1. Endangered Species

2. Endangered Species Act of 1973
Requires the U.S. Department of Interior to protect species in danger of extinction
Endangered
If chances of survival and reproduction are in immediate jeopardy
Threatened
If species is likely to become endangered
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Maintain official list of endangered and threatened species

3. Extinction – With of Without Humans
There have been at least five major mass extinctions before modern times
Best known is the dinosaur extinction
Extinction is a natural process, but human activities are causing species to disappear much faster
Human activities
Habitat loss
Poaching
Isolation by habitat fragmentation

4. Back from the Brink
When the settlers arrived, the American Bison were flourishing in the Great plains
The settlers slaughtered the bison
By 1900, fewer than 1000 of the 60 million bison that once roamed North America remained
In 1894, Congress passed a law making it illegal to shoot Bison
The U.S. army was given the task of protecting the Bison
The Bison are no longer in danger of extinction

5. Return of the Wolves
Massive slaughter of bison had a detrimental effect on the wolf population
With the elimination of their prey, wolves turned to livestock
Ranchers defended their property with guns, poisons, and traps
More than 100,000 wolves were killed between
Wolves moved to national park preservations
Grey wolf endangered in 48 states

6. Why not let them die? Plants seen as chemical factories
Biodiversity improves stability of an ecosystem
One fourth of all prescription drugs contain plant materials
Keystone Species
Keeps ecosystem in balance
Loss of this species will cause a chain reaction and disruption with ecosystem

7. Future of the Endangered Species Act
Critics consider it a barrier to development and threat to economic growth
According to US Fish and Wildlife, very few development projects are stopped because of endangered species
Many species are in trouble because they have not been labeled endangered or threatened
Many believe focus should be on saving entire ecosystems and not just one species