Habitat Conservation

Habitat conservation for wild species is one of the most important issues facing the environment today - both in the ocean and on land. As human populations increase, land use increases, and wild species have smaller spaces to call home. More than half of Earth's terrestrial surface has been altered due to human activity, resulting in drastic deforestation, erosion and loss of topsoil, biodiversity loss, and extinction. Species cannot survive outside of their natural habitat without human intervention, such as the habitats found in a zoo or aquarium, for example. Preserving habitats is essential to preserving biodiversity. Migratory species are particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction because they tend to inhabit more than one natural habitat. This creates the need to not only preserve the two habitats for migratory species, but also their migratory route. Altering a natural habitat even slightly can result in a domino effect that harms the entire ecosystem.
The following is an example illustrating this point by anurag guleria..

Habitats don't exist in isolation; most of them have inputs and outputs connected to other habitats and ecosystems. Take Mono Lake, for instance, a spectacular lake on the east side of the Sierra Nevada in California. Its water source is streams fed by winter rains and melting snow in the mountains. In its natural state, water leaves the lake only by evaporation. The balance between the inflowing streams and evaporation created a saline lake with many unique features, including a species of brine shrimp found only in Mono Lake. As a large, food-rich body of water in a desert area, the lake is a major fueling stop for migratory waterbirds and a major nesting area for other species, such as California gulls. When water from the lake's inflowing streams was diverted to quench the ever-growing thirst of Southern California, the lake level dropped drastically. Islands in the lake became connected to the mainland, giving coyotes and other predators access to an easy source of food: nesting California gulls. With adequate inflowing water, the islands were good nesting habitat; without the water they were unsuitable as nesting habitat. Without adequate inflowing water, the lake also would become too saline for the Mono brine shrimp to survive and for migratory waterbirds to feed in. Recognition of this fundamental relationship between inflow and habitat for many species was the partial basis of a successful court action that reduced the diversion of water from the inflowing streams.

The Problems
Habitat destruction is a huge problem in the marine environment. Habitats are destroyed by:

• Destructive fishing activity: bottom trawling and dynamiting coral reefs destroy entire ecosystems.
  
• Coastal development: habitats are destroyed when marshes are dredged for real estate development. Soil runoff and erosion result in excess nutrients from fertilizers and domestic sewage, which then leads to harmful algae blooms that block sunlight and deplete the water of oxygen. It also causes silt to build-up on coral reefs, which blocks sunlight necessary for coral to grow.
  
• Pollution: development near coastal waters contaminates the Ocean with toxic substances, such as industrial chemicals, pesticides, and motor oil.
  
• Dredging ship channels: Removes accumulated sediment and pollutants, re-suspending them into the water. Dredging can also destroy sea grass beds and other habitats that provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds. The dredged material must be disposed of, and is often dumped into salt marshes, damaging very productive marine habitats in the process.

 



Solutions

• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): marine sites such as sanctuaries, fisheries management areas, state conservation areas, and wildlife refuges established to protect habitats, endangered species, and to restore the health of marine ecosystems in areas jeopardized by habitat and species loss.
  
  Examples: NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries: USA
  
• Marine Reserves: marine sites that provide a higher degree of ecosystem protection by prohibiting fishing, mineral extraction, and other habitat-altering activities. Marine Reserves are far more effective than MPAs, but unfortunately, they are not as common.
  
  Example: Marine Reserves in New Zealand
  
• Land use and development regulation: An integrated approach to land use and management based on scientific knowledge is needed to protect coastal areas. Policy makers need to be informed on the impact coastal development is having on marine habitats through accessible and evidence-based information.
  
• Monitoring and reporting: some conservation efforts are empowering the citizens with the responsibility for monitoring water quality in their coastal communities through sampling and testing, photographing fouled areas, and providing information to local policy makers for action.
  
• Zoning: related to integrated land use and development management, zoning coastal areas into MPAs, Marine Reserves, approved fishing areas, with varying levels of use has the potential to slow some of the habitat degradation caused by development. The Great Barrier Reef is managed in this way. Through cooperation among local, state, and national governments, this approach may provide a viable solution to all stakeholders from tourists, to the fishing industry, to conservation efforts, etc.

Although habitat destruction has been increasing for many years, the protection of marine habitats has only recently become an issue of critical importance to conservation efforts, local and national governments, and international marine conservation groups. The Ocean's invulnerability to human activity is now being realized as a myth. Coastal regions are still experiencing intense pressure by exploding coastal populations; however, there are solutions at hand to prevent further damage from occurring.


 


Everyone knows that the northern spotted owl is threatened because of destruction to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, but what will happen to the Pacific seahorse if its habitat continues to decline? Due to the lack of a strong public sea ethic, marine life doesn't appear on the conservation radar screen as much as its terrestrial counterparts, but ocean habitats are in decline as well, and therefore, the creatures they support are too, which in turn support us. Most marine habitat destruction is caused by pollution, commercial fishing equipment, coastal development, and other human activity. Much of it can be avoided with simple measures.

Wildlife Trade

What we are doing

WWF plays an important role in fighting illegal trade, most significantly through TRAFFIC – the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring network. Founded in 1976 by WWF and IUCN (The World Conservation Union), TRAFFIC operates a world-wide network of 25 offices. It conducts pioneering work on species in trade, policy impacts and market dynamics to ensure that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, is effective in regulating and protecting animals and plants sold in the international market place.
TRAFFIC North America (NA) works through its offices in the United States, Canada and Mexico, engaging a wide range of stakeholders and decision makers in targeted actions and strategies designed to minimize and eventually eliminate the illegal trade in wildlife species, particularly in tigers, elephants, rhinos and apes. TRAFFIC NA communicates critical information on wildlife trade to diverse audiences including academia, governments, and the general public via key fora and international media coverage.

Through its on-the-ground activities; provision of intelligence to enforcement agencies; educational efforts; local, national, and international policy work; and attention to the business of Internet trafficking, TRAFFIC NA creates a framework for stronger protections for threatened and endangered species around the world.

Cracking the Wildlife Trade Crime 

Traffic NA are focusing on three objectives to combat illegal wildlife trade:

Objective 1 - Reduce the impacts of wildlife trade on native North American and exotic species caused by North American consumption, by monitoring trade, warning of trade problems, and supporting policy and enforcement efforts.
Objective 2 - Reduce illegal and unsustainable trade in tigers and leopards in Asia for use in fur and traditional medicine trade, in elephants for their ivory, and in great apes for bushmeat and pets/zoos through supporting and initiating programs to investigate trade, raise capacity to enforce laws, improve policies, and gain the interest of the United States government to leverage influence internationally.
Objective 3 - Support initiatives to regulate wildlife trade in the priority places of Mexico, Southeast Asia, China, India, and Nepal, and via the Internet, to protect threatened species by law enforcement capacity building, awareness raising, field investigations, political engagement, and policy development.

TRAFFIC Network

The objectives of the North America team support the TRAFFIC networks global focus of activity:

• 
  Early warning - TRAFFIC aims to obtain information on emerging or newly discovered trade-related threats to wildlife in order to catalyse appropriate responses to them.
• 
  Flagship species in trade - TRAFFIC aims to make emergency interventions for selected species threatened by trade. Flagship species are selected as ambassadors for wider trade and conservation challenges. These species include elephants, tiger and other asian big cats, rhinoceroses, great apes, vicuna, marine turtles, sturgeon and mahogany.
• 
  Resource security - TRAFFIC aims to support trade measures that help improve the security of key wildlife resources such as timber, marine fisheries, traditional Asian medicines, medicinal plants, wild meat and trophy hunting.
• 
  Wildlife trade hotspots - - TRAFFIC works in priority trade centers to have the largest impact in reducing trade threats to species, resources and ecoregions.

Successfully Completed Conservation Projects

The animal loving had early success with an innovative approach to habitat conservation. Below are animal loving first conservation projects, which are all successfully completed and protecting acres of threatened wildlife habitat. With thanks to the animal loving supporters our partners now have a lasting legacy, which they continue to manage for conservation.

Programme for Belize 

animal loving first project, presented the challenge of linking development to improve peoples standard of living and conservation. The project was a great success and by 1996 more than 250,000 acres (101,175 ha) had been saved.

Rainforest Action Costa Rica 

The second project of the animal loving focused on the rainforests of Costa Rica. The Trust helped purchase an area of 5,000 acres (2,023 ha), which is now incorporated into Corcovado National Park.

Philippine Reef & Rainforest Project 

The third project of the animal loving gave supporters an opportunity to become a 'founder owner' of the tropical paradise Island of Danjugan, saving it from housing development. In 2000 the loan had been repaid and fundraising completed.

Coastal Steppe Project, Patagonia

The 15,000 acre (6,075ha) Ranch of Hopes (Estancia la Esperanza) was purchased in 2000 and is now an official Wildlife Refuge protecting coastal steppe habitat for guanacos and other wildlife.

Support one of animal loving successfully completed projects:

Although land purchase for these projects has been successfully completed, they still need support for ongoing management to ensure the above habitats remain permanently protected. Make your donation to the animal loving and specify in the comments box, the project you would like to allocate your donation to.

wildlife

Wildlife Trade

Why it matters

The population of African elephant has undergone dramatic decline as a result of poaching for the ivory trade. The U.S. Endangered Species Act lists the African elephant as ‘threatened’ and banned imports of African elephant ivory in 1989.
© WWF-Canon / Martin HARVEY

Wildlife trade refers to the sale and exchange of wild animals and plants, and products made from them. Live animals are sold as food and pets, while ornamental plants and timber and an array of wildlife products, such as exotic leather goods, musical instruments and even medicines can be found in markets around the globe.
The global trade in wildlife is a multi-billion dollar business annually that has illegal and unsustainable elements that are driving species to the brink of extinction. The illegal trade is often a well organized crime that creates black markets and smuggling syndicates to move and trade the world’s rarest animals and plants.

• Trade in wild plants and animals is big business, worth billions of dollars and involving hundreds of millions of plants and animals every year
• The trade is diverse – from live animals and ornamental plants to a vast array of wildlife products such as elephant ivory, tiger skins, mahogany, tuna and ginseng
• People around the world depend on wildlife harvest and trade for food, medicine and shelter to support their livelihoods
• Much of this trade is legal and regulated, but a significant portion is unmanaged, unreported and/or illegal

TRAFFIC is the wildlife trade monitoring network of WWF and works to counter illegal trade and ensure sustainability of legal trade through methods ranging from undercover field investigations to providing high level policy engagement with governments.
TRAFFIC North America works through its offices in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as the 25 TRAFFIC Network offices internationally.
Learn about what WWF is doing to address these challenges

• Take Action

  Take action through WWF's Conservation Action Network, where you can speak out for wildlife and wild places around the globe.
  Take Action
  

• Adopt an Animal

  Make a symbolic animal adoption to help save some of the world's most endangered animals from extinction and support WWF's conservation efforts.

Protecting the Future of Nature

From our start in 1961, WWF has worked toward the protection of endangered species. Our mission is to use the best conservation science available and work with people to find solutions to save the marvelous array of life on our planet.

Tiger Semi-Postal Stamp
Learn how this exclusive effort will help protect tigers, rhinos, elephants, great apes and marine turtles!

WWF’s experience over nearly half a century has shown species conservation is vital — and it does work. Already, conservation efforts have brought many animals back from the brink of extinction. It has helped to not only conserve rich and varied ecosystems but also delivered real benefits to local people through new livelihood opportunities and sustainable development.
But our work is far from done. Destructive human activities have led to the current rate of species extinction, which is at least 100–1,000 times higher than the expected natural rate.
This has impacts far beyond the potential cultural loss of iconic species such as tigers, rhinos and whales. Species and the ecosystems they are part of provide essential goods and services that make human life possible and contribute enormously to our health and well-being — breathable air, clean water, food, fibers, building materials, medicines, energy, fertile soils, climate regulation, transport, and recreational and spiritual values.

What are flagship species? Find out here.

Our conservation efforts are directed towards flagship species, iconic animals that provide a focus for raising awareness and stimulating action and funding for broader conservation efforts in our priority places; and footprint-impacted species whose populations are primarily threatened because of unsustainable hunting, logging or fishing.

World Land Trust - 10 ways to Save Rainforest

10 Ways You Can Help Save Rainforest and Other Threatened Wildlife Habitats

You really can make a difference: with the support of individuals schools and businesses WLT has helped save over 400,000 acres so far.

Here are 10 ways you can help other than making a donation - we are sure you will find something that suits you.

One of the many schools, who have fundraised for WLT

1. Fundraise to help save wildlife habitats

A great way to save wildlife habitats is to get involved with fundraising. Carry out a sponsored event, collect online or get your school together and see how many acres you can save (you may even earn a place in our Hall of Fame)!
Read the WLT fundraising pages for some fun fundraising ideas »

2. Save rainforest when you earn with Payroll Giving (UK only)

With Payroll giving you can have a donation to the World Land Trust deducted straight from your gross salary. You can give as much as you like and donations are tax free.
Read our Payroll Giving page to find out more »

3. Save rainforest while you shop:

with Virgin Money

If you have a Virgin Charity Credit Card you can now select World Land Trust as your charity to receive donations on every purchase you make using your card. The donation is gift aid eligible, comes from Virgin Money and is at no extra cost to you.
Visit Virgin Charity Credit Card to find out more »

with WLT corporate supporters

Many of the Trust's corporate supporters make donations to the WLT when supporters become their customers. More information on WLT's Corporate Supporters »

4. Raise money when you sell on eBay

All you need to do is select World Land Trust as the benefiting charity and for each item successfully sold on eBay, a percentage of the price (chosen by you) is directed to WLT. The listed charity items will appear with an “eBay for charity icon” along with the WLT logo.
Go to eBay for Charity to find out more »

5. If you like what we do - tell your friends about us

If you feel our work is important, please tell others about us. The more supporters we have, the more land we are able to save. Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways of marketing - and it's completely free!

• Send a Wildlife eCard.
• Join the discussion on our social networks: Care2, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter
• Link to the World Land Trust from your own website. You will not only help generate traffic to our site directly, but by increasing our link popularity, the WLT will improve its ranking in the search engines. The better the ranking, the more traffic and donations we will get and the more rainforest we will be able to save.
• Add a WLT link to your email signature. Here is an example: Take positive action today: £100 saves one acre of
  rainforest and other wildlife habitat in a REAL place, FOREVER.
  http://www.worldlandtrust.org/supporting/donation.htm
  

6. Send a Text to save Rainforest (UK only)

Text WLT to 70300 and £3 will be donated from your mobile account. Add your email address after WLT to receive our monthly eBulletin.
Find out more about SMS Donations »

7. Join Green Ink - Authors and actors that help save wilderness

Are you an author or artist? Then you can assign your Public Lending Rights to WLT through Green Ink and help save threatened habitats.
More information about Green Ink »

8. Save rainforest for free with a click of your mouse

Search the web with everyclick.com

Use www.everyclick.com/uk/worldlandtrust as your search engine. Everyclick donates half its revenues to charity! It does not cost the WLT, or you, a penny. Tell your friends about everyclick with www.everyclick.com/uk/myeveryclick/nomfriends

 

The Rainforest Site and Ecology Fund

Bookmark The Rainforest Site and Ecology Fund websites and visit every day.

By clicking on the 'Save Land' buttons, advertisers on the sites pay for habitat in WLT and WLT-US project areas to be saved - you pay nothing.

9. Recycle your empty printer cartridges and support the WLT

If you live in the UK you can support the WLT by donating your empty Inkjet and Toner cartridges. Simply complete this form for free cartridge collection.

Volunteer for WLT

10. Give us your time - work for the World Land Trust

The Trust has a very successful six-month internship programme which aims to equip recent graduates with the skills and experience needed for a career in conservation. WLT also has a group of eVolunteers carrying out work remotely. From time to time other voluntary opportunities and paid vacancies become available.
See our Jobs and Internship page for more details »

20 Ways You Can Save Our Wildlife

Some "dos" and "don'ts"...

1. Do not buy bones, skulls, teeth, trophies or feathers of wild animals.
   To obtain these product, animals have to be killed and you are encouraging the wildlife trade.
2. Do not think of our wild animals (such as wild boar and deer meat) as exotic food.
   If we continue to eat these animals at the current rate, there will soon be none left. There is plenty of beef, chicken, fish and other meats available.
3. Don�t think of wild animal parts as having medicinal value.
   For most of the times it is not true. A simple fact - the rhino horn is made of the same stuff (keratin) as your finger nail. Therefore, if you have a fever, would you cook and eat your finger nail?
4. Do not think of hunting for wild animals as a sport.
   It may be a sport to you but it is certainly not a sport for the animal.
5. Do not hunt for sale or trade in wildlife.
   Commercial sale of our animals reduces the tourism potential and regeneration potential of our forests, and is bringing some species close to extinction in Sarawak.
6. If you have no other sources of food and are allowed to hunt animals for subsistence, do not hunt any protected or totally protected species. These are so rare that if they are hunted, they might become extinct.
7. Do not poison the rivers when you go fishing.
   Poison kills almost everything in the rivers. Besides, it is illegal to do so.
8. If you are fishing using jala (cast nets) or jaring (drift nets), do not use nets with small mesh sizes. We encourage the use of bigger mesh sizes as this allows juvenile fish to escape capture.
9. Do not fish near the shore, especially in the mangroves. The mangroves are critical breeding grounds for most fishes and prawns.
10. Do not keep wild animals as pets. This includes birds like mynas, hornbills and parrots. By discouraging the pet trade, you are helping to eliminate the harvest of animals from the wild.
11. Do inform the National Parks and Wildlife Service if you encounter illegal activities concerning wildlife. Examples of some illegal activities are : hunting inside national parks and hunting or keeping protected or totally protected species without a licence.
12. Do learn about ways to conserve our animals. Subscribe to a wildlife magazine and watch nature programmes on TV.
13. Make education your objective when you next visit a wildlife centre.
14. You can contribute to wildlife conservation. Donate to a nature society or club. The contributions are often tax deductable. GIVE to SAVE!!!!
15. Be a volunteer for a nature society or club. Your efforts are valuable.
16. Encourage your school, club and friends to have talks and debates on the values of wildlife conservation.
17. Do take photographs of our wonderful wildlife. Show them to your friends.
18. Encourage your friends and family to respect Wildlife. The animals contribute to your well-being.
19. If you have the option, think of wildlife conservation as a career. It is extremely rewarding.
20. Finally, remember this saying, "In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught." Bring a friend to a Wildlife Centre and learn more about Wildlife conservation.