wildlife

Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative. Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems. Deserts, rain forests, plains, and other areas including the most developed urban sites, all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to animals that are untouched by human factors, most scientists agree that wildlife around the world is impacted by human activities. Humans have historically tended to separate civilization from wildlife in a number of ways including the legal, social, and moral sense. This has been a reason for debate throughout recorded history. Religions have often declared certain animals to be sacred, and in modern times concern for the natural environment has provoked activists to protest the exploitation of wildlife for human benefit or entertainment. Literature has also made use of the traditional human separation from wildlife.

threats to wildlife
DESTRUCTION
Exploitation of wild populations has been a characteristic of modern man since our exodus from Africa 130,000 70,000 years ago. The rate of extinctions of entire species of plants and animals across the planet has been so high in the last few hundred years it is widely considered that we are in the sixth great extinction event on this planet; the Holocene Mass Extinction.

Overkill
Overkill occurs whenever hunting occurs at rates greater than the reproductive capacity of the population is being exploited. The effects of this are often noticed much more dramatically in slow growing populations such as many larger species of fish. Initially when a portion of a wild population is hunted, an increased availability of resources (food, etc) is experienced increasing growth and reproduction as Density dependent inhibition is lowered. Hunting, fishing and so on, has lowered the competition between members of a population. However, if this hunting continues at rate greater than the rate at which new members of the population can reach breeding age and produce more young, the population will begin to decrease in numbers.

Habitat destruction and fragmentation

Deforestation and increased road-building in the Amazon Rainforest are a significant concern because of increased human encroachment upon wild areas, increased resource extraction and further threats to biodiversity. The habitat of any given species is considered its preferred area or territory. Many processes associated human habitation of an area cause loss of this area and the decrease the carrying capacity of the land for that species. In many cases these changes in land use cause a patchy breakup of the wild landscape. Agricultural land frequently displays this type of extremely fragmented, or relictual, habitat. Examples of habitat destruction include grazing of bushland by farmed animals, changes to natural fire regimes, forest clearing for timber production and wetland draining for city expansion.

Chains of extinction
This final group is one of secondary effects. All wild populations of living things have many complex intertwining links with other living things around them. Large herbivorous animals such as the hippopotamus have populations of insectivorous birds that feed off the many parasitic insects that

grow on the hippo. Should the hippo die out, so too will these groups of birds, leading to further destruction as other species dependent on the birds are affected. Also referred to as a Domino effect, this series of chain reactions is by far the most destructive process that can occur in any ecological community.

wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation is the protection of species and habitates of animals. The banning of hunting seasons for endangered or threatened species. A wildlife preserve is a protected piece of land by the government in order not to endanger the usually vibrant wildlife in that area.

importance of wildlife conservation

The Earth has several natural resources like water, air, soil, minerals, trees, animals, oil, and gas. We all depend on these natural resources to live our daily lives. It would be impossible to live without clean air,water, or food. Our lives would be difficult without oil or gas. In hopes of not running out of these resources, we must conserve them. Keeping areas undeveloped so there are Forrest's, ponds to fish in, beaches to stroll along is an important step. To keep nature at its balance we must help all species to continue to exist. Conserving undeveloped land helps wildlife as well as human life. Conservation helps the circle of life and all other natural resources. We should only use what we need and respect this land we live in. Everyone should respect the wildlife like the Humpback Whale, Polar Bears, and the Giant Sable Antelope. These animals are in great need of conservation. These animals are endangered species. What we do can affect the lives around us. Conservationists help pass certain laws that help protect these endangered species and even plants

endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006.[2] Many nations have laws offering protection to conservation reliant species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves.

methods of wildlife conservation Ex-situ conservation

Ex-situ conservation means literally, "off-site conservation". It is the process of protecting an endangered species of plant or animal outside of its natural habitat; for example, by removing part of the population from a threatened habitat and placing it in a new location, which may be a wild area or within the care of humans. While ex-situ conservation comprises some of the oldest and best known conservation methods, it also involves newer, sometimes controversial laboratory methods.

In-situ conservation
In-situ conservation means "on-site conservation". It is the process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat, either by protecting or cleaning up the habitat itself, or by defending the species from predators. Wildlife and livestock conservation is mostly based on in situ conservation. This involves the protection of wildlife habitats. Also, sufficiently large reserves are maintained to enable the target species to exist in large numbers. The population size must be sufficient to enable the necessary genetic diversity to survive within the population, so that it has a good chance of continuing to adapt and evolve over time. This reserve size can be calculated for target species by examining the population density in naturally-occurring situations. The reserves must then be protected from intrusion, or destruction by man, and against other catastrophes.

a. Advantages
The major advantages for in situ conservation relate to the availability of technologies and the utilization of the breeds. The in situ conservation of live populations requires no advanced technology. There are optimal sampling strategies (see section 4.3.1) and breeding strategies (see section 4.4), but the basic needs of an in situ programme are already available and affordable throghout the world. The farmers of every region and nation know how to manage and maintain their local strains. They already have the capability, all they require is direction. In situ projects can ensure that financial commitment to the conservation of animal genetic resources involves helping to improve the livelihood of farming communities associated with the breeds targeted for conservation. Live conservation projects involve animal utilization and are net producers of food, fibre and draught power (see table 6). They do not require the importation of expensive materials, skills or equipment. Live conservation programmes may survive major political or environmental upheaval, wars, or climatic disasters that could eliminate frozen stores, especially those needing imported frozen nitrogen. Sufficient numbers of breeding units must be established and maintained, however, for each conserved population. In situ projects enable breeds to be properly characterized and evaluated in their own and related localities. They allow for comparative trials, research and crossing experiments. This method of conservation also allows populations to adapt to changing environmental conditions and endemic diseases. The maintenance of live herds allows for selection and improvement of populations within the sustainable constraints which will be discussed later (see section 4.3.2).

b. Disadvantages
The disadvantages of in situ conservation are brought about by a lack of complete control over the many factors which influence the survival of individuals and therefore the genetic makeup of the conserved population. In situ conservation projects require land and people which are limited resources in some regions of the world. Continuation of all conservation projects is dependent upon unpredictable financial and political change particularly if they are government or institutionally run. They do have the capacity to produce agricultural commodities and sell livestock to supplement their budgets (see Table 6). Genetic drift is an inevitable feature of all live animal conservation projects, even when steps are taken to minimize the problem. Selection and the resultant shift in the gene frequencies within a population are a real possibility, and may even be a legitimate objective of some programmes. Selection is a particular concern when it is applied to populations being maintained under modified environmental conditions and should only be made within locally sustainable conditions (see section 4.3.2). In situ conservation incurs the possible threat of disease eliminating whole, or substantial parts, of a conserved population, particularly if the conserved herd is in a single or only a few linked locations. Diseases may also act as a major selection pressure within a population, and may substantially change its characteristics.