En E d n a d n a g n e g r e e r d e sp s e p c e i c e i s e

Transcription

1 Endangeredspecies

2 Endangeredspecies? An endangered speciesis a species of organisms facing a very high risk of extinction.

3 Where?

4 Marine turtles For more than 100 million years marine turtles have covered vast distances across the world's oceans, filling a vital role in the balance of marine habitats. WHY THEY MATTER? Marine turtles are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems. They help maintain the health of sea grass beds and coral reefs that benefit commercially valuable species such as shrimp, lobster and tuna.

5 HABITATS Open water and coasts Seven different species of marine turtles grace our ocean waters.

6 Human activities have tipped the scales against the survival of these ancient mariners. Nearly all species of marine turtle are classified as Endangered. Slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin and shells, marine turtles suffer from poaching and over-exploitation.

7 THREATSMarine turtles journey between land and sea and swim thousands of ocean miles during their long lifetimes, exposing them to countless threats. They wait decades until they can reproduce, returning to the same beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. Marine turtles face also multiple threats caused by humans.

8 OVERHARVESTING AND ILLEGAL TRADEMarine turtles continue to be harvested unsustainably : turtle meat and eggs are a source of food and income for many people around the world. Some also kill turtles for medicine and religious ceremonies. Tens of thousands of marine turtles are lost this way every year. While international trade in all marine turtle species and their parts is prohibited, illegal trafficking persists.

9 CLIMATE CHANGEAll stages of a marine turtle s life are affected by environmental conditions such as temperature even the sex of offspring. Unusually warm temperatures caused by climate change are disrupting the normal ratios, resulting in fewer male hatchlings.

10 Polar bears are classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean. They have a thick layer of body fat and a water-repellent coat that insulates them from the cold air and water. Polarbears

11 IMPORTANCE OF POLAR BEARPolar bears are at the top of the food chain and have an important role in the overall health of the marine environment. Polar bears depend on sea ice for their existence and are directly impacted by climate change. The loss of sea ice habitat from climate change is the biggest threat to the survival of polar bears.

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13 PROTECTING THE "LAST ICE AREA" OF THE ARCTIC Scientists believe that a natural safety net of ice in the High Arctic of Canada and Greenland, ice covering 500,000 square miles (twice the size of Texas) may persist longer than the ice anywhere else. Since 1992, WWF has been working with partners to sustainably preserve the rich biodiversity of this region.

14 CLIMATE CHANGEPolar bears depend on sea ice. In the southern range of polar bears, the shorter sea ice season has decreased the amount of time bears can hunt for their prey. Sea ice break-up forces them to spend the summer relying on their fat stores from the previous summer to survive.

15 POLAR BEAR- HUMAN CONFLICTSAs climate change forces polar bears to spend longer time onshore, they come in contact more often with Arctic communities.

16 UNSUSTAINABLE HUNTINGMany Arctic areas have strong polar bear management and monitoring plans. But there are a few places where unsustainable hunting appears to be happening, including unreported and illegal hunting.

17 INDUSTRIAL IMPACTSIn the Arctic, most industrial development has been on relatively small pieces of land. As summer sea ice retreats, a new ocean is emerging, which allows more opportunities for industrial development at sea and on larger parcels of a land

18 Elephants The largest land mammal on earth, the African elephant weighs up to eight tons. The elephant is distinguished by its massive body, large ears and a long trunk, which has many uses ranging from using it as a hand to pick up objects, as a horn to trumpet warnings, an arm raised in greeting to a hose for drinking water or bathing.

19 Led by a matriarch, elephants are organized into complex social structures of females and calves, while male elephants tend to live in isolation. These calves stay with their mothers for years and are also cared for by other females in the group. The two species of elephants African and Asian need extensive land to survive. Roaming in herds and consuming hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day

20 THREATS The greatest threats facing elephants today are poaching, conflict with humans, habitat loss and degradation. Elephants across Africa and Asia are being poached for their ivory at increasing levels.

21 WHY THEY MATTER Elephants help maintain forest and savannah ecosystems for other species, and are integrally tied to rich biodiversity

22 HABITAT LOSS Elephants are also losing their habitats and ancient migratory routes due to expanding human settlements, plantation development and the construction of infrastructure such as roads, canals and pipelines. As a result, the level of human-elephant conflict rises as elephants are forced to try access resources.

23 ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADEIn 1989, CITES banned the international trade in ivory. However, there are still some thriving but unregulated domestic ivory markets in a number of countries, which fuel an illegal international trade.

24 PROTECTING ELEPHANT HABITATWWF establishes new protected areas within elephant ranges and improving management effectiveness within existing protected areas..

25 Pandas This peaceful creature with a distinctive black and white coat is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. The bear also has a special significance for WWF. The panda has been WWF's logo since our founding in 1961.

26 The rarest member of the bear family, pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat from 26 to 84 pounds of it every day.

27 Newborn pandas are about the size of a stick of butter but can grow to up to 330 pounds as adults. These bears are excellent tree-climbers. Pandas play a crucial role in the bamboo forests where they roam by spreading seeds and facilitating growth of vegetation. The panda s habitat is at the geographic and economic heart of China, home to millions of people.

28 HABITAT LOSSChina s Yangtze Basin region, which holds the panda s primary habitat, is the geographic and economic heart of this booming country. Roads and railroads are increasingly fragmenting the forest, which isolates panda populations and prevents mating. Forest destruction also reduces pandas access to the bamboo they need to survive.

29 HUNTINGHunting remains an ever-present threat. Poaching the animals for their fur has declined due to strict laws and greater public awareness of the panda s protected status. But hunters seeking other animals in panda habitats continue to kill pandas accidentally.

30 Work madeby: Federica Forgiarini Giulia Giacomelli Francesca Montani Alessia Paccagnini

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