The news that wildlife is in danger seems unsettling… at first, but eventually lulls. It doesn’t matter if it’s California condors, tigers, pandas, mountain gorillas, or coral reefs.
Is it worth worrying about them? Certainly! If the cute pandas disappear, we will feel sad, but we don’t depend on them. However, it is extremely crucial to care about humans instead of spending millions on animal preservation.
The cost of preserving wildlife and plant life is significant. Is essential?
There are multiple reasons why we should not save endangered species. The staggering cost is the most obvious. Billions are spent each year conserving endangered wildlife instead of caring for the hungry, dying or sick. It is difficult to understand why predators such as wolves and tigers, which are a threat to livestock and people, are preserved.
Actually, the extinction is natural, and the one we know about is the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. However, species are disappearing faster than ever. It has multiplied by a hundred in the last century. Humans are to blame. Fortunately, humans adore the natural world, and even wild animals are believed to be fascinating, majestic, and cute.
The aesthetic value of beautiful nature is worth it, which is why some prefer it to be preserved just like the paintings and architecture. However, some people do not connect with animals or plants, which are just dark, ugly or smelly.
In western countries, tigers are kept because they look good. In rural India, they are not welcome because tigers are a threat to their family. You can see that each person has their likes and dislikes, but there is a need for a practical reason to conserve endangered wildlife.
Practical reasons to invest in wildlife preservation
Nature offers innumerable ‘Ecosystem Services’
• The bioprospecting process includes exploring nature to discover useful commercial products. New medicines can be discovered without having to trek perilous miles through the jungle in the vague hope of discovering some kind of miracle plant.
• In addition, there is the issue of local people who are already familiar with the uses of medicinal plants and do not like outsiders trying to name them.
• The other dilemma is what happens with those species that are useless. For example, the blood of mountain gorillas is impossible to have a therapeutic use for cancer.
• Fortunately, biologists revealed in 1990 that plants and animals benefit humans by being there. They offer ‘ecosystem services’, which we take for granted.
• Services can be direct or indirect. For example, green plants and marine plankton offer pure oxygen, which is a direct and obvious service. On the other hand, bumblebees are pollinating insects that help various crop plants produce seeds, or they will not survive and give us food. Their services are subtle, so the decline in pollinating insects may be cause for concern.
Imagine if there were no plants on earth, humans would need to design a chemical processing plant to produce oxygen and even water. If there is nothing to eat, produce artificial food, which will be difficult to digest.
Will you be able to create good microorganisms living in the intestine artificially? Instead of going through all the stress, it seems simple to let today’s wildlife take care of it for us. The range of ecosystem services is extraordinarily wide and gigantic when you add it all up.
strong ecotourism
• Preserving wildlife is not ‘Nature in itself’, but can be morally considered as ‘Nature for people’ due to the concept of ecosystem services. Even if you don’t care about wildlife, it is of great value to the ecotourism sector.
• If you take a selective approach to conservation, like keeping the things that attract tourists and letting the rest die out.
• However, for specific wildlife, there will be a need for thick, tree-filled jungle, which cannot be ignored. It even means that you will need to conserve other animals that will help shape the plant community.
• For many people who live near forests they plan safari holidays and take tourists to see wildlife. These people benefit from wildlife conservation. Running tours pays better than farming. Ecotourism is a path, where nature compensates itself.
Keep the ecosystem stable and resilient
• You cannot separate a couple of wildlife species from the larger web. If you remove just one species, there may not be a problem at all, or it may trigger a ripple effect that can change the entire ecosystem.
• Prediction is hard! You may find out whether to allow the species to disappear only to discover that it is too late to reverse the situation. Forest conservation is not just saving wild species, but ensuring regular water supply.
• We have experienced weather fluctuations. Too much rain means floods, and too little defines a drought. Both are life threatening. The trees on the hills ensure a reliable supply of fresh water for the people residing in the lowlands. Forests must be stable and resilient.
• According to ecologists, ecosystems with a wide range of plant and animal species are stable and strong. They are less susceptible to unexpected deaths. For example, a small lazy worm is not useful to humans, but possibly supports the ecosystem that provides valuable services.
Science has shown that the ecosystem offers thousands of things without which a man cannot survive. The ecologist recommends that the more diversity there is in the ecosystem, the better. Therefore, in terms of food and water, it is essential to invest funds in conservation schemes.
‘NATURE FOR PEOPLE’!