Endangered Species The South China Tiger Tahlia Kostenberger

Introduction “The Living World” Endangered species has increasingly become a environmental problem There are 6,500 species in the US that scientists believe are at risk of extinction; however, only 1,200 are officially listed as threatened or endangered. Paul Ehrlich – warned that biodiversity is in such danger that we must "cease developing any more relatively undeveloped land" (Ehrlich and Wilson 1991, 758).   

South China Tiger The South China Tiger is on the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) listing as a critically endangered species. Many other species such as salmon, polar bears, and gray wolves are endangered. Wildlife crime is an urgent threat to many of the world's most loved species, particularly tigers, elephants, and rhinos. Endangered species such as the South China Tiger have been unsustainably hunted and killed. China realized the detrimental effects hunting had on food chains and biodiversity and outlawed tiger hunting in 1979. While they declared the South China tiger's survival a conservation priority in 1995, even if some of these species remain, none of the existing protected habitats are large, healthy, and undisturbed enough to sustain viable tiger populations. Humans need to contribute to helping protect endangered species because once they're gone, they cannot be brought back. 

Listing Procedure After receiving a petition to list a species, the two federal agencies take the following steps, or rulemaking procedures, with each step being published in the Federal Register: 1. If a petition presents information that the species is imperiled, a screening period of 90 days begins. If it doesn’t present substantial information, however, it is denied. 2. If the information is substantial, a status review is started – a comprehensive assessment of a species’ biological status and threats such as “warranted,” “not warranted,” or “warranted but precluded.” 3. Within another year, a final determination is made on whether to list the species. The final rule time limit may be extended for six months and listings may be grouped together according to similarities.

Cited Companies/Organizations IUCN: (International Union for the Conservation of Nature): founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species The Endangered Species Act: In 1969, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Defense passed the Endangered Species Conservation Act to prevent mass extinctions of certain species. The use of endangered species by humans for food, fur, and other commercial uses was outlawed by this act and by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The 1973 Endangered Species Act is one of the most significant environmental laws in America and defines endangered or threatened species, etc. China’s Tiger Recovery Program (CTRP): will last till 2022, aims to improve quality of tiger habitats, establish monitoring systems, crack down on paching, smuggling and illegal trade of tiger products, balance tiger conservation with local economy and enhance international exchange and cooperation on tiger conservation. WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment. It was formerly named World Wildlife Fund, which is still its official title in Canada and the US. It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with over 5 million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, supporting around 1,300 conservation and environmental projects. CITES: the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, restricting international commerce between participating nations for plant and animal species believed to be harmed by trade.

Hypothesis Several variables are presumed to affect rates of endangered animal species including economic growth, energy use, and land use. Ecologist Paul Ehrlich posits that per capita energy use, both on a global and on a national basis, is highly correlated with rates of endangered and extinct species.

Response The South China Tiger is simply one example of the many thousands of species that are likely to become extinct if humans do not refrain from hunting or poaching and do not commit to preserving these creatures' habitats and leaving them to their natural way of life. I believe that humans need to realize the seriousness of this issue and the impact that their illegal activities can have on wildlife. I think that this is an important societal issue because these species can only survive these high levels of poaching for so long. Humans can help save wildlife and prevent becoming victims of wildlife crime by: Reducing demand for skins of these animals or other products containing illegal wildlife parts Pushing government to enforce laws and maintain the commitment to protect endangered species and illegal poaching (CITES) Speaking up for those being poached and making sure they are properly equipped and trained to survive.

Significance Many people hunt and poach species like the South China Tiger because they want to selfishly gain a profit from selling products made from parts of the animal. However, some do not realize that charismatic species like tigers are a huge tourist draw and are an important source of revenue in many countries and are worth more alive than dead. There are so few South China tigers that their population is believed to be extinct in the wild.

Questions Why is there still a huge amount of endangered species that are not listed on the IUCN compiled list of endangered species? Why is it such a long process for a species to become listed as endangered?

Visual Aid http://youtu.be/sRDvsOwwK0Y

“Saving tigers is simple “Saving tigers is simple. All they need is enough prey, space and protection. The difficult part is securing unswerving long-term commitment from the world to save this species.” Dr. Barney Long Asian Species Expert

Citations "Threatened & Endangered Species." Threatened and Endangered Species. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013. Link: http://marinebio.org/oceans/threatened-endangered-species.asp "Speak Out Against Attacks on the Endangered Species Act." Speak Out Against Attacks on the Endangered Species Act. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013. Link: https://secure.earthjustice.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1189 "South China Tiger." WWF. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013. Link: http://worldwildlife.org/species/south-china-tiger Ehrlich, Paul R., and Edward O. Wilson. 1991. Biodiversity Studies: Science and Policy. Science 253 (August 16): 758–62. "WWF China - China Launches Plan to Recover Wild Tigers." WWF China. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013. Link: http://wwfcn.panda.org/en/?3760/China-Launches-Plan-to-Recover-Wild-Tigers