ASIAN WILDLIFE By: Jacob Beausoleil

GEOGRAPHY Within Asia there are 3 major geographical areas. There are vast snowcapped mountain ranges, low wet line rainforests, and areas with dry and desert like terrain. As a whole, Asia is divided into regions also known as subcontinents. A subcontinent is a large landmass that is part of a continent, but is geographically separate from it. As you'd expect with Asia being such a huge land area, it contains a diverse array of habitats that are home to many of the worlds most endangered spieces.

NATURAL HABITATS South Asia : Densely populated + many Natural Habitats Due to Asia's rapid population growth, natural habitats have been greatly affected by human activities. Its annual rate of growth is so high, that it will eventually have more people than China. Farms overplanted= More forests cut down and less habitats Other habitats within the continent were relatively untouched, until recent decades. The reason the land was left untouched was because of the very little international trade. The growth of international trade in timber and other goods has led to their rapid reduction of natural habitat. As a result of this, some of the birds which inhabited the most densely destroyed habitats are now threatened with extinction. Worldwide there are 63,837 species with about 19,817 threatened species as of July ,947 species are described as critically endangered and 5,766 as endangered. More than 10,000 species are listed as vulnerable. Those that are most endangered are those that are particularly most specialized and least able to adapt to changes in their environment or species with particularly restricted ranges.

3 MAJOR HABITATS Within Asia there are 3 major habitats, freshwater, marine, and terrestrial. Freshwater habitats : Are habitats dominated by the physical properties of fresh water. They are home to a lot of different species. Throughout Asia lies 8 freshwater habitats. Marine habitats: Parts of the earth’s aquatic ecosystem. They are home to a host of different species ranging from planktonic organisms that form the base of the marine food web to large marine mammals. Since Asia doesn’t have that many saltwater areas there are only 4 marine habitats. Terrestrial Habitats: Habitats that contain only land. So, Animals that live on land are called terrestrial animals. Within Asia there lies 21 Terrestrial Habitats.

FRESHWATER HABITATS Freshwater Habitats: Bog Brackish water Lakes and Ponds Marsh Rivers and streams Swamp Temporary Pools Wetlands

MARINE HABITATS Marine Habitats: Estuaries Intertidal zone Reefs Rockpools

TERRESTRIAL HABITATS Terrestrial Habitats Broadleaf forest Coastal Coniferous forest Desert Farmland Flooded grassland Heathland Mangroves Moorland Mountain Grassland Mountains Polar Rainforest Taiga Temperate Grassland Tropical coniferous forest Tropical dry forest Tropical grassland Tundra's Urban Wildflower Meadow

ENDANGERED SPECIES 500 species endangered: in Asia This earth provides a home to countless and millions of animals. 1.5 million species of animals have been identified. More species of insects exist than any other species. And of course, there are many more insects that haven't even been discovered yet. The scientists in fact think that there are about 30 million more insects still to be discovered yet. We of course might never know the total undiscovered yet. So little is known about the existing creatures. Even lesser is known about the possibilities of the evolving creatures. A chance to discover the new creatures just might be becoming a distinct dream because their habitats are being destroyed. Some of the most exquisite and unusual creatures are becoming endangered. These animals play an important role in the ecological balance and the environment.

THE UNFORTUNATE ENDANGERED SPECIES There are now 41,415 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Red List (Threated species becoming endangered). 16,306 of them are endangered species threatened with extinction. This includes both endangered animals and endangered plants. The species endangered include one in four mammals, one in eight birds, one third of all amphibians and 70% of the world’s assessed plants on the 2007 International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List are in jeopardy of extinction. The total number of extinct species has reached 785 and a further 65 are only found in captivity or in cultivation. In the last 500 years, human activity has forced over 800 species into extinction.

THE ASIAN ELEPHANT The elephant is Earth's largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin Type : Mammal Diet: Herbivore eats roots, grasses, fruit, and bark, and they eat a lot of these things Average life span in the wild: Up to 60 years Size: Height at the shoulder, 6.6 to 9.8 ft (2 to 3 m) Weight: 2.25 to 5.5 tons (2,041 to 4,990 kg) Group name: Herd Protection status: Endangered

THE RED PANDA Red pandas were once thought to be closely related to the giant panda, but genetics has shown they are more closely allied with the raccoon and weasel Type: Mammal Diet: The Red Panda is an omnivore. Its diet contains, lizards, insects, birds, and plants. Red Pandas mostly feed off of bamboo. Average life span in the wild: 8 years Size: Head and body, 20 to 26 in (50 to 65 cm); Tail, 12 to 20 in (30 to 50 cm) Weight: 12 to 20 lbs (5.4 to 9 kg) Protection status: Endangered (victims of deforestation)

THE BENGAL TIGER Bengal tigers live in India and are sometimes called Indian tigers. They are the most common tiger and number about half of all wild tigers. Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Average life span in the wild: 8 to 10 years Size: Head and body, 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m); tail, 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9 m) Weight: 240 to 500 lbs (109 to 227 kg) Protection status: Endangered Did you know? A tiger's roar can be heard as far as 2 mi (3 km) away.

THE ASIAN LION Nearly all wild lions live in sub-Saharan Africa, but one small population of Asian lions exists in India's Gir Forest. Asian lions once prowled from the Middle East to India. Now, only 200 to 260 of these magnificent animals survive in the wild. Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Average life span in the wild: 16 to 18 years Weight: 300 to 500 lbs (120 to 226 kg) Group name: Pride Protection status: Endangered

WORK CITED World Culture Geography Book