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Endangered species are the species that are at a risk of extinction due to a sudden rapid deterioration in its population or a loss of its critical habitat. The global conservation status of many such species are listed by IUCN Red List or various other agencies who also assess the status of species within particular areas. Here we will discuss the concept and other facts relating to it. According to scientists, there are around 8.7 million plant and animal species on the planet. Out of 8.7 million, more than 37,400 species are under the threat of extinction. Endangered species are the species which are under a threat of extinction.
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Keyterms: Endangered species, Extinction, Plant, Animal species, Planet, Habitat, Red List, Population
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Definition of Endangered Species
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An endangered species is highly likely to go extinct soon, either globally or within a certain political jurisdiction. Habitat loss, poaching, and invasive species are all potential threats to endangered species. They are the species that were formerly native to a region but have seen their population decline from 50% to 5% of what it once was Over half of the world's species are thought to be in danger of extinction. When determining the status of a species, a variety of elements are taken into account, including statistics such as the number of individuals left, the overall increase or decline in the population over time, breeding success rates, and recognized threats.
Read more: Red Data Book
IUCN List
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- IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature.
- The IUCN classifies endangered species and created a red list.
- The IUCN Red List is a crucial measure of the world's biodiversity's health. It's more than just a list of species and their current situation; it's a strong instrument for informing and inspiring biodiversity conservation and policy change.
- There are currently over 134,400 species on The IUCN Red List, with more than 37,400 of them being endangered with extinction, including 41% of amphibians, 34% of conifers, 33% of reef-building corals, 26% of mammals, and 14% of birds.
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Here is a list of endangered animals in India:
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List of endangered plants in India:
| Acacia planifrons | Umbrella tree |
| Abutilon Indicum | Indian mallow |
| Chlorophytum tuberosum | Musli |
| Chlorophytum malabaricum | Malabar lily |
| Kingiodendron pinnatum | Malabar Mahogany |
| Commiphora wightii | Guggul |
Factors Affecting Endangered Species
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There are many man-made and natural factors that affect endangered species and play a role in making them endangered in the first place. Some of them are following:
- Loss of habitat
- Hunting and Poaching
- Pollution
- Human-Wildlife Conflict
- Climate Change
- Natural and man-made disasters
Conservation's major agenda is to protect biodiversity through maintaining and rebuilding their habitats. Many agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) are driven to initiate initiatives as a result of increased awareness of the need for wildlife protection.
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Steps to Conserve Endangered Species
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IUCN as well as many organizations in the world are taking necessary steps to conserve endangered species. Some of the major steps taken by the Indian government are given below:
- Protected Areas, such as National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, and Community Reserves, have been established around the country to conserve wild creatures and their habitats under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The Centrally Sponsored Schemes give financial and technical assistance to state and union territory governments.
- Wild animals are legally protected from hunting and commercial exploitation under the terms of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Officials from the state departments of forests and wildlife keep a close eye on the situation.
Read Also: Biosphere Reserves
Things to Remember
- Every year on the third Friday in May, National Endangered Species Day is observed across the country to promote awareness about endangered species of flora and fauna. This day serves as a reminder of how many animal species are on the verge of extinction, as well as how climate change is disrupting the once-peaceful ecology.
- Class 12 biology students should also prepare MCQ-type questions for their board exams as they can help to gain extra marks with less effort.
- Hunting, habitat loss, climatic changes, disease, pollution, deforestation, and other natural and human-made disasters all have an impact on endangered animals and plants.
- Currently, the rate of extinction is increasing quickly, with the majority of these extinctions being caused by human activities such as industrialization and deforestation.
- UNIT-X will be of 12-14 marks which will contain MCQ, Very short answers as well as long answers.
- Due to the pandemic, CBSE reduced 30% of the syllabus for session 2020-2021. Please stay updated for any change in the pattern.
The topic of Endangered Species is covered under Unit- X i.e. Ecology and Environment and Chapter number 15: Biodiversity and its Conservation. Unit-X has a weightage of 12 marks in the class 12th board exam. In this article, we will discuss the definition, IUCN list, factors affecting endangered species, and some sample questions that can be asked in the exam.
Sample Questions
Ques- Define Endangered Species. Give examples. (3 marks)
Ans. Endangered species are those that are at a higher risk of extinction or are already extinct. There are a variety of reasons, both natural and man-made, that contribute to the scarcity of their numbers. These species will eventually become extinct, and to prevent this, some steps must be taken.
For example- Asiatic Lion, Blackbuck, Red Panda, Kashmiri Red Stag, etc.
Ques- What does IUCN stand for? What is the IUCN red list? (3 marks)
Ans. IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Red List of Threatened Species, created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of biological species' global conservation status. It assesses the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies using a set of criteria.
Ques- How is it possible for the extinction of one species to lead to the extinction of another? (2 marks)
Ans. It is because of co-extinction, that is when two mutually connected species become extinct at the same time. For example, when a host fish goes extinct, the parasites that live on it go extinct as well.
Ques- Explain some of the factors responsible for endangered species. (2 marks)
Ans. Some of the main factors responsible for endangered species are:
- Overpopulation
- Climate change
- Human-Wildlife conflicts
- Natural Disasters
- Loss of Habitat
Ques- Name any two endangered plants in India. (3 marks)
Ans.
- Amentotaxus assamica- Turoo hills, Dafla hills, and Delei valley are all home to this endangered plant species in Arunachal Pradesh. It can also be found in Assam's deciduous forest.
- Kingiodendron pinnatum-Malabar Mahogany is a critically endangered plant species found in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. This evergreen tree, which may reach a height of 30 meters, is most famous for its wood.
Ques- List some measures to save endangered species. (4 marks)
Ans. Measures taken to save the endangered animals are:
- Protected Areas, such as National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, and Community Reserves, have been established around the country to conserve wild creatures and their habitats under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The Centrally Sponsored Schemes give financial and technical assistance to state and union territory governments.
- Wild animals are legally protected from hunting and commercial exploitation under the terms of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Officials from the state departments of forests and wildlife keep a close eye on the situation.
Previous Year Questions
Ques. There are many animals that have become extinct in the wild but are maintained in the zoological parks.
(a) What type of biological conservation is observed in this case?
(b) Explain any other two ways which helps this kind of conservation? (Delhi 2014)
Ans. (a) The animals maintained in the zoological parks is an example of ex-situ conservation because it involves threatened animals in special conditions, away from natural habitat to protect them.
(b) The other ways to maintain the endangered animals or species by ex-situ conservation are botanical gardens and wildlife safari parks.
Ques. White Bengal tigers are protected in special settings in zoological parks. Tiger reserves are maintained in Western Ghats.
(a) How do both of these approaches differ from each other? Mention the advantages of each one.
(b) What is the significance of cryopreservation technique? (All India 2010C)
Ans. (a) White Bengal tigers are protected in special settings in zoological parks, this is called ex situ conservation, whereas Tiger reserves are maintained in Western Ghats, this is the in situ conservation. The difference between them are as follows:
| In situ conservation | Ex situ conservation |
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| This method refers to the protection of endangered species in their natural habitat. | This method involves placing of threatened animals and plants in a special care unit for their protection. |
| Example: National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves etc. | Example: Botanical garden, zoological parks. |
(b) The significance of cryopreservation technique are:
- Plants are propagated by tissue culture methods.
- Eggs can be fertilised into vitro.
Ques. Why did the environmentalists of the world declare certain regions as the biodiversity hotspot? Name any two hotspot regions in India. (Delhi 2010)
Ans. Certain regions have been declared as the biodiversity hotspots by the environmentalists of the world as these regions have very high levels of species richness and high level of endemism. Hotspots of India are Western Ghats, Sri Lanka, Himalayas and Indo-Burma.
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