Transcript The Endangered Species Act—Protecting Marine Resources

Endangered Species
Fish and Wildlife Resources
Endangered Species
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Take 5 minutes to list endangered/threatened/extinct
species in North America
Questions:
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Are most of these species fish, reptiles, birds or
mammals? How about plants?
What kinds of species seem to get the most attention?
Why might that be?
Students will be able to…
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Define wildlife and related terms
Discuss various endangered species
What is
Wildlife?
All plants and animals on earth that are
not domesticated
What is an Endangered Species?
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An animal or plant that is seriously at risk of
extinction.
It can be extinct, functionally extinct,
endangered, or threatened
According to the Endangered Species Act
What is the Endangered Species Act?
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An act the Congress passed in 1973 to protect
and recover species and the ecosystems upon
which
“As of January 2013, the FWS has listed
2,054 species worldwide as endangered or
threatened, of which 1,436 occur in the United
States”
Extinct vs. Functionally Extinct
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Extinct
Complete disappearance of a species from earth.
Can not adapt or reproduce in their changing
environment
Passenger pigeon—extinct in 1914
Carolina parakeet—extinct in 1918
Extinct vs. Functionally Extinct
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Functionally Extinct
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Very few breeding pairs
population cannot sustain itself
South China tiger— < 20 individuals in wild
Ivory-billed woodpecker??
Endangered
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A species with very few individuals
May soon go extinct
Sockeye salmon—endangered in ID, threatened
in WA
Threatened
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A species abundant in most of its natural range
With declining numbers it may be vulnerable to
extinction
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Canadian lynx—threatened
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Ways that species become Endangered
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Habitat loss
Unregulated or illegal killing or collection
Pesticides, pollution
Competition with other species
Disease
Predators
Can animals be removed from the Endangered
Species List?
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Delisted
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Removal from the Endangered Species List
Different populations of a species can have different statuses
Bald eagle—delisted in 2007, threatened in some areas
Gray wolf—delisted in 2009, threatened in MN
Assignment: What is the ESA?
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Read “The Endangered Species Act—Protecting Marine
Resources” factsheet
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
 What is the purpose of the ESA?
 How many species are listed under the ESA?
 What is a “take?”
 Who enforces the ESA?
 What is a “sentinel” species?