Endangered Species
- Endangered Home
- Why Save Species?
- Species of Concern
- Extinct Species
- Non-Endangered
- How to Help
- Act Early
Species of Special Concern
The Benefits of Acting Early to Prevent Declines in Wildlife Species
The U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 stands as one of the world's landmark conservation laws. Examples of the act's success include recovery of the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and Aleutian Canada goose. In general, however, endangered species management has been a high-cost, last-resort approach to conservation. Few of the species that have been listed as threatened or endangered have recovered to the point that they can be removed from the list. Clearly, the time for cost-effective conservation measures is when wildlife and their habitats are still common and before, not after, they have become significantly reduced or isolated.
Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation (the breaking up of habitat into small, unconnected pieces) are two of the most significant causes of species extinctions throughout the world today. As local populations within a species decline in number and become separated from one another, species becomes more vulnerable to extinction, and recovery becomes increasingly difficult and costly. Another important cause of extinction, particularly on islands, is the introduction of exotic species, which often prey on or out-compete native species.
Prevention is the best strategy for endangered species management. Early detection of species at risk provides managers with more options and greater flexibility in designing and conducting successful recovery programs. Quick action and flexibility also reduce the need for costly crisis management and its potential for adversely affecting human activities and disrupting local or regional economies.
Unlike most of the world, Alaska's ecosystems still remain largely intact with little loss or fragmentation of habitat. An early warning system, emphasis on habitat protection, and a broad ecosystem-wide perspective on natural resource management will strengthen our ability to maintain healthy populations of Alaska's native species and minimize the necessity of costly reactive management. Close evaluation and monitoring of federal candidate and sensitive species and identification of Alaska's state species of special concern offer wildlife managers a good opportunity for heading off future problems before they reach crisis proportions.
Alaska's biological diversity—the abundance and variety of plants, animals, habitats, and ecosystems and the ecological relationships that connect them—are essential to Alaska's economic well being and peoples' quality of life. Effective conservation in Alaska will require long-term planning and cooperation among wildlife managers, land management agencies, and resource users. The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is clearly an appropriate model for conserving Alaska's rich biological diversity.
Text: John Schoen
For Additional Information
Please contact:
Doug Vincent-Lang
(907) 267-2339
