CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The care and management of the natural environment is called conservation. Conservation and management of wildlife is essential for the sustainable use of natural resources so that the whole ecosystem operates independently for future. The proper and sustainable management of wildlife resources is very much important to yield greatest benefit to the present generation and maintain its potential for the future generation. The following are the steps of wildlife management.

(1) Conservation of habitat: Habitat conservation is the first step towards conserving the remaining wildlife to conserve different habitats in which they live. For example, tropical forest, pine forests, grassland, wetlands, the evergreen deciduous forests, all need conservation. Strict laws should be made and effectively implemented for the protection of such areas. All kinds of destruction, exploitation and removal of flora and fauna should be banned. The protected areas like national parks, wildlife reserves should be established.

(2) Species preservation: The animals which are rare should be protected from being hunted. Generally these animals are hunted for recreation or to get various parts of their bodies such as teeth, fur, horn, meat or tusks. Strict policies against poachers and hunters should be made and implemented. Similarly, the illegal trade of plant and plant products should be banned.

(3) Introduction of species: The new plant or animal species can be introduced to the new area of similar environment so that they can serve as predators in controlling some pests and add colour to the wildlife community.

(4) Participatory management concept: The conservation programmes can be established by mobilizing the local people. When the responsibility of management is handed over to the local people then they efficiently take part in conservation because they can fulfill their requirements from wildlife.

(5) Maintenance of statistical data of wildlife: The exact number of the various wild animals and plants living at a particular area is not known. It is essential to take regular census of wild animals or plants of particular area.

(6) Legislation of wildlife: The government should build the proper legislative and administrative measures for the international trade of wild plants and animals. Killing, capturing, hunting, and poaching of wildlife should be strictly prohibited.

(7) Public awareness: People from all walks of life must be educated for proper conservation of wildlife. The formal and informal education regarding nature conservation should be provided to the public. Publicity through media documentary, films, books, journals may contribute greatly in wildlife conservation.

CAUSES OF EXTINCTION OF WILDLIFE

Today wild species are gradually disappearing and their number is becoming reduced. Many species of wildlife have become extinct or are in verge of extinction. There is no exact data of wildlife that have been extinct in the process of extinction. Scientists estimate that every day 2-200 species become permanently extinct primarily because of human activities. There are various causes of wildlife extinction. Some of them are as follow:

(1) Habitat destruction: The main cause of extinction or decline is their habitat loss. The increased human population cleared the jungle in a rapid way then forest is converted into farmland, roads, industrial areas, human settlements, etc.

(2) Over exploitation of natural resources: Increased human population demands the human resources in large amount, which puts pressure on the natural resources. Over grazing, indiscriminate cutting of forest trees, excessive consumption of firewood and forest products causes the extinction of species.

(3) International trade: The trade of wildlife illegally is one of the most serious causes of species extinction. Animals hide, fur, bones, tusks, orchids, medicinal plants are some important wildlife products in international market.

(4) Illegal hunting and poaching: Illegal hunters, poachers, healers and wood cutters destroy the wildlife for their own benefit that causes the great loss in wildlife resources.

(5) Environmental pollution: Pollution is the undesirable change brought about in the environment. Due to continuous deforestation and pollution, the productive land gets converted to desert. The desert does not support the wildlife.

(6) Public awareness: It is one of the major factors responsible for wildlife extinction in developing countries. People know very little about the importance of natural resources. The poor and ignorant people try to solve their immediate problems causing serious impact on nature. It is, therefore, important to alleviate poverty and involve the poor and marginalized people in nature conservation.

ENDENGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES

The plant or animal species are said to be endangered if they are in danger of extinction when the casual factors continue to operate. Large number of flora and fauna has become endangered due to human activities, habitat loss and their excessive exploitation.

The plant or animal species are said to be threatened if the species are rare, and endangered. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has categorized the following threat categories for wildlife resources.

(1) Extinct (Ex): This category is given to the species which are not definitely located in the wild during the past 50 years.

(2) Endangered (E): The species which are in danger in the ongoing natural environmental condition are listed in this category.

(3) Rare (R): This category includes the species with small world population that is at present “Endangered” or “Vulnerable” but is at risk. These species are found in small number only in limited habitats.

(4) Indeterminate (I): The species are likely to move into the endangered category in the near future. This category includes the plants and animals whose population is decreasing because of over exploitation.

(5) Threatened (T): The category threatened is used to those species which are considered to belong to any of the above categories (endangered, vulnerable, rare, and indeterminate).

IMPORTANCE OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES

Every civilization is rooted in natural and biological resources. Wildlife provides directly and indirectly the material basis of human life. The following are the importances of wildlife:

(1) Ecological balance: Every component of the ecosystem (biotic component and abiotic component) plays very important role in regulating the ecological balance. Destruction of one species may affect a number of species dependent on that. The wildlife resources play important role to make an ecosystem independent and self regulating.

(2) Human consumption: Humans have used plants and animals for time immemorable. The most important conventional use of biodiversity is as foods, medicines and industrial products. Wild species of plants and animals are economically most important for human life, as they are used in various ways.

(3) Forest products: Forest products are essential requirements for every human civilization. Wood for construction, firewood as fuel, maintaining oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration, promoting rainfall, maintaining soil fertility and providing habitat for large number of animals are some important aspects of forest, which furnish important component of wildlife.

(4) Natural beauty: The wildlife carries a great aesthetic value. It comprises the natural beauty for the entire world. People take natural beauty for recreation. Tourism industry operates on the natural beauty, which is one of the economical components.

(5) Scientific value: Wildlife resources provide various types of scientific knowledge regarding biological world. The biologists can understand the ecological knowledge, relationships, behaviour of every part of the nature.

(6) Genetic value: The wildlife provides many useful genes that are used for plant and animal breeding. The natural gene bank (collection of different genes) may be very important for the biologists to create novel varieties of plants and animals. The novel varieties constitute the better yielding capacities and the better adaptability.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Wildlife means the uncultivated flora and the undomesticated fauna amongst the plants and animals, found in their natural habitats or wild habitats. The wildlife conservation is mainly concerned with the preservation and protection of wildlife, both flora and fauna in their natural habitats.
It is absolutely necessary to protect and conserve all forms of life on the Earth as they are all inter-dependent. Nature has created them in such a way that if one form of life is disturbed, it ultimately affects the other as well. It is not debatable whether some animal or plant species are more useful than others. Therefore, preserving wildlife deserves a special importance.
Basically various human activities have been found to be responsible for threatening the wildlife existence and their growth. Deforestation, population growth, environmental pollution, climate changes, excessive exploitation and illegal wildlife trade are some causes of wildlife decline.