An 

endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. Species

become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation.

Loss of Habitat

A loss of habitat can happen naturally. Dinosaurs, for instance, lost their habitat about 65
million years ago. The hot, dry climate of the Cretaceous period changed very quickly,
most likely because of an asteroid striking the Earth. The impact of the asteroid
forced debris into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of heat and light that reached
Earth’s surface. The dinosaurs were unable to adapt to this new, cooler habitat. Dinosaurs
became endangered, then extinct.

Human activity can also contribute to a loss of habitat. Development for housing, industry,

and agriculture reduces the habitat of native organisms. This can happen in a number of
different ways.

Development can eliminate habitat and native species directly. In the Amazon rain
forest of South America, developers have cleared hundreds of thousands of acres. To
“clear” a piece of land is to remove all trees and vegetation from it. The Amazon rain
forest is cleared for cattle ranches, logging, and urban use.

Development can also endanger species indirectly. Some species, such as fig trees of
the rain forest, may provide habitat for other species. As trees are destroyed, species that
depend on that tree habitat may also become endangered. Tree crowns provide habitat in
the canopy, or top layer, of a rainforest. Plants such as vines, fungi such as mushrooms,
and insects such as butterflies live in the rain forest canopy. So do hundreds of species of
tropical birds and mammals such as monkeys. As trees are cut down, this habitat is lost.
Species have less room to live and reproduce.

Loss of habitat may happen as development takes place in a species range. Many animals
have a range of hundreds of square kilometers. The mountain lion of North America, for
instance, has a range of up to 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles). To successfully
live and reproduce, a single mountain lion patrols this much territory. Urban areas, such
as Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, grew rapidly during
the 20th century. As these as areas expanded into the wilderness, the mountain lion’s
habitat became smaller. That means the habitat can support fewer mountain lions.
Because enormous parts of the Sierra Nevada, Rocky, and Cascade mountain ranges
remain undeveloped, however, mountain lions are not endangered.

Loss of habitat can also lead to increased encounters between wild species and people.
As development brings people deeper into a species range, they may have more
exposure to wild species. Poisonous plants and fungi may grow closer to homes and
schools. Wild animals are also spotted more frequently. These animals are simply
patrolling their range, but interaction with people can be deadly. Polar bears, mountain
lions, and alligators are all predators brought into close contact with people as they lose
their habitat to homes, farms, and businesses. As people kill these wild animals,
through pesticides, accidents such as collisions with cars, or hunting, native species may
become endangered.

Loss of Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the diversity found within a species. It’s why human beings may have
blond, red, brown, or black hair. Genetic variation allows species to adapt to changes in
the environment. Usually, the greater the population of a species, the greater its genetic
variation.

is reproduction with close family members. Groups of species that have a tendency to
inbreed usually have little genetic variation, because no new genetic information is
introduced to the group. Disease is much more common, and much more deadly, among
inbred groups. Inbred species do not have the genetic variation to develop resistance to
the disease. For this reason, fewer offspring of inbred groups survive to maturity.

Loss of genetic variation can occur naturally. Cheetahs are a threatened species native
to Africa and Asia. These big cats have very little genetic variation. Biologists say that
during the last ice age, cheetahs went through a long period of inbreeding. As a result,
there are very few genetic differences between cheetahs. They cannot adapt to changes in
the environment as quickly as other animals, and fewer cheetahs survive to maturity.
Cheetahs are also much more difficult to breed in captivity than other big cats, such as
lions.

Human activity can also lead to a loss of genetic variation. Overhunting and overfishing

have reduced the populations of many animals. Reduced population means there are
fewer breeding pairs. A breeding pair is made up of two mature members of the species
that are not closely related and can produce healthy offspring. With fewer breeding pairs,
genetic variation shrinks.

Monoculture, the agricultural method of growing a single crop, can also reduce genetic
variation. Modern agribusiness relies on monocultures. Almost all potatoes cultivated, sold,
and consumed, for instance, are from a single species, the Russet Burbank. Potatoes,
native to the Andes Mountains of South America, have dozens of natural varieties. The
genetic variation of wild potatoes allows them to adapt to climate change and disease. For
Russet Burbanks, however, farmers must use fertilizers and pesticides to ensure healthy
crops because the plant has almost no genetic variation.

Plant breeders often go back to wild varieties to collect genes that will help cultivated
plants resist pests and drought, and adapt to climate change. However, climate change is
also threatening wild varieties. That means domesticated plants may lose an important
source of traits that help them overcome new threats.

The Red List

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps a “Red List of
Threatened Species.” The Red List defines the severity and specific causes of a species’
threat of extinction. The Red List has seven levels of conservation: least concern, near
threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild, and extinct.
Each category represents a different threat level.

Species that are not threatened by extinction are placed within the first two categories—
least concern and near-threatened. Those that are most threatened are placed within the
next three categories, known as the threatened categories—vulnerable, endangered, and
critically endangered. Those species that are extinct in some form are placed within the
last two categories—extinct in the wild and extinct.

Classifying a species as endangered has to do with its range and habitat, as well as its
actual population. For this reason, a species can be of least concern in one area and
endangered in another. The gray whale, for instance, has a healthy population in the
eastern Pacific Ocean, along the coast of North and South America. The population in the
western Pacific, however, is critically endangered.

Glossary

1.a debris обломок, осколок.

e.g. The plane debris were scattered over a huge territory.

e.g. Debris of the meteorite was found 5 kilometers from its fall.

2. agriculture  сільське господарство, агрономія

e.g. Agriculture harms the environment. Pesticides, waste and producing greenhouse
gases damage our planet.

e.g. From the past century amount of agriculture workers has declined significantly due to
technologies development.

3.vegetation рослинність

e.g. Vegetation plays key role in keeping our lives.

e.g. All vegetation wakes up with the coming of spring.

4.cattle свійські тварини(множина)

e.g. After a ski season there is nothing left on this mountain except the grass for the cattle.

e.g.This is a perfect territory to place cattle ranches.

5. logging лісозаготівлі

e.g. Logging is normally illegal on the territory of reserves.

e.g. Today our lives are impossible without logging but the environment suffers from it
badly.

6. indirectly опосередковано, непрямо

e.g. Indirect evidences proof his guilt but it’s still not enough to put him into prison.

7.a crown крона дерева

e.g. The oak crown is so luxuriant.

e.g. Most of time koalas spend lying on a branch inside the eucalyptus crowns.

8.a canopy навіс, (тут) затемнене місце під древом

e.g. We hided from the rain in the oak canopy.

e.g. Vines in our yard are planted in that way to make a natural canopy.

10. as в міру того, як

e.g. As a ship drowns rats start running round the deck.

e.g. As the wind was increasing the weather was getting stronger.

11.to expand into розширятися в, розширяти

e.g. I am hoping to expand our range of products.

e.g. Mines expanded into this mountain deeper and deeper until the coal was mined in
full.

12.a wilderness дика місцевість

e.g. Wilderness terrifies and at the same time attracts by its unknown.
13.an encounter неочікувана зустріч

e.g. I forgot our encounter last summer. So I didn’t recognize him.

e.g. This encounter influenced his life significantly.

14. exposure вплив

e.g. Mass media have a substantial exposure to our mind.

e.g. His death is caused by exposure to uranium.

15. interaction взаємодія

e.g. His approach to interaction with customers did not suit the superior.

e.g. Interaction among species is one of key factors of evolution.

16. collision зіткнення

e.g. After the collision he headed back to the car slightly shocked.
e.g. The car was destroyed in the collision.

17. offspring потомство; нащадки(ок)

e.g. This virus can transmit from a parent to an offspring.
e.g. A lot of offspring in different generations are holders of a disease but only several of them
have symptoms of it.

18. maturity зрілість

e.g. Maturity is not only about the age but about life experience and intelligence.
e.g. Some insects reach maturity in a few weeks.

19.to occur відбуватися, спадати на думку

e.g. Earthquakes like this occur very rarely.
e.g. Designation of a new parliament will occur tomorrow.

20.threatened під загрозою

e.g. Our harvest is still threatened because of insects.
e.g. Poaching threatens the survival of elephants.
e.g. He threatened to take me to court if I didn’t pay then.

21.in captivity в неволі

e.g. He is in captivity of his dreams.
e.g. Miguel de Cervantes was captured by pirates and spent 5 years in captivity.

22. crop syn. harvest урожай, вирощувані культури

e.g. We rotate our crops every year to let a particular piece of land ‘have a rest’.
e.g. This year crops significantly failed which caused strong starving.

23. to consume споживати,

e.g. The workers of that country cannot afford themselves to consume the products of their work.
e.g. Small countries usually consume more oil than produce.

24. fertilizer добриво

e.g. Organic home waste can be put on air and it will gradually transforming into a natural
fertilizer.
e.g. Fertilizers encourage crops grow better and faster.

25. to ensure syn. to make sure впевнитись, забезпечувати щось

To ensure the crops’ safety = to make sure the crops are safe
e.g. She ensured that all work is done and smoothly went outside.
e.g. The hotel have to ensure the actor has all he need.

26. pests шкідники

e.g. You can easily make your own scarer for underground pests put a stick into ground and place
a can on the top of it.
e.g.

27. drought засуха

e.g. Consistent droughts and hurricanes make this place uninhabitable.
e.g. Fortunately the region where I live doesn’t suffer from droughts.

28. domesticated домашні, одомашнені

e.g. Domesticated plants need especial attention.
e.g. Domesticated animals are able to work for people or live with them as pets.

29. a trait риса

e.g. Foibles are traits of character that are strange but don’t harm anyone.
e.g. Rudiments are traits or organs that were leaved for us from ancestors but are useless now.
For instance an appendix.

30. concern турбота про щось

concern about/over/with – стурбованість через щось
e.g. Crises are a matter for massive concerns among people.
e.g. The dramatically rising concern over own rights caused the revolution.
e.g. One of the concerns that people have is the side effects of treatment.

Відповідно до Закону України про Червону книгу України, види, що заносяться до Червоної книги,
поділяються на наступні категорії:

 зниклі (extinct)— види, про які після неодноразових пошуків, проведених у типових

місцевостях або в інших відомих та можливих місцях поширення, відсутня будь-яка
інформація про наявність їх у природі чи спеціально створених умовах;
 зниклі в природі(extinct in the wild) — види, які зникли в природі, але збереглися у
спеціально створених умовах;
 зникаючі(endangered) — види, які перебувають під загрозою зникнення у природних умовах
і збереження яких є малоймовірним, якщо триватиме дія факторів, що негативно впливають
на стан їх популяцій;
 вразливі(vulnerable) — види, які у найближчому майбутньому можуть бути віднесені до
категорії зникаючих, якщо триватиме дія факторів, що негативно впливають на стан їх
популяцій;
 рідкісні(near threatened) — види, популяції яких невеликі і на даний час не належать до
категорії зникаючих чи вразливих, хоча їм і загрожує небезпека;