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Challenges
of Saving Plants in Peril
Conservationists in North Carolina work in the field regularly. |
Shrinking Habitat
The greatest threat to biodiversity today is habitat loss and alteration. Across the globe, habitat for wild plants and animals is shrinking at alarming rates as human needs have often overlooked the needs of wildlife, it is now obvious that our well-being as a species depends on the health of other species. For example, over the last 200 years, nearly half of all U.S. wetlands, once considered undesirable and useless land, have been destroyed by development. From experience and research, we now understand that wetlands not only provide essential habitat for many species, including commercially important fish, but also act as buffers against flooding and erosion and help to filter sediments and pollutants from the water.
Harmful Hobbies
Our recreational habits can sometimes have adverse effects on wild plants and animals. Uncontrolled use of off-road vehicles, for example, endangers fragile habitats such as California sand dunes, which are home to dozens of native species that grow nowhere else. Plant collecting can also become a harmful hobby when we take rare plants from the wild to fill our homes and gardens. Many people unwittingly buy endangered plants or bulbs for their gardens because they are unaware that these plants were taken from the wild illegally. To combat this problem, conservation organizations have produced informational materials such as The Gardener’s Guide to Plant Conservation (World Wildlife Fund), and laws have been created to prohibit the sale of endangered species. However, collecting pressures continue to threaten many cacti, orchids, pitcher plants, and other native species of ornamental value.
Alien Invaders
Whether they are introduced intentionally, species that are brought to an area where they don’t naturally occur (called alien, introduced, or exotic species) can have devastating effects on biodiversity as they outcompete or destroy native species. For example, native plants are literally trampled and eaten into extinction in Hawaii and some other parts of the country by introduced animals such as goats and pigs. Introduced plants, like kudzu, can have the same impact by overcrowding or outcompeting natives. Although Hawaii appears very lush and green, most areas seen by tourists now contain no native species.