A Study on the Need of Natural Environment for Animals and Birds

INTRODUCTION

Human activity often changes or destroys the habitats that plants and animals need to survive. Because human populations are growing so fast animals and plants are disappearing 1000 times faster than they have in the past 65 million years. Scientists estimate that in the 21st century 100 species will become extinct every day. Animals and plants have always had a hard time surviving. Scientists estimate that over two thirds of the animals and plants that once lived on Earth are now extinct. Animals became extinct in the past for a wide variety of reasons. In some cases competition for resources among animals led to extinction in other cases environmental changes caused extinction. Scientists think dinosaurs became extinct because a meteorite struck the Earth and caused changes in the environment that the dinosaurs and other animals and plants couldn't adapt to. Some animals, like the Karner Blue butterfly, are endangered because they need very special environments to survive. The Karner Blue is dependent on the wild lupine. The wild lupine is a plant that grows in pine and oak barrens in the Northeast and Midwest. It is the only known food source of the larvae of the Karner blue. Without this plant the butterfly can't survive. Wild lupine grows best in sandy soils where forest fires occasionally clear out old vegetation. Fire helps keep shrubs low and clears the areas of plants like aspen and maple that can take over the area and create too much shade for lupine to grow. Karner blues rely on lupine for their whole life cycle. They attach their eggs to the stems of the plants and newly hatched caterpillars eat the leaves of the plant. If wild lupine doesn't grow, the Karner blue doesn't survive. Because humans control wildfires, lupine isn't as abundant as it used to be. Lupine is also killed by pesticides. Because lupine is harder to find, the population of Karner blues has drooped by 99 percent in the last two decades. Some animals are endangered because exotic or non-native species were introduced to their habitats. In Hawaii, the state bird, the Nene Goose, is in danger, in part, because of the mongoose. The mongoose was brought into Hawaii by planters to help control rats in sugar cane fields. The planters didn't realize that rats are nocturnal and the mongoose hunts in the day. The mongoose

than 800 left in the state.

ANIMALS AND BIRDS

Some animals are endangered because of a combination of natural and man-made causes. The West Indian manatee is an endangered aquatic mammal that lives in rivers, estuaries, canals and saltwater bays. Manatees need warm water to survive. In the winter they live in southern Florida and parts of Georgia. In the summer they can migrate as far north as Virginia and west to Louisiana. Sometimes manatees die because they don't migrate back to warm water soon enough. There are currently a little under 2,000 manatees in Florida. Every year about 150 die. Manatees are often killed when they are hit by boats. Manatees can also die when they get caught in fishing nets. Manatees only give birth every two to five years and they only have one calf at a time. Because their reproduction rate is so low and mortality rates are high, manatee populations are endangered. Every living creature needs room to exist and reproduce. The natural home of a plant, animal or other organism is known as its habitat and maintaining this space is crucial to the ongoing survival of both individuals and species. Unfortunately, the habitats of large numbers of the Earth‘s plant and animal species are under threat due to the impact of human beings on the planet. Habitat loss is contributing to the permanent loss of species, the weakening of ecosystems, and is impacting on both the overall health of the planet and the quality of human life. Human activity is by far the biggest cause of habitat loss. The planet‘s human population has doubled in the past 50 years and the pressure to house and feed more than seven billion people has seen incursions into previously pristine natural habitats increase dramatically. At the same time, human impacts on the Earth‘s climate are radically changing weather patterns and, as a result, the spread and nature of wild habitats. The primary individual cause of loss of habitat is the clearing of land for agriculture. An estimated 177,000 square kilometres of forests and woodlands are cleared annually to make space for farming or in order to harvest timber for fuel and wood products. Estimates suggest the Earth has lost about half of its forests in 8,000 years of human activity, with much of this occurring in recent decades. About 3% of forests The loss of wetlands, plains, lakes, and other natural environments all destroy or degrade habitat, as do other human activities such as introducing invasive species, polluting, trading in wildlife, and engaging in wars. This destruction of habitat also involves marine zones and the ocean, with urbanization, industrialization and tourism all affecting habitats in coastal areas. Some 40% of the global population lives within 100 kilometres of the coast, placing major strains on wetlands and oceans. With such significant habitat destruction underway, the effects on ecosystems and wildlife are significant. Figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) suggest about 2,000 mammals around the globe are affected by habitat loss. It is the primary threat to 85% of species on the union‘s Red List which lists organisms whose existence is either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. The problem is particularly acute in Australia where, thanks to human impacts, more mammal species have been lost in the past 200 years than in all other continents combined. Of the 1,250 plant and 390 terrestrial animal species considered threatened, 964 plants and 286 animals have deforestation and resulting habitat fragmentation or degradation listed as threats. These include Carnaby‘s cockatoo, the southern cassowary, Bennet‘s tree kangaroo, the Cape York rock-wallaby, and the black-fl anked rock-wallaby, as well as the iconic koala, recently listed as vulnerable to extinction in Queensland and NSW. While tree-clearing is a significant cause of habitat loss in Australia, other major contributing factors include altered bushfire frequency and the introduction of pest species such as cats, foxes and weeds that make habitats unsafe for native species or outcompete them.

Wildlife is one of the components of biodiversity. It is a general term that technically covers both flora and fauna, although this document will cover fauna only. In popular use, wildlife mostly refers to animals in the wild. Perhaps a classic image of wildlife for many people is a large mammal or a flock of wild birds, but the term is widely used to cover all types of animals, including all kinds of insects and marine life. Killing of wild animals and birds on the large scale by man is a serious threat that wildlife is facing for its survival. This disturbs the food chain and also the ecosystem. We can understand better with the help of an example; snake as a wild animal snakes indiscriminately in large numbers. This killing of snakes disrupts the food chain and creates imbalance in the nature. Diverse wildlife is an essential component of an ecosystem and a sign of a healthy environment. Humans derive many essential goods from ecosystems, including seafood, game animals, feed for animals, firewood, timber, and medicinal products. Diverse wildlife provides a range of services to humans, which are often unnoticed by many. These services include: medicines, air and water purification, drought and flood mitigation, generation and preservation of soils and renewal of fertility, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, and control of the vast majority of potential agricultural pests. The Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), its thematic programs and its cross-cutting issues are the major global reference for the topic of wildlife tourism. The Secretariat of CBD provides links between various thematic programs to assist in the Convention‘s implementation. These programs, such as island biodiversity, marine and coastal biodiversity, forests, and invasive species, are crucial to a complementary approach to tourism issues. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization working on issues relating to the conservation, research and restoration of the environment. It is the world‘s largest independent conservation organization, with over 5 million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, and supporting around 1,300 conservation and environmental projects. WWF has special tourism topics within its major thematic programs. WWF, among others, encourages responsible tourism that enhances not only the quality of life but also natural and cultural resources in destinations. Capacity building is important in countries where environmental awareness is still low. Brazil has been witnessing an explosion of interest in international funding for ecotourism. However, because of the low environmental awareness, this threatens uncontrolled tourism, which would have serious impacts on natural habitats. So, WWF Brazil has instigated a program of awareness raising at local and national levels, as a way of promoting ecotourism that is community-based and well regulated.

Meanwhile, on the Great Barrier Reef, the impacts of human-induced climate change are altering the habitats of corals, leading to large-scale coral bleaching. Over time, destruction of such habitats While, significant tracts of habitat have been lost, and along with them many species of plant and animal, steps can be taken to slow and even reverse the process. One key measure is the establishment of protected areas where human activity is restricted in order to conserve existing ecosystems and wildlife. Well-planned and well-managed reserves, parks and forests can help to safeguard freshwater and food supplies, reduce poverty, and reduce the impacts of natural disasters.

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Assistant Professor, Govt. College, Karauli