Endangered Species in Terrestrial Ecosystems: African Savanna Elephant
This week you will conduct some research on an endangered species in a terrestrial ecosystem and present facts about that organism. You will have an opportunity to choose a threatened species or endangered species and research more about that organism. You will present your results in your main post and delineate whether the presence of this species is really vital to its ecosystem and that ecosystem's persistence. Sometimes, in the absence of a vital species, there can be serious ecosystem degradation that causes other organism populations to decline or increase drastically. Finally, you will propose how you think the species should be protected.
Visit the National Geographic resource library to learn about this issue:
National Geographic Society. (2012, October 9). Endangered species. https://www(dot)nationalgeographic(dot)org/encyclopedia/endangered-species/12th-grade
Resources to help with your research:
S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Find endangered species. https://www(dot)fws(dot)gov/endangered
International Union for Conservation of Nature. (2018). The IUCN red list of threatened species. https://www(dot)iucnredlist(dot)org
Other resources for this exercise:
Chapter 11 of textbook (starting on page 282);
Withgott, J. H., & Laposata, M. (2021). Environment: The science behind the stories [PDF ebook]. Pearson Higher Ed.
Consider the following questions:
What is the endangered species in question?
What is the known approximate population number left?
What ecosystem do they inhabit?
What ecosystem services do they provide?
What are the benefits of biodiversity in an ecosystem?
What, if anything, is being done to protect this organism?
What do you think should be done to further protect this organism?
What do you think the growing list of endangered species says about humankind?
Do you think humans will ever be an endangered species? Why or why not?
Endangered Species in Terrestrial Ecosystems
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African Savanna Elephant: Loxodonta africana
Endangered animals are organisms at extreme risk of extinction caused by loss of habitat or genetic variation. The endangered species in this paper is the African savanna elephant, Loxodonta africana. They are the biggest terrestrial mammals on earth, characterized by large ears to radiate excess heat. Notably, they are characterized by longer front legs than the hind legs. In addition, they have ivory tusks that poachers target, resulting in elephant killing.
African elephants are located in 24 African countries, with the largest population inhabiting the eastern and southern African countries; Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia (Maisels, 2020). Their habitat ranges from wooded savanna to forests and deserts ecosystem. They help reduce tree densities as they feed on tree branches, and their feces add nutrients to the ground. Many living organisms survive in the woodland because elephants clear the dense vegetation. Additionally, they add aesthetic value to nature and earn the local government revenues from tourism. ...