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| This is a wolf found in Wyoming. The wolf is a large predator. |
This article talks about the shrinking number of large predators, and in particular, wolves. A group of environmental nonprofits said that they would challenge the governments removal of Endangered Species Act protections for the wolves in Wyoming. The wolf population is low in Wyoming and many people hunt the wolves, so it is likely that their numbers will continue to drop. If wolves become extinct, or there become very few of them, then many other organisms would struggle to survive. When the wolf was nearly extinct vegetation suffered because of overgrazing. In spite of the beaver being a source of food for the wolf, they actually benefited from the growing wolf population because vegetation provided more food for them.
Scientists call this sequence of impacts down the food chain a trophic cascade. It is important that humans help conserve animals by having parks such as Yellowstone to provide a barrier, and taking care of the environment.
I agree with the group of environmental nonprofits because I believe people should help animals since the trophic cascade affects humans as well. Every organism helps another organism so if anyone was removed from the food chain it would affect everyone. Humans should make space for parks and natural environments where animals can be left undisturbed.
1)Do you think the government should have removed Endangered Species Act protections for the wolves? Explain.
2) How do you think people can help prevent mass extinctions?
3)What do you think would happen if a lot of the world's large predators became extinct?
My opinion is that the wolves should still be under protection in the Endangered Species Act in Wyoming. These predators need to be protected from hunting, or the number of them will continue to drop lower and lower until they are extinct. This will directly and also indirectly affect so many other species of plants and animals, including humans. Without them, the whole ecosystem will be thrown out of balance and it will be a struggle for many species to survive.
ReplyDeleteWhat are other ways that we can protect wolves from being hunted in the state of Wyoming?
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ReplyDelete1. The government should not have eliminated wolves from the Endangered Species Act. People need to understand that the act is to help animals survive, which in retrospect, helps us, humans, survive. If the wolf becomes extinct, then an increase in population to the beavers will cause a reaction of changes in population to the whole ecosystem. This will cause the food chain to break because of the overloaded beaver population. This will also cause the elimination of the vegetation because the beavers need to eat too. With no available vegetation, the beavers will have to move and look for new prey. This will possibly disrupt other ecosystems, which adds to the list of chain reactions.
ReplyDelete2. People can help prevent mass extinctions by using the Endangered Species Act. This protects the animals under Federal Law, which most people are not willing to break. This would mean that hunting these types of animals would be prohibited. People need to know that this is no laughing matter. These animals need to survive and in order to survive,, they need to be helped. It is a life and death situation, for everyone.
3. Producers would suffer greatly due to the loss of large predators becoming extinct. Now, there would be an increase in primary and secondary consumers, which means that the producers need to produce a lot more food than they needed to before. Eventually, the whole ecosystem(s) will fall apart, most likely sending most of the organisms into extinction. As you go further up the food chain, this not only affects producers, primary and secondary consumers, but it also affects the very top of the food chain, otherwise known as humans.
Extra Question. Since wolves are no longer covered under the Endangered Species Act in Wyoming people can help save the endangered species of wolves by spreading the word. This could be done using billboards, newspapers, television, radio, etc. People need to know that endangered species are not anything to mess around with. Endangered species are species that should always be watched because you never know when they could be on the brink of death. It could happen at any time, maybe tomorrow, if we are not careful.
I chose to invite Margaret Lowman she is a researcher. I think she would be good to comment because she has great background to do so. she has do work for Williams College and Aberdeen University. she has a Ph D. she has also lived in Australia to do canopy research in rain forest and dry forests
ReplyDeleteHello Ms.Lowman
I am Mikayla W. I am a freshman at Hatboro-Horsham High School. My class is Environmental Science. We have just learned about food changes and how ecostyems react. It would be greatly appreciated if you could respond to a blog that we have done. This is a link to the blog: http://bndmdeluca.blogspot.com/2012/09/waring-climate-and-ocean-water.html
Thank you so much for your time,
Mikayla W.