Our earth has seen many changes in the species and ecosystems that have inhabited it over billions of years. There have been multiple mass extinctions in the past and are likely in the future, especially if human degradation stays at the current rate.

There is a natural extinction rate for species and there have always been changes in ecosystems over long periods of time, however that rate has been exponentially increasing over past decades. There are many integrated reasons for threatened and endangered species and habitats, most of which are now anthropic (human) caused issues. Please visit both the species and habitat page to learn about issues the earth has dealt with in the past, present, and future!

So, Why Care?

Forget the cuddly pictures of polar bears and pandas. Forget the images of people washing oil off of birds. Thats all very important stuff, but this is NOT about the preservation of the cute, cuddly, interesting, or even scenic. We , as humans are still quite tied to the ecosystem that we were once so intimately close to. We ARE the first creatures to leave our environment behind in favor of our own creations. Though we, are for the most part removed from the environment, we are still 100% dependant on it.

We need rainforests, we need wetlands, we need praries, forests, and all of the other ecosystems abroad. They provide an invisible balance to which we have grown from and are perfectly adapted to. Our bodies are build specifically for living on this earth in the natural state that it is in. The same goes with all of the other animals and plants on earth.

So if we need these different ecosystems, we definately need all the parts to them, which includes both plants and animals. They are quite dependant on eachother. So, with all this in mind, take a look at what has been done, and what the permanent consequences of our actions have rought.