The Eco-facts.PRESERVING THE "WILD" LIFE More than 99 percent of all plant and animal species that ever lived on Earth are now extinct. Today, species are disappearing faster than ever. The U.S. fried to stem the tide Stem The Tide An attempt to stop a prevailing trend. Sometimes referred to as "stop the bleeding." Notes: If a stock is continually falling, stemming the tide would be an attempt to halt the free fall and change its direction. See also: Reversal, Trend of extinction with the Endangered Species Act The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1531 et seq.) was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation. (ESA 1. (architecture) ESA - Enterprise Systems Architecture. 2. (body) ESA - European Space Agency. ). The act protects more than 700 species by labeling them endangered (close to extinction) or threatened (likely to be endangered in the future). Killing listed species, such as the Florida panther The Florida panther is a critically endangered representative of Cougar (Puma concolor) that lives in the low pinelands, palm forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States. (above), or destroying their habitats is illegal. Now officials are working to strengthen the act, and protect even more species. P.F. Why species become endangered This pie chart A graphical representation of information in which each unit of data is represented as a pie-shaped piece of a circle. See business graphics. shows the top five reasons plants and animals Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie-rock band from Montreal, comprised of guitarist-vocalists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque, and drummer-vocalist Matthew Woodley.[1] They are signed to Secret City Records. become endangered. [CHART OMITTED] ENDANGERED SPECIES endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. CASE STUDIES This table lists "case studies" of eight species on the endangered list. SPECIES American bald eagle bald eagle Species of sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. Strikingly handsome, it is the only eagle native solely to North America, and it has been the U.S. national bird since 1782. The adult, about 40 in. YEAR LISTED 1967 POPULATION 1989: 2,660 breeding pairs 1994: 4,016 breeding pairs HABITAT Lakes, rivers, and wetlands ecosystems STATUS Still endangered in most of lower 48 states, but government protection--including a ban on DDT DDT or 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1,-trichloroethane, chlorinated hydrocarbon compound used as an insecticide. First introduced during the 1940s, it killed insects that spread disease and feed on crops. , an eggshell-damaging pesticide--is helping. Illegal hunting, habitat destruction Habitat destruction is a process of land use change in which one habitat-type is removed and replaced with another habitat-type. In the process of land-use change, plants and animals which previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. , and water pollution still threaten the species. SPECIES Black- footed ferret YEAR LISTED 1970 POPULATION 1986: 18 1994: 435 HABITAT Prairie and grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains Rocky Mountains, major mountain system of W North America and easternmost belt of the North American cordillera, extending more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from central N.Mex. to NW Alaska; Mt. Elbert (14,431 ft/4,399 m) in Colorado is the highest peak. STATUS Endangered. Was thought to be extinct after ranchers hunted its main source of food--prairie dogs. In 1986, scientists bred the last few ferrets in captivity and are now releasing them into protected territory. SPECIES Palos Verdes blue The Palos Verdes Blue butterfly is a small endangered butterfly native to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwest Los Angeles County, California. As its distrubution has been proven to be limited to one single site it has one of the best claims to being the world's rarest butterfly. butterfly YEAR LISTED 1980 POPULATION 1980: 100 1983: presumed extinct 1994: 200 HABITAT Coastal scrub in San Pedro, California STATUS Endangered. People built a baseball field over its only known habitat in the early 1980s. Considered extinct until March 1994, when a scientist spotted a group of them in habitat protected by the Endangered Species Act. SPECIES Chisos mountain hedgehog cactus YEAR LISTED 1992 POPULATION 1992: 100--200 1994: unknown, estimates in the thousands HABITAT Flats of gritty sand deposited by the Rio Grande River in Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park, 801,163 acres (324,471 hectares), W Tex.; authorized 1935, est. 1944. It is a triangle formed where the Rio Grande runs southeast then northeast in a big bend along the U.S.-Mexico border, notably through deep canyons such as the Santa Elena. , Texas STATUS Threatened. Cattle grazing, habitat destruction, and illegal collection killed off most of this species before 1992. Then botanists began hand-pollenating the plants and growing them in botanical gardens. SPECIES Florida panther YEAR LISTED 1967 POPULATION 1989: 30--50 1994: 30--50 HABITAT Pine forests and wetlands in Big Cypress Swamp Big Cypress Swamp Swamp region whose eastern half is a national preserve, southern Florida, U.S. Covering 2,400 sq mi (6,200 sq km), the region merges with the swampy Everglades on the east and south. It is dominated by cypress trees, and wildlife is abundant. and Everglades National Park, Florida STATUS Endangered. Panthers are extremely crowded in their remaining gabitat. Inbreeding inbreeding, mating of closely related organisms. Inbreeding is chiefly used as a means of insuring the preservation of specific desired traits among the offspring of purebred animals (see breeding). among closely related cats results in unhealthy offspring that are unable to reproduce. SPECIES Kemp's ridley sea furtle YEAR LISTED 1970 POPULATION 1989: about 300 1994: fewer than 700 females; males unknown HABITAT Beaches and coastal waters on the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico Noun 1. Gulf of Mexico - an arm of the Atlantic to the south of the United States and to the east of Mexico Golfo de Mexico Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east STATUS Endangered. Biologists have bred turtles in captivity and released them, but none of those turtles has ever returned to its home beach to nest. Many young turtles drown in shrimpers' nets. SPECIES Presidio manzanita manzanita: see bearberry. (shrub) YEAR LISTED 1979 POPULATION 1994: 1 HABITAT A sunlit sun·lit adj. Illuminated by the sun. Adj. 1. sunlit - lighted by sunlight; "the sunlit slopes of the canyon"; "violet valleys and the sunstruck ridges"- Wallace Stegner sunstruck patch of acidic soil near San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay, 50 mi (80 km) long and from 3 to 13 mi (4.8–21 km) wide, W Calif.; entered through the Golden Gate, a strait between two peninsulas. , California STATUS Endangered. Only one of these plants lives today in very rare acidic soil that is toxic to most plants. Scientists are trying to grow cuttings from the plant before it dies. SPECIES American burying beetle YEAR LISTED 1989 POPULATION 1989: unknown 1994: 2,000-- 3,000 in Rhode Island Rhode Island, island, United States Rhode Island, island, 15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, S R.I., at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. It is the largest island in the state, with steep cliffs and excellent beaches. (other states unknown) HABITAT Old-growth forests with deep topsoil in Rhode Island, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska STATUS Endangered. A mated pair of beetles "buries" a dead animal so the female beetle can lay her eggs in the carcass. The insects don't reprocuce often because numbers of birds or rodents they select for "burial" are also declining due to habitat loss. NATIONAL PARKS The Endangered Species Act protects plants and animals that are already near extinction. A different approach: Protect habitats, places where species live, before the inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. become endangered. That's one reason the government established a system of National Parks, where hunting species or destroying habitats is prohibited. Last October, Congress set aside millions of acres of California desert for two new parks: Death Valley and Joshua Tree. These and the 51 other National Parks represent many different habitats (see map, right). Every year, millions of people visit these areas to enjoy unspoiled nature. How do the tourists affect the wilderness? P.F. National Park habitats This map shows the National Parks and major habitats of the U.S. Temperate rain forest Noun 1. temperate rain forest - a rain forest in a temperate area rain forest, rainforest - a forest with heavy annual rainfall Ancient coniferous con·i·fer n. Any of various mostly needle-leaved or scale-leaved, chiefly evergreen, cone-bearing gymnospermous trees or shrubs such as pines, spruces, and firs. (cone-bearing needle leaf) evergreen forests; moderate temperatures and considerable rainfall year-round. Temperate forest Mixture of deciduous deciduous /de·cid·u·ous/ (de-sid´u-us) falling off or shed at maturity, as the teeth of the first dentition. de·cid·u·ous adj. 1. (autumn leaf-shedding) trees and needleleaf evergreen trees; warm summers, cold winters, with moderate seasonal rain/snowfall Mountains High-altitude needleleaf evergreen trees and open grasslands; cold winters. Grassland Open fields of grass; dry, windy summers and freezing winters. Desert Sparse shrubs, grasses, cacti, vines; hot and dry days and chilly nights, with very little rain year-round. Wetlands Water-soaked grasslands, swamps, bogs, and marshes. Tundra Sparse, subarctic sub·arc·tic adj. Of or resembling regions just south of the Arctic Circle. subarctic Relating to the geographic area just south of the Arctic Circle. grasslands with dwarf frees; very cold and dry nine months of the year, warmer and wetter in summer. Tropical rain forest Thick broadleaf broad·leaf adj. Broad-leaved. Adj. 1. broadleaf - having relatively broad rather than needlelike or scalelike leaves broad-leafed, broad-leaved evergreen forests; high temperatures and considerable rainfall year-round. [CHART OMITTED] FAB FACTS * Most-visited National Park: Great Smoky Mountains Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Appalachian system, on the N.C.–Tenn. border; highest range E of the Mississippi and one of the oldest uplands on earth. The mountains are named for the smokelike haze that envelops them. . Least-visited: Alaska's Gates of the Arctic. * The Grand Canyon in Arizona may be the world's biggest land gorge (21km at its widest point), but Kings Canyon in California is the deepest (2.5km). * The 51 U.S. National Parks Areas in the United States are preserved by a variety of federal departments and are titled with a large area of different designations. Many of the most spectacular and significant landscapes are designated National Parks; some of the wildest are designated wilderness areas. and the two new parks put together total more than 215,000[km.sup.2], an area roughly the size of Idaho. TREES UNDER SIEGE It takes just 10 minutes for a logger to cut down a 1,000-year-old tree. No wonder our forests are disappearing. About 10,000 years ago, trees covered about 36 percent of Earth's land area. As civilizations sprang up, people cleared land for timber, farming, and cattle ranching. Only one fourth of Earth's forests remain. Protecting our forests is a global concern. Trees provide us with oxygen to breathe and regulate our climate (see SW 11/18/94, p.29). Forests are home to people and countless plant and animal species. The info here shows how critical the problem of deforestation deforestation Process of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use. is. What might you do to help? L.J. Growing up In the U.S. only 10 percent of our old-growth forests remain. The timeline below shows how many years it takes for a forest to "grow old." Scientists call this process succession. 0--5 years: BARREN LAND Animals or winds carry seeds from trees, shrubs, grasses, and weeds to barren land. 5--10 years: PIONEER STAGE First grasses, forbs (nongrass weeds), and shrubs appear. 10--20 years: SAPLINGS First trees grow. 20--65 years: SERAL ser·al adj. Of or relating to an ecological sere: a seral stage; a seral community. STAGE Pole stands (groups of saplings) grow taller and block sunlight from reaching the understory--lower growing shrubs, grasses, and weeds. 65--90 years: INTERMEDIATE STAGE Understory un·der·sto·ry n. An underlying layer of vegetation, especially the plants that grow beneath a forest's canopy. species begin to die off. Other species that are more tolerant of shade, such as ferns, become established. Natural thinning of trees occurs due to crowding. 90--200 years: CONTINUED GROWTH 200+ years: CLIMAX STAGE Mature to old-growth (250-year-old) timber: As some trees die off and let sunlight through to forest floor, dormant seeds of understory begin to grow again. How we use forest wood Every year timber companies cut more than 407 million cubic meters of wood from U.S. forests. That's enough wood to fill more than 100 Empire State Buildings. This pie chart shows what we use the wood for. [CHART OMITTED] Source: Scholastic Environmental Atlas of the United States, Scholastic Inc., 1993. FAB FACTS * The amount of newspapers you need to recycle to save one 11-12m tree: a stack 1.2m high. * The tallest tree in the world: The 114m coast redwood in Redwood National Park Redwood National Park, 112,430 acres (45,518 hectares), along the Pacific coast, NW Calif.; est. 1968. Backed by coastal bluffs, 40 mi (64 km) of beach, lagoon, and rocky coast are preserved in their natural state; seals, sea lions, and birds live on offshore rocks. , California. That's as tall as 68 average-size teens standing one on top of another. * The area of tropical rain forest destroyed every hour: 23.5 [km.sup.2]. WATER, WATER ... WHERE? The water you use today may have once quenched quench tr.v. quenched, quench·ing, quench·es 1. To put out (a fire, for example); extinguish. 2. To suppress; squelch: the thirst of a dinosaur. That's because all the water we have on Earth now is all we've ever had--or will ever have. More than 1 trillion kiloliters of water evaporates from oceans, rivers, and lakes each day. In the atmosphere, the moisture condenses and precipitates--falls to Earth as rain or snow. At any one time, 97 percent of the water going through this cycle fills Earth's salty oceans. Another 2 percent is frozen. That means only 1 percent of the planet's water is fresh and available for us to drink. Kind of makes you want to conserve and keep it all clean. --P.F. Water diary What's that going down the drain? Your soap? Your rubber duck? Your grades? No, it's water--lots of it. This sample diary records how much water a teen uses in one day. Keep your own diary and compare. Can you think of ways to cut back? Time/Activity Liters Used 7:00 AM Got up: Took 10-min. shower 208.0 Brushed teeth (with water running) 7.5 Flushed toilet 19.0 Washed hands 2.0 7:30 AM Ate breakfast: Drank orange juice (88% water) 0.21 Ate cereal with milk (90% water) 0.22 10:00 AM Dissected frog in biology class: Washed hands 2.0 12:00 PM Ate lunch: Drank apple juice (88% water) 0.32 Ate hamburger with lettuce and tomato (59% water) 0.16 12:45 PM Took bathroom break: Flushed toilet 19.0 Washed hands 2.0 1:30 PM Got sweaty in gym class: Took a gulp at water fountain 0.24 Took 5-min. shower 104.0 3:00 PM Home at last: Snacked on muffin and milk 0.22 4:00 PM Washed dog with hose 114.0 Had water fight with brother 34.0 5:00 PM Flushed toilet 19.0 Washed hands 2.0 6:00 PM Ate dinner: Drank 2 glasses of water 0.48 Ate spaghetti with meatballs (71% water) 0.38 Washed dishes (with water running) 76.0 10:00 PM Got ready for bed: Flushed toilet 19.0 Washed hands 2.0 Washed face 2.0 Brushed teeth 7.5 Total = 641.23 liters Sources: New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Dept. of Environmental Protection; USDA USDA, n.pr See United States Department of Agriculture. Nutrient Data Branch FAB FACTS * The average human body is 65 percent water by weight; a tree is 90 percent water. * If Earth were the size of a beach ball, all the water on the planet would fill one measuring cup. On that scale, just a single drop would be fresh enough to drink. * 136L of water fills the average bath; a 10-minute shower uses 208L. * A water molecule might "float" in the atmosphere for about nine days before condensing con·dense v. con·densed, con·dens·ing, con·dens·es v.tr. 1. To reduce the volume or compass of. 2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten. 3. Physics a. and falling as rain or snow. The same water molecule could remain in the ocean for 3,000 years. * To stay healthy, teens should drink 2L of water each day. [CHART OMITTED] WARON WASTES Is Earth turning into one giant trash can? Americans alone toss more than 234 million metric tons of garbage each year--more than any other country. That's about 2kg per person every day! As the world's population increases--and produces more waste--our options for waste disposal become more limited. By the year 2000, 80 percent of U.S. landfills will be full. But the Dolphin Defenders, a kids' environmental group (pictured above) from St. Louis, Missouri, say there is hope. Recycling trash, as they do, helps. And it makes money, which the Defenders have contributed to causes such as rain-forest preservation. Use the facts and figures here to see how you too can make a difference. --L.J. [CHART OMITTED] WHERE DOES YOUR GARBAGE GO? METHOD OF WASTE DISPOSAL LANDFILL: A dump piled high with paper, plastics, glass, metals, rubber, wood, leather, textiles, and yard and food wastes; covered with earth. % OF WASTE DISPOSED OF THIS WAY 62 PROS Usually located far away from urban areas; cheapest method of waste disposal; sometimes provides land for recreational areas. CONS Lack of oxygen underground prevents waste from decomposing (breaking down); chemicals in waste may leak into water supply; fumes fumes odorous gases and other volatile materials; inhalation of irritating fumes causes coughing and, if sufficiently severe, irreversible pulmonary edema. from buried garbage pollute the air and may cause respiratory illnesses. METHOD OF WASTE DISPOSAL RECYCLING: Process of sorting and reusing materials such as paper, glass, metals, textiles, rubber, and wood. % OF WASTE DISPOSED OF THIS WAY 18 PROS Decreases amount of waste buried in landfills or burned in incinerators; is steadily increasing in the U.S. CONS Expensive; not enough consumer involvement; demand for some products such as plastics and paper are low (but steadily increasing). METHOD OF WASTE DISPOSAL WASTE-TO-ENERGY INCINERATION incineration the act of burning to ashes. : Burning paper, plastics, rubber, wood, yard and food wastes, and textiles as fuel to generate electricity. % OF WASTE DISPOSED OF THIS WAY 16 PROS Produces enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes nationwide. CONS Buring trash gives off toxic ash, which may cause respiratory illnesses; cities must dump the ash in landfills; the numbers of waste-to-energy plants are decreasing due to low demand and increased recycling efforts. METHOD OF WASTE DISPOSAL COMPOSTING: Mixing organic materials (yard trimmings, paper, and food waste) with oxygen to promote decay. Bacteria break down the waste, releasing stored nutrients. Composting facilities sell the leftovers as plant fertilizer. % OF WASTE DISPOSED OF THIS WAY 3 PROS Used to fertilize crops. CONS Harmful toxins from metals in some waste materials may be present in the compost. These toxins could end up in the fertilizer and possibly in our food. METHOD OF WASTE DISPOSAL INCINERATION (without energy recovery): Burning solid wastes in a giant furnace. % OF WASTE DISPOSED OF THIS WAY 1 PROS Large cities use incinerators when landfill space is limited. CONS Burning may release gases and ash that may cause respiratory illnesses in humans. The ash pollutes the air, blackens buildings, and kills plants by clogging pores in leaf cells and preventing the plants from taking in carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. . HAZARDOUS WASTES Warning: Some wastes may be hazardous to your health. For example, toxic chemicals in some products (which you might even have at home) can seep into drinking-water supplies; poisonous gases can pollute the air and cause respiratory diseases. These wastes should be dumped in sealed containers that don't leak. But some do leak. In 1980, the federal government set up a program called Superfund to clean up more than 37,000 "leaking" hazardouswaste dump sites. Workers at these sites must wear protective gear to keep from being contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. (see photo, above). So far, 346 sites have been cleaned up. --L.J. Superfund sites Areas with the most Superfund (hazardous-waste) sites: Metro area Number of sites New York City/Northern New Jersey 56 Philadelphia, PA 44 San Francisco, CA 29 Chicago, IL 22 Minneapolis, MN 22 Source: World Resources Institute Founded in 1982, the World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank based in Washington, D.C. WRI is an independent, non-partisan and nonprofit organization with a staff of more than 100 scientists, economists, policy experts, business analysts, statistical HOUSEHOLD HAZARDS The average home contains 63 "hazardous" chemicals. Most are safe to toss in the trash. Listed here are three that need special handling. PRODUCT/HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL(S) ANTIFREEZE antifreeze, substance added to a solvent to lower its freezing point. The solution formed is called an antifreeze mixture. Antifreeze is typically added to water in the cooling system of an internal-combustion engine so that it may be cooled below the freezing point (ethylene glycol ethylene glycol: see glycol. ethylene glycol Simplest member of the glycol family, also called 1,2-ethanediol (HOCH2CH2OH). It is a colourless, oily liquid with a mild odour and sweet taste. ) HAZARDS OF DISPOSAL If dumped in landfill, may leak into soil and water supply; low doses may cause nausea, headaches, or digestive problems; high doses can kill. PROPER DISPOSAL Take empty containers to an auto service station that collects them for pickup and disposal. Some manufacturers recycle antifreeze. PRODUCT/HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL(S) MOTOR OIL (benzene) HAZARDS OF DISPOSAL If dumped in landfill, oil may seep into soil, poisoning groundwater and plants; low doses may cause nausea and digestive problems; high doses can kill. PROPER DISPOSAL Take to gas station or auto service shop that collects and returns the waste to the manufacturer; the oil can be recycled or burned for fuel. PRODUCT/HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL(S) BATTERIES (cadmium, mercury, lead) HAZARDS OF DISPOSAL If dumped in landfills, toxic metals may leak into groundwater; low doses may cause nauseau, headaches, or digestive problems; high doses may lead to brain or nerve damage or cancer. PROPER DISPOSAL Take to a shop that collects them for pickup; take to a recycling center; call your local Department of Environmental Protection for other disposal options. Use rechargeable or solar-powered batteries, instead. POPULATION PUZZLE In September, leaders from more than 180 nations met in Egypt to discuss the impact of the world's growing population. More than 5.66 billion people inhabit Earth today. By 2050, that number could double (see graph). Can our planet sustain the growing crowd? Or will Earth's population rapidly use up the planet's natural resources? The key may be in finding ways to share resources and limit environmental damage. P.S. During the 9-day conference, the world's population grew by 2.2 million. --C.F. [CHART OMITTED] FAB FACT How fast is the world's population growing? Here's the number of people born in one... year 89,458,000 month 7,454,834 week 1,720,346 day 245,090 hour 10,212 minute 170 second 2.8 Source: USA Today |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion