Endangered Species | Environment & Ecology | Biology | FuseSchool

You can probably name
quite a few endangered species -

polar bear, blue whale,
and black rhino are just a few.

But there are many more
that don't get so much attention.

There are currently around 16,500
animals and plants

that are endangered.

An endangered species

is one that is at a high risk
of becoming extinct,

which is when there are no longer
any members of that species alive.

Lots of species are going extinct
every single day.

Sometimes this is
because of natural causes -

extinction is part of evolution after all;

[Deforestation]

but many more because of human activity.

[Illegal hunting]

[Building of cities]

[Pollution]

In fact, because of humans,

the rate of extinction is estimated
to be 1,000 -10,000 times higher

than what would occur naturally.

This is the highest rate

since the extinction of the dinosaurs
65 million years ago.

Conservation is the act
of protecting species

against becoming endangered.

It's all about preserving biodiversity.

If you want to learn more
about biodiversity and why it matters,

watch this video.
[Biodiversity]

You might wonder why it's such a big deal.

Why does it matter

if the population of a species
decreases so much that it is endangered?

Surely if there are fewer individuals,
such as those in zoos,

then a species can recover.

The problem is that the key
to having a healthy population

is genetic variation.

Within a population,

you need a large variety
of different characteristics,

so that the species can adapt
if there is a change in the environment,

and avoid becoming extinct.

This can happen if all the members
of the species have similar genes.

Also, in a small population,
there is a high chance of inbreeding,

where closely related individuals breed.

This can increase the risk of offspring
having inherited conditions.

So, large wild populations
are important for a species' survival.

There are many reasons
why species might become endangered.

It can happen
because of habitat destruction,

climate change, over-fishing, or hunting,

and the introduction
of invasive species to habitats,

which out-compete the native ones.

We have an ethical duty to help
preserve all the species on Earth,

and this is done
by carrying out conservation.

Let's look at a few methods used.

Firstly, endangered animals
can be housed in wildlife parks.

This protects them.

And also captive breeding programs
can be used to increase their numbers.

They help educate people
about conservation,

and how we can all help
protecting endangered species.

They also help the general public

to form an emotional connection
to these endangered species.

However, there are disadvantages
to animals in captivity.

The animals do not lead a normal life,

and there is risk of inbreeding.

A way of protecting animals
in their natural habitat

is by creating protected areas
like national parks.

Trees cannot be cut down,
roads and houses can't be built,

and hunting of the animals is illegal.

Rangers are employed
to make sure this is enforced.

It's not just animals,

plants are also at risk.

An amazing 70% of plant
species are endangered,

so it's vital that we help
protect them, too.

As well as using protected areas,

plants that are endangered
are preserved by collecting seeds

and storing them in seed banks.

If a plant does become extinct,

the seeds can be grown
to restore their populations.

To recap, an endangered species
is one that is at risk from extinction,

the main causes of which
are human activities.

Protecting vulnerable species
is called conservation,

and there are many methods to do so,

including wildlife parks
and protected areas.

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Until next time.