CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to breed mealworms? How to get breeding dishes?

There are more than 790 species of wild animals in the world that are on the verge of extinction due to lack of proper environmental protection.

More than 300 plant species from 76 families are on the verge of extinction

The above information is only what humans know so far. We don’t know how many unknown species are disappearing.

Did you know that the number of animal species on Earth is decreasing rapidly, disappearing one after another? The creatures on Earth originally formed a natural food chain and depended on each other. Some people ask how long humans can survive if only humans are left in the world? Please look at the worrying records of animal extinction in recent years: Dodo (India, 1781), Blue Bison (South Africa, 1799), Marion’s tortoise (Thunberg, 1800), Great Auk (Atlantic, 1844), European wild horse (Europe, 1876), Quagga (Asia, 1883), White-shanked leaf monkey (China, 1893), Passenger pigeon (North America, 1914), Florida monkey (North America, 1917), Carolina parakeet (North America, 1918), Chinese rhinoceros (China, 1922), Caucasian Bison (Europe, 1925), Bali tiger (Indonesia, 1937), Ruddy duck (India, 1942), Przewalski's horse (China, 1947), Tasmanian tiger (Australia, 1948), Crested shelduck (Asia, 1964), Javan tiger (Indonesia, 1972)... There are also materials about animals in my country that are on the verge of extinction, such as: Elk (3*!000 in the world), South China tiger (50), Snow leopard (1*!000~2*!000), Yangtze alligator (1*!500), Baiji dolphin (100), Giant panda (1*!000), Black rhino (3*!500), Finger monkey (9), Woolly spider monkey (100), Yunnan golden monkey (1*!000), Wild golden monkey (700), White-browed gibbon (70).

1 Animals are beneficial to humans

The origin of humans and animals on Earth was not too far apart in the long history. After the formation of humans, they relied on forestry, fruit, fishing and hunting to survive and evolve. Later, agriculture (the first major social division of labor) and animal husbandry (the second major social division of labor) were developed. With the increase in production, there was surplus value to be exploited, so the primitive society progressed to the slave society.

The relationship between humans and animals is very close and complex. Humans and animals compete for food in the earth's food chain and depend on each other, and they come into contact frequently. Generally, they are divided into 6 categories according to human needs:

1.1 Food Animals: Meat, milk, poultry, eggs, fish, etc. that provide a rich source of nutrition for humans.

1.2 Labor Animals Horses, donkeys, mules, camels, etc. Riding, carrying, pulling, known as the "energy-free" power, with strategic significance.

1.3 Economic Animals Produce wool, fur, leather, etc. Such as sheep, Angora rabbits, nutria, weasels, blue foxes, etc.

1.4 Laboratory Animals: Special animals bred for the purpose of scientific experiments, with strict genetic and biological requirements, currently represented by mice, rats, guinea pigs, and hamsters.

1.5 Medical Animals: Raw materials for biological products such as serum horse, chicken embryo, etc.; testing tools such as rabbits; raw materials for traditional Chinese medicine such as deer (antler), bear (bile), cattle (cow), horse (treasure), tiger (bone), etc.

1.6 Pets: Cats, dogs, parrots, canaries, goldfish, etc. Animals in zoos and circuses are also included.

2 Animals can also be harmful to humans

Animals have about 200 infectious diseases and 80 parasitic diseases, half of which can infect humans. In 1967, the World Health Organization (WHO) named this type of disease that spreads between animals and humans as "zoonoses", which originally meant "animal-borne diseases". Later, the WHO/FAO Joint Expert Committee defined it as "diseases that can spread freely between humans and vertebrates".

Social survey report on endangered animals

Nearly 800 species of animals will become extinct worldwide: How many lives can be restored?

Global animal protection organization announced that 794 species are endangered

The Alliance for Zero Extinction, composed of several animal protection organizations, recently released an "Endangered Species" report, pointing out that nearly 800 species of animals in 595 locations around the world are on the verge of extinction, including China's Yangtze alligator, Africa's Madagascar lemur and the American ivory-billed woodpecker. Amphibians, known as the "ecological barometer", account for one-third of them. Some experts pointed out that if we don't lend a helping hand, we will have to "say goodbye" to these animals completely.

Two cranes soar in the cold winter in New Delhi, the capital of India, on December 12. Many of the beauties of this world are given to us by these precious wild animals, so protecting endangered animals is our responsibility to nature.

The Alliance for Zero Extinction’s Mission

Although extinction is a natural process, the current rate of human-caused extinction is 100 times that of natural extinction. Most species that have become extinct in recent times live on isolated islands, mainly due to the invasion of new species, but most endangered animals found today live in mountainous areas or low-lying areas.

The "Alliance for Zero Extinction" was jointly initiated by 13 international organizations that protect biodiversity, including the Zoological Society of London, Conservation International, and the American Bird Conservancy.

The purpose is to identify and protect the places where species survive, and thus save endangered species. These places are the last habitats of endangered species recognized by the World Conservation Union. Since not all species on the earth have been carefully studied, these 794 species only include birds, mammals, amphibians, conifers and some reptiles.

The organization divides the world into seven major regions, each of which has a number of endangered animal "hotspots". The selection of so-called "hotspots" follows three principles: First, these locations must contain at least one "endangered" or "critically endangered" species. Second, these locations occupy an irreplaceable position in the survival of "endangered" or "critically endangered" animals, such as a certain number of species living here, or spending their lactation period or hibernation period here.

Finally, these zones are independent places relative to the surrounding areas, and must have definable boundaries with the surrounding areas. The various biological populations within the boundaries live in similar environments, but are quite different from the species in the surrounding areas.

Of the 595 sites listed, only a third are legally protected, with the rest surrounded by human settlements and population densities three times the global average. The study's authors say protecting these sites is key to saving the animals from extinction.

Mexico tops the list of endangered species with 63 threatened species locations, followed by Colombia, Brazil and Peru.

In the list compiled by the Alliance for Zero Extinction, the number of endangered species in Latin America is higher than in other regions because the region itself has a high diversity of species and the environment in which animals live has been severely damaged in recent years. The United States ranks eighth on the list.

"We must protect these endangered animals. We cannot estimate how long they can survive, but if we do not act quickly, they will disappear within a few decades," said Butchart, director of BirdLife International's global animal species program. Taylor Ricketts, the main author of the report, also said that although biological extinction is a natural process, the current rate of biological extinction caused by humans is 100 times that of natural extinction. In modern times, although the extinction of some so-called "megafauna" distributed in North America, Australia, Madagascar or other regions is also partly due to human factors, especially hunting and burning, most of the extinct species live on isolated islands, mainly due to the invasion of new species, such as voles. However, most of the endangered sites and animals found now are in mountainous areas and low-lying areas.

Taylor Ricketts said: "We need to know the urgency of the matter. If we don't act quickly, these species will become tomorrow's dodo. But the good news is that we still have time to save these animals." (Note: The dodo has beautiful feathers and was once the national bird of Mauritius. However, after the European colonists came to Mauritius, they began to cut down large tracts of forests and hunted the dodo, which had tender and delicious meat, which eventually led to the extinction of the dodo around 1690.)

The “ecological barometer” is gradually declining

Some people may think that amphibians are ugly and have no special abilities other than catching insects, but this is not true. If they really disappear from the earth, humans will not be better off. Amphibians are the best environmental monitors in nature, and their catastrophic decline indicates that the earth is facing serious environmental degradation.

The report points out that amphibians account for 51% of the "endangered animals" list, with 408 species.

These crawling animals of various shapes, including frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians, are in a very dangerous situation. Amphibians are generally regarded as "the high-frequency noise in the mines". Their permeable skin is very sensitive, which makes them a special early warning device for environmental degradation. Russell, president of Conservation International (CI), a US-based organization, said that amphibians are the best environmental monitors in nature, and their catastrophic decline indicates that the earth is facing serious environmental degradation.

In the late 1970s, the number of amphibians began to decline sharply, and by 1980, 129 species had become extinct. In early 2005, a global amphibian survey report, the Global Amphibian Assessment, showed that 32% of the 5,743 known amphibian species in the world are endangered. However, scientists are still unclear about why amphibians have declined so dramatically, and the main theory at present is habitat reduction.

Due to the wanton deforestation, water pollution and wetland destruction by humans, amphibians have gradually lost their foothold. For example, in California, there lives a large terrestrial salamander, which is named "tiger-striped fire snake" because of its light green stripes. However, according to estimates by US federal officials, this salamander has lost 75% of its habitat so far due to urbanization and agricultural development. In addition, humans prey on it in large numbers for food or as medicine. In addition, it is reported that amphibians are also threatened by a fungus called chytrid. This deadly fungus attacks the skin of amphibians, causing water metabolism disorders in amphibians, leading to mass deaths.

Amphibians are the "barometer" of the Earth's ecosystem. When they die in large numbers, scientists will consider what will die next, animals or plants? According to the survey of the "Zero Extinction Organization", the next ones to die are birds (217 species) and mammals (131 species).

"While protecting these sites and species is important in and of itself, it means so much more," said Mike Paar, secretary of the Alliance for Zero Extinction. "Without effective protection, the genetic diversity of Earth's ecosystems will be destroyed, the multi-billion dollar ecotourism economy will be destroyed, and there will be invaluable supplies of clean water. We have a responsibility to do this."

The doom of Madagascar's lemurs

The sun shines through the mist that permeates the forest, against a beautiful blue sky. Groups of lemurs are happily playing in the woods. Among the lemurs living in Madagascar, Africa, the giant lemur is the largest and has the best voice. "Smooth notes, harmonious melodies, like beautiful scratches left by sound." This is how writer David Quammen describes the calls of giant lemurs. However, we may soon no longer hear such beautiful sounds.

Madagascar is renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity. It is home to primates such as lemurs; colorful lizards, geckos and chameleons; spiny hedgehogs; and mysterious cats such as the lemur, which were the original inhabitants of Madagascar. "Madagascar is truly a naturalist's paradise," wrote naturalist Joseph Philippe Comerson in 1771. "It seems as if the Creator had intended it to be his own private domain, and had furnished it with all the necessary provisions." Before humans set foot on the island, about 2,000 years ago, a large number of plants and animals had already thrived on the island. Lemurs of the Madagascar Islands loved to wander around the island, while giant tortoises and the huge elephant birds (about 3 meters tall and weighing 500 kilograms, their eggs, if made into an omelette, could feed 150 people, and are now extinct) also roamed the island as they pleased. But all this changed after humans arrived, and many species gradually became extinct.

Since people from what is now Indonesia arrived in Madagascar 2,000 years ago, 15 species of lemurs have been harmed and eventually disappeared. Scientists have found "evidence of extensive butchering" on the heads of extinct lemurs. Ventura Pirez, an anthropologist at the University of Massachusetts, said his research team found signs of cutting and chopping with sharp tools, such as skinning, joint removal and slicing.

"After we carefully examined the cut marks, we confirmed that the animals had been slaughtered here, there is no doubt about it," Pirez said. To this day, the killing of lemurs has not ended. Although it has been illegal to kill lemurs and keep them as pets since 1964, the killing of lemurs is still rampant. And because there are no poisonous snakes, deer or antelopes in Madagascar, and large carnivores are rare, the alertness of lemurs has gradually declined during the long evolution process, making them easier targets for humans.

The total number of lemurs in Madagascar is currently estimated at between 1,000 and 10,000, but all scientific research results show that the survival prospects of lemurs are extremely grim. Located 140 kilometers east of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, is the Anaramazacho Reserve. Anaramazacho is an isolated island where lemurs live and the last refuge for lemurs.

However, compared with its rich biological resources, Madagascar is still poor, and many desperate villagers are cutting through the forests to make way. The lemurs' sanctuary is being invaded. Since the local government allows locals to use part of the protected area, people are more unscrupulous in logging and farming. As a result, it is often seen in broad daylight that the lemurs living in the trees watch the uninvited guests who disturb them.

For lemurs, the last ecological chance may only be to hope that tourists from afar can donate money or stay to help them. However, all this is obviously not omnipotent. If these forests are cut down one day, it is not difficult to imagine that lemurs will eventually leave us and disappear forever.

The Bird of God Resurrected on Earth

Climate change and environmental changes suggest that by 2100, at least 1,200 bird species will disappear, and this is only a conservative estimate. Although only 1.3% of bird species have become extinct since 1500, the number of individual birds worldwide is estimated to have decreased by 20% to 25% during the same period.

The ivory-billed woodpecker is named for its ivory-like beak. It is one of the largest woodpeckers in the world, with a body length of 50 cm. The woodpecker in the video has a wingspan of 90 cm. They are covered with bright black and white feathers, with white spots on their wings, and the crown of the male woodpecker is bright red. Because they are so beautiful, almost everyone can't help but say "Oh my God, what a beautiful bird" when they see them, so bird lovers also call the ivory-billed woodpecker "God's bird".

The ivory-billed woodpecker was once widely distributed in the deep forests of the southwestern United States and was a species unique to the United States. However, by the 1880s, the iron hoof of human industrial civilization stepped on nature, and wetlands and forests were almost completely replaced by farms, towns and secondary forests. After the habitat was taken away, the number of ivory-billed woodpeckers plummeted. The last confirmed encounter between humans and ivory-billed woodpeckers occurred in Louisiana in 1944. After that, there were only rumors of people "catching a glimpse", and then gradually even these rumors disappeared.

On February 11, 2004, bird watcher Gene Sparling was traveling by canoe and saw a bird he had never seen before along the White River in eastern Arkansas. Sparling recorded the appearance of this large bird and found that it was the ivory-billed woodpecker that had disappeared for 60 years. After the news was announced, it caused widespread shock in the biological community.

A week later, Tim Gallagher of Cornell Laboratory and Bobby Harrison of Oakwood University found Sparling. Under Sparling's leadership, the two ornithologists began their journey to find the ivory-billed woodpecker. Then, more than 30 ornithologists divided into several research teams and took action, hoping to find the ivory-billed woodpecker again. In the 7,000 hours of searching, more than 30 ornithologists have found traces of the ivory-billed woodpecker 15 times and took a large number of pictures and videos.

After review by many experts from various countries, it was confirmed that the ivory-billed woodpecker is still alive on Earth. Therefore, the Nature Conservancy of the United States applied to the government for protection funds to protect the habitat of the ivory-billed woodpecker and for breeding research on the bird. In order to protect the habitat of the woodpecker reserve, experts from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in New York and the Nature Conservancy kept the news secret for more than a year and did not let the outside world know. Recently, the reserve and bird watching area have been built, and breeding research has begun. In order to allow citizens to better protect this rare bird and to attract more private protection funds, the experts decided to make the news public.

After receiving the news, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton immediately held a press conference and announced a conservation plan called "Corridor of Hope." Norton said: "We are here to announce the launch of a multi-departmental, multi-million dollar conservation plan to provide hope for the continued survival of this rare bird.

This is the first time in my memory that an animal that was thought to be extinct has been rediscovered. This is nature giving us a second chance. "The loss of birds can have serious consequences for humans. For example, in 1997, of the 35,000 to 50,000 rabies deaths in the world, 30,000 were in India, because the decline of Indian vultures led to an explosive growth in the number of wild dogs and rats. In fact, there are many more terrible consequences of the disappearance of birds that we have yet to see, and some experts have commented that the rediscovery and enhanced protection of the ivory-billed woodpecker will become a landmark event in ecological conservation.

Is human foraging causing extinction?

So, while climate change will cause extinction in the long run, the species listed by the Alliance for Zero Extinction face more immediate threats, including human desire for food. It is not yet clear whether future technology will be able to reduce the threat posed by climate change, but unless we act now, these endangered species will not be around to benefit us.

The Alliance for Zero Extinction lists hundreds of endangered species, all of which are facing one kind of survival disaster or another. The Chinese alligator, Madagascar lemur, and ivory-billed woodpecker are just some of the representatives. Can these endangered species survive well? Perhaps no one can give a clear answer to this question, but for the purpose of conservation, some misconceptions must be clarified.

As for the ultimate cause of wildlife extinction, many people use "global warming" to arm their minds, but completely ignore the real danger: the total amount of food for humans will double in the next 50 years, which alone will destroy a large number of wildlife habitats. If people fully realize this, they should allocate more funds to high-yield agricultural research projects.

Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute's Center on Global Food Issues says: "Modern warming is largely natural. Ice cores tell us that the Earth has a 1,500-year climate cycle due to the sun, and many organisms have survived warming cycles over the past million years. Plants generally cannot withstand extreme cold, but few can survive heat. Warming will only make forests more diverse, not less." He adds: "No wildlife species have been found to succumb to modern warming, even though the Earth has warmed by 0.8 degrees Celsius in the past 150 years. If the extinction theory is correct, we have driven thousands of species to extinction." The only refutation biologists can cite is the extinction of the golden toads in Costa Rica, but recent findings show that this extinction was caused by excessive deforestation, not climate change.

The key problem is that humans will continue to seize land for farming and livestock. According to experts, the world's population will reach a stable state in 2040, when there will be 2 billion to 3 billion more people than now. By then, there will be about 7 billion people who are rich enough to demand high-quality food, compared to only about 1 billion now. Therefore, population and wealth will more than double the need for farmland. In the next 200 years, we will see whether low-productivity agriculture will drive out all wild animals.

Sometimes, some green environmental groups want to stop using all nitrogen fertilizers and use pure natural raw materials. But if commercial nitrogen fertilizers are to be eliminated, the world will need to get natural fertilizers from an additional 7 million cows. If that happens, all the forests in the world may have to be used to feed them. Returning to primitive farming can only lead to famine for humans all over the world. This will certainly solve environmental problems, but it will also cause many wild animals to become extinct. Many creatures will become food on people's plates, and at the same time, the land they live on will become less and less, all dedicated to farmland.

Dennis Avery also said: "If you really care about wildlife, you should not blindly deny modern mechanized agriculture, such as industrial fertilizers, but support biotechnology, especially research on high-yield agriculture." Therefore, although climate change will lead to the extinction of species in the long run, the species listed by the "Zero Extinction Alliance" face more immediate threats, including human desire for food. We don't know whether future technology can reduce the threat of climate change, but unless we act now, these endangered species will not be around humans and benefit humans.

The current status of endangered animal protection in China

China is a country with a large distribution of endangered animals. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 120 endangered animals native to China listed in the appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (referring to species originating in China), 257 species listed in the National List of Key Protected Wildlife, 400 species of birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish listed in the China Red Book of Endangered Animals, and hundreds of species listed in the lists of key protected wild animals in provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government. With the continued rapid development of the economy and the deteriorating ecological environment, the number of endangered animals in China will increase.

Since the 1980s, China has also imported a number of animals, such as the saltwater crocodile, Siamese crocodile, crab-eating macaque, chimpanzee, African elephant, etc.

These exotic endangered animals are also protected by the state. Due to the large population and wide range of activities, many precious wild animals are forced to retreat and survive in remote mountainous areas, forests, grasslands, swamps, deserts and other areas. Their distribution areas are extremely narrow. As they are divided into independent groups that are not connected to each other, inbreeding occurs and the species are increasingly degenerated.

China has established hundreds of nature reserves for endangered animals, ensuring that a considerable number of them are effectively protected. The number of wild donkeys, bison, Asian elephants, white-lipped deer, takin, red deer, golden monkeys, great bustards, etc. has increased significantly.

In recent years, we have encountered the contradiction that although the number requirements have been met, artificially bred animals find it difficult to survive in the natural environment. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to the degeneration of organisms.

The Chinese alligator, which is listed as an endangered species by the "Organization for Zero Extinction", has also encountered the same embarrassment.

Answerer: Huang Hai Hua Yuan - Senior Manager Level 6 3-16 07:55

The questioner's evaluation of the answer:

3Q

The evaluation has been closed. There are currently 8 people evaluating

good

50% (4) Not good

50% (4)

Comments on the best answer

Good good good

Commentator: Liaohepi - Tongsheng Level 1

China has established hundreds of nature reserves for endangered animals, which have effectively protected a considerable number of endangered animals. The number of wild donkeys, bison, Asian elephants, white-lipped deer, takin, red deer, golden monkeys, and great bustards has increased significantly. In recent years, we have also encountered the contradiction that although the number has reached the required level, it is difficult for artificially raised animals to survive in the natural environment. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to the degeneration of organisms.

Commentator: Lonely and lightless - Scholar Level 2

I'm in Zhejiang 4th District Wuhua Tianbao, level 105. My QQ number is 373443438. Feel free to come to me for PK or to lead others! My name is Shuai Kuang, I want money! Not expensive, 50,000 per hour!

Where are you from? I can teach you Q582915557