AnimalsPet AnimalsWild Animals

Why Is Wildlife Conservation Important?

Why is wildlife conservation important? Essentially, the purpose of wildlife conservation is to protect the species by ensuring their survival and to educate people about how they can live in harmony with other species sustainably.

why-is-wildlife-conservation-important

But it’s more than just ensuring the survival of some species on the verge of extinction. The need for wildlife conservation is about saving the whole planet, the delicate balance needed for life to thrive, and the dependence of everything on one another for survival. Wildlife conservation is not some activity happening in the remote corners of a rainforest or at the edge of the desert.

It’s a collaborative, global effort needed to ensure that we are taking every measure to keep this planet a whole, where the air is pure, the water is clean, and the ground is fertile. Wildlife conservation is about being responsible, thinking beyond our own lives, and understanding that everything on Earth is connected. And if we destroy one, we will surely pave the way for our own destruction.

Wildlife Conservation Introduction

The term “conservation” refers to the practice of not wasting a resource. The practice of preserving the species of animals and their habitats is known as wildlife conservation.

Understanding Wildlife Conservation

In general, we apply wildlife conservation to species on the verge of extinction due to unnatural causes. Climate change, unreasonable laws, and pollution are examples of such causes.

Unchecked human activities, unprecedented forest razing, and constant poisoning of air and water via industrial and agricultural activities have created a grave situation and put millions of species on the verge of extinction.

According to a World Wildlife Fund report, around 52% of wildlife disappeared between 1970 and 2018. The process is only accelerating, and if enough checks aren’t put in place, soon, large chunks of our diverse wildlife wealth will be lost forever.

Let’s understand the need for wildlife conservation with an example;

Water pollution is one example of this, as it poses a threat to marine life as a result. If the water temperature increases significantly, the Great Barrier Reef will lose its colors, and most of its corals will die, resulting in a loss of coral life.

Since 2016, the number of corals on the reef has decreased by 89 per cent. Thousands of different plant and animal species live on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as marine mammals.

More examples include wolf shootings, which are usually done to protect livestock such as sheep rather than investing in fencing or other measures to protect them. Captivation of endangered species such as elephants is also a significant issue.

Why Is Wildlife Conservation Important?

Human activities such as agricultural expansion, logging, and poaching are typically the leading causes of extinction and biodiversity loss in flora and fauna. Due to human activities, many animal species have been in danger of extinction over the past few decades.

An estimated 10,000 species have been lost every year, which accounts for half of the world’s wildlife population.

To counteract this, we have to understand the importance of wildlife conservation. Wildlife conservation is required, as it provides valuable advantages to both humans and animals. Let’s explore the subject in more detail;

Wildlife Is A Pillar of Natural Evolution

For millions of years, plants and animals have managed to adapt to conditions they have developed. They adopted features and traits that allow them to thrive in their habitat, both physiologically as well as in terms of interaction with the environment.

It’s an essential process and is needed for the diversity of life and for new survival strategies. Genetic adaptation is a fundamental aspect of the origin of life and a pillar of evolution. In the absence of enough diversity, life will soon die out on our planet.

Wildlife Helps Ecosystems Stay in Balance

Every living organism is connected to each different living organism. When even one organism turns threatened or extinct, it has a cascading impact on the complete ecosystem. It destabilizes the meals chain and sends shock waves all through the environment.

It’s additionally essential to recognize that species threats are not often remote events. Things that endanger honey bees endanger different pollinators as well. The all-natural world desires to be covered for ecosystems to thrive.

Pollination and Native Plants Survival

Birds, insects, and bees are some small animals that contribute significantly to food production.

The conservation of these animals thus aids pollination. They are important in crop production, inter cropping, and ensuring the survival of native plant species because they rely on nectar from flowers.

Bees carry pollen when they move from one flower to another to find nectar, which is very beneficial for crop growth.

Wildlife is the Base of the Food Chain

Wildlife holds immense value to the area they inhabit. Consequently, wildlife is key to maintaining the ecological balance in a given area. Their sudden disappearance severely disturbs the delicate food chain balance and leads to irrevocable damage to the ecosystem.

As an indispensable part of the ecosystem, wildlife is essential for the survival of interconnected species. It means eliminating even one species could trample the whole food chain, resulting in a wide-scale extinction of wildlife.

Medicinal Significance

Although plants are the primary source of medications, some animals also play an essential role in the production of medicines. Cobra venom, for instance, is a vital ingredient in leprosy medications, and lobsters are used as anti-fungal treatments.

Taking care of wildlife also entails taking care of their natural habitats, such as trees and vegetation, which is critical for medicinal research and the long-term viability of pharmaceutical industries.

Cultural Significance Is Attached to Wildlife

The influence of wildlife on culture cannot be overstated. Animals and plants have always had an impact on things like religious beliefs and food. Sage is an important herb for religious ceremonies in many indigenous groups.

Regional dishes made from locally sourced ingredients preserve memory and tradition while also bringing communities together. It is critical to protect wildlife to preserve culture and traditions.

For Agriculture and Farming

Humans heavily depend on agriculture, plants, and animals for food. Are you aware that wildlife has a significant impact on the growth of these crops? If not, let us go over the concept.

Plants produce fruits and vegetables as a result of a process known as pollination, which is a plant reproduction system in which pollen grains from male flowers are transferred to female flowers, resulting in seed production.

Birds, bees, and insects, which are among the smallest species on the planet, now play an important role in pollination. Pollen is transferred between flowers by insects and birds as they move from one to the other.

For Livelihood of People

Besides them, there are many other people who benefit from wildlife tourism, such as those who provide fishing equipment, porters, guides, drivers, binoculars for bird watching, mahouts, snorkelling equipment, and scuba diving equipment, and many more.

Exotic animal products, such as belts, fur jackets, leather bags, jewellery, and ivory crafts, have a large global market. People who work in these trades are also, to a great extent, dependent on wildlife for their livelihood. Though we should not kill animals to make exclusive products.

In other words, if the animals, birds, forests, oceans, and lakes disappear from our planet, it will, therefore, negatively affect not only the lives of people primarily dependent on the wildlife industry but all human beings. Think about how we will survive without all of it.

Endangered Species Are Critical to Our Long-Term Survival

Some argue that the cost of attempting to save an endangered species is not worth it and that money would be better spent elsewhere. I’m afraid I disagree. We simply don’t know which species (or combination of species) will benefit our livelihoods most. We are gambling with our own future if we play God with the existence of species. In a world where we’ve already lost nearly three-quarters of all wild animals, trade-offs aren’t an option.

Prevention Of Pandemic

Human diseases will be reduced if wildlife and their habitats are protected.

The preservation of wildlife and the habitats in which they live is critical for human health. Research shows that malaria and Lyme disease are less common in diverse, protected natural areas. Animals are responsible for 60% of infectious diseases. The presence of animals increases the chances of diseases changing and “jumping” species. Humans and wildlife can coexist in peace if habitats are protected.

Improving The Health and Fertility of The Soil

Wild animals make a contribution extensively to soil fitness and fertility with the aid of using growing soil vitamins. Their dung and urine improve the soil with minerals, enabling top off its nutrient content. Wildlife also can flow vitamins – for example, hippo grazing in grasslands at night-time returns vitamins to the river through their dung, growing fish productivity.

More Jobs Are Created as A Result of Wildlife Conservation

When it comes to the economy, wildlife preservation creates more jobs. Large conservation and sustainable management project in Honduras, for example, created over 8,000 jobs and increased community income levels by more than 300 per cent.

According to Heidi Peltier, a research professor and expert on employment in the US economy, conservation and park development creates far more jobs than oil and gas. Green job creation leads to a more sustainable and productive economy.

Steps Taken by Government to Conserve Wildlife

Below are the steps taken by the government to protect wildlife;

Ireland

  • In 2018, Ireland initiated a program called rewilding. It aims to restore wildlife, their habitat, and their surroundings via minimal intervention. Initially, the effort is put into supporting the wildlife population in a particular area, and after some time, they are left on their own to thrive with minimal human intervention.
  • They have additionally differentiated the region under the National Heritage Areas, which holds tremendous importance in safeguarding the living spaces of the greenery.
  • The National Parks and Wildlife Service(NPWS) in 2019, in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, submitted a detailed report about the ongoing conservation efforts and the status of wildlife and their habitat in Ireland.

Australia

  • The drives taken by their administration include EPBC Act Conservation Agreements; they are arrangements between the Australian Government Environment Minister and some other individuals for the assurance and preservation of biodiversity in the space of land or ocean.
  • They have National Wildlife Corridors Plans and Threatened Species Strategy 2021 – 2031.
  • Australia has designated protected areas to limit human activities and to ensure that wildlife habitats remain intact. According to a 2002 report, around 10% of the total land in Australia is marked as protected areas.
  • Also, there are several organizations, both government and non-government, working tirelessly for the conservation of wildlife in Australia.

China

  • It sticks to the way of thinking of natural civilization and has been working persistently towards mainstreaming biodiversity across all divisions.
  • It has a 2050 vision of “Living in concordance with nature”.
  • It has led a few untamed life reviews, observed significant protection projects, and later followed and assessed progress in its execution.
  • Recently China revisited its wildlife conservation policy and pledged to double its efforts for the protection of wildlife in the country. Based on the revised policy and research data, China added hundreds of plant and animal species to the state-protected wildlife list.

America

  • The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will give states, regions, and clans $1.39 billion yearly to catalyse proactive, on-the-ground, cooperative endeavors to re-establish fundamental natural surroundings and execute critical protection methodologies, as portrayed in each state’s Wildlife Action Plan.
  • This regulation follows the proposal of an assorted gathering of preservation and industry pioneers, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Blue-Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources.
  • The US has also enacted the Farmland Protection Policy Act to prevent the exploitation of land resources by the government. Under this Act, a thorough check is in place to foresee land acquisition, disposal, and management to prevent overuse and exploitation of this very critical resource.

India

  • The Central Government enacted the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972. The Act, among other things, provides for the establishment of Protected Areas for the protection of wildlife, as well as punishment for hunting specified fauna listed in Schedules I through IV.
  • The Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been drafted to protect wetlands in the states.
  • The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems also assists states with the management of wetlands in the country, including Ramsar sites.
  • The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was formed to combat illegal wildlife trade, including the trade of endangered species.
  • Besides, the Indian government since 1973 has launched several wildlife protection projects aimed at protecting individual animal species vital to a given habitat or environment. Notable examples are Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Sea turtle project, etc.

These were some of the steps taken by the government to conserve wildlife.

Easy Ways to Help Wildlife Conservation

They are as follows:

  1. Getting educated on local and global conservation efforts.
  2. Connecting with and sharing trustworthy animal conservation information through social media and other channels.
  3. Supporting policies and elected officials who support animal conservation efforts or encouraging officials to support wildlife protection.
  4. Wildlife conservation efforts need funds to continue. Fundraisers are a great way to support wildlife conservation efforts. Schools and colleges can organize fundraising drives to support wildlife conservation.
  5. Media can also be employed to raise awareness among the public about the importance of wildlife conservation. Through documentaries and short films, writers and film producers can creatively introduce wildlife conservation ideas to the general masses.

Conclusion

Wildlife conservation aims to preserve the diversity of nature – the diversity that is essential for life on Earth. Therefore, wildlife protection is a necessary contribution to the preservation of mother Earth.

But wildlife conservation efforts should not be seen in isolation. Instead, it should be a part of everyday life. A single informed decision as trivial as choosing mild washing agents that do not harm aquatic life is a big contribution to saving biodiversity and wildlife.

There’s a pressing need for wildlife conservation because we are losing it at an alarming rate, and it’s high time that we understand the criticality of the issues and commit ourselves to the cause. Because nature is a brute force and only believes in balance. We have significantly disturbed the balance, and if we do not take timely steps to reverse the damage, we are undoubtedly scripting our own doom.

We hope you understand the reasons why wildlife conservation is important? If you gain some information, please raise awareness among other people too.

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