of environmental health, amphibians have experienced some of the most serious population declines to date of all groups that have been assessed globally through the IUCN Red List process (see below). Amphibians (a group that includes salamanders, frogs, toads, and caecilians [wormlike amphibians]), being particularly sensitive to environmental changes, are severely threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, the spread of a disease called amphibian chytridiomycosis, and climate change.

Beyond these notable examples, many of the world’s birds are also at risk. The populations of some bird species (such as some albatrosses, petrels, and penguins) are declining because of longline fishing, whereas those of others (such as certain cranes, rails, parrots, pheasants, and pigeons) have become victims of habitat destruction. On many Pacific islands, the accidental introduction of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) has wreaked havoc on many bird populations.

Many fishes and other forms of aquatic and marine life are also threatened. Among them are long-lived species that have life history strategies requiring many years to reach sexual maturity. As a result, they are particularly susceptible to exploitation. The meat and fins of many sharks, rays, chimaeras, and whales fetch high prices in many parts of the world, which has resulted in the unsustainable harvest of several of those species.

Moreover, freshwater habitats worldwide are progressively threatened by pollution from industry, agriculture, and human settlements. Additional threats to freshwater ecosystems include introduced invasive species (such as the sea lamprey [Petromyzon marinus] in the Great Lakes), the canalization of rivers (such as in the streams that empty into the Everglades in Florida), and the overharvesting of freshwater species (as in the case of the extinct Yunnan box turtle [Cuora yunnanensis] in China). While an estimated 45,000 described species rely on freshwater habitats, it is important to note that humans are also seriously affected by the degradation of freshwater species and ecosystems.

Against this backdrop of threats related to urban expansion and food production, the unsustainable harvest of animal and plant products for traditional medicine and the pet trade is a growing concern in many parts of the world. These activities have implications for local ecosystems and habitats by exacerbating population declines through overharvesting. In addition, they have cross-border repercussions in terms of trade and illegal trafficking.