Endangered Species and Ecosystems

1. Endangered Species and Ecosystems

2. The Hundred Heartbeat Club The name “Hundred Heartbeat Club was created by E.O. Wilson, Professor Emeritus at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. The club refers to a group of species consisting of one hundred or fewer individuals. Literally, it means that they are a hundred heartbeats away from global extinction. Some members of the club include Spix'smacaw (Cyanopsittaspixii), the Hawaiian crow (Corvushawaiiensis), the Chinese river dolphin (Lipotesvexillifer), the Philippine eagle (Pithecopagajefferyi), and the Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus). This presentation spotlights the cause of their decline. This is their story…

3. The Hundred Heartbeat ClubSpix’s Macaw (Cyanopsittaspixii) The Spix's Macaw (also known as the Little Blue Macaw) is considered one of the world's most critically endangered species with no known wild specimens remaining. Life Span: Is estimated to be 20-30 years in nature and 20-40 years in captivity. The last known wild individual was known to be at least 20 years old, at the time of its disappearance. There is one Spix’s Macaws in captivity which hatched in 1976 and is the oldest recorded individual of the species.

4. The Hundred Heartbeat ClubSpix’s Macaw (Cyanopsittaspixii) The Spix’s Macaw is endemic to the state of Bahia which is located in the north-east of Brazil. There they inhabit a great expanse of semi-arid territory known as the Caatinga. Within the Caatinga there are micro habitats, one of which - the Caraibeira riparian woodland, was home to the Spix’s Macaw. Caraibeira (Tabebuiacaraiba) is the dominant tree species found along the banks of the Melancia Creek; it is also the most important tree species for the Spix’s Macaw, since it provides nesting hollows, shelter and food for the species. This particular habitat zone is located close to a town called Curaça.

5. The decline of Spix's Macaw has generally been attributed to two principal factors: First, long-term destruction of its caraiba woodland habitat and the impact of settlers moving through its habitat during the past 300 years. Second, trapping by poachers for the illegal live bird trade in recent decades pushed the species towards extinction.

6. Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsittaspixii) The last known population of Cyanopsittaspixii (in the region of Curaca, Bahia State, Brazil) was effectively wiped out by bird poachers; the only known nest was plundered and the chicks were offered for sale on the international market for $40,000. Because of the bird’s great beauty, rarity and prestige, they are highly prized and are most notable targets by pet traders. • The recovery of the Spix's Macaw will depend on the success or failure of the captive breeding program. • There is still hope that the bird known as the Spix's (Little Blue) macaw will once again fly in the wild "caatinga" habitat of Brazil.

7. Watch me fly… for I may never fly again… Tell me, how can I fly free… once more… What is the price of my freedom… A female Spix macaw introduced back in the wild

8. The Hundred Heartbeat Club Hawaiian Crow (Corvushawaiiensis) The Hawaiian crow, known locally as alalā, has undergone a drastic decline in range and population. This species, endemic to Hawaii, is one of the most endangered animals on the planet. Like many corvids, alalā are long-lived and have a life span of 20 or more years. The species’ diet primarily consists of native and introduced fruits, invertebrates, eggs, nestlings of other forest birds, also nectar, flowers and carrion.

9. The Hundred Heartbeat Club Hawaiian Crow (Corvushawaiiensis) Historically, the alalā occurred in the high and low elevation forests of the western and southeastern region of the island of Hawaii. When coffee and fruit farmers began shooting them in the 1890s, their population was already declining. By 1978, only 50 to 150 crows were believed to exist. Fewer than 10 breeding pairs remained in the wild in 1985. The last two ‘alalā vanished from their natural habitat in South Kona in 2002.

10. Factors in the decline of the Hawaiian crow: • Food shortage resulting from loss of food source. • Predation by introduced mammals (cats, rats, dogs) • Alalā are susceptible to diseases such as toxoplasmosis • and mosquito-borne disease. • Habitat degradation - little suitable habitat exists for the species. The reproductive failure of the alalā (low hatching success, high nestling and fledgling mortality) is a result of deteriorating habitat quality.

11. The “Hundred Heartbeat Club “Chinese River Dolphin (Lipotesvexillifer) also called Yangtze River Dolphin The Yangtze River dolphin or baiji (Lipotesvexillifer), an obligate freshwater odontocete known to occur only from the middle-lower Yangtze River system and neighbouringQiantang River in eastern China, has long been recognized as one of the world's rarest and most threatened mammal species. . The 2007 IUCN Red List classifies it as critically endangered and possibly extinct. The baiji is the first cetacean species known to have been driven to extinction by human activity

12. The Tragedy of the Yangtze River Dolphin Although there was one sighting in 2007, indicating that a few baiji may still exist, experts believe there is no hope for recovery. Its extinction is a reflection of the latest stage in the progressive ecological deterioration of the Yangtze region, home to approximately 10% of the world's human population

13. The Tragedy of the Yangtze River Dolphin Environmental impact of the three gorge dam constructed by the Chinese government: Disrupt the natural seasonal flow patterns to which aquatic animals are adapted, block and destroy spawning grounds and migratory paths, and fragment populations. Aquatic mammals such as Lipotesvexillifer are even more vulnerable to the effects of the dam than fish and invertebrates.

14. The tragedy of the Yangtze (Chinese) River Dolphin (Lipotesvexillifer) A range of anthropogenic extinction drivers (e.g. boat collisions, dam construction), which also threaten freshwater cetaceans in other river systems have been implicated in the baiji's precipitous decline. At least half of all known baiji deaths in the 1970s and 1980s were caused by rolling hooks and other fishing gear, and electro-fishing accounted for 40% of baiji deaths recorded during the 1990s. Harmful fishing practices are still widespread and may be increasing in the Yangtze region. Intensive shipping noise has greatly disturbed the growth and development of the baiji dolphin. Pollution in the Yangtze river also threatens this species.

15. The Tragedy of the Yangtze River Dolphin

16. The “Hundred Heartbeat Club” Philippine Eagle (Pithecopagajefferyi) The Philippine eagle (Pithecopagajefferyi) is the largest bird of prey in the Philippines, considered to be one of the three most critically endangered eagles in the world. It measures about one meter tall, 95 cm long and weighs approximately 4 kg. It has 6.5 ft wingspan. Pithecopagajefferyiis listed under critically endangered by IUCN. Its population was estimated to be 6,000 in the 1930s, in 1997 the number plummeted to approximately 200. The current population of the Philippine eagle is not known. The species has been considered rare since it was discovered in 1896.

17. Range and Distribution of the Philippine Eagle The bird is endemic to the islands of Luzon, Leyte, Samar and Mindanao. The Philippine eagle and its mate require 20-100 sq km territory and a home range of some 30 sq km within which no other similar eagle must nest. Luzon Samar Leyte Mindanao

18. The biggest threat to the survival of the Philippine eagle The Philippine eagle inhabits primary mature dipterocarp forests for its habitat and nesting. Forest destruction and fragmentation, through commercial timber extraction and shifting cultivation, is the principal long-term threat’

19. The Philippine deforestation rate, which is reported to be 91,000 ha per year and is considered among the highest in the southeast. The Philippine ranks number 3 in the world.

20. “The Hundred Heartbeat Club”Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) The Javan rhinoceros, (Rhinicerossondaicus) numbering less than 60 individuals is perhaps the most endangered large mammal on earth. The Javan rhino prefers tall grass and reed beds in dense lowland rain forests with a good supply of water and plentiful mud wallows.

21. Javan Rhino: The Last Survivors Javan rhinos have poor eyesight but possess keen sense of smell and hearing. The reproductive rate of Javan rhino is naturally low. A single calf is born after a prolonged gestation of about 16 months. The calf remains with its mother for up to two years. The entire species is limited to two locations: Ujung Kulon in Western Java (Indonesia) and Cat Tien in Southern Vietnam.

22. Javan Rhino’s worst enemy: Homo Sapiens Threats to its survival: Loss of habitat because of expanding human territory and hunted down for sport and commercial value. Human ignorance and arrogance have pushed this species to the brink of extinction. Javan rhinos have nowhere to hide.

23. What is the essence of life …. If the price of my freedom is death…

24. The biggest threat comes from human ignorance: Belief in the medicinal, religious or magical value of the various parts and products of the rhinoceros is common to most peoples of South and East Asia. Every part of the body is highly prized, from hide, hair and toenails to the blood and visceral organs. In many cases, the belief extends even to the urine and faeces of the animal. The most valuable part is the horn. The greatest market is China were horns are carved by the Chinese into buttons, belt buckle, scabbards and cups. The cups were used as a protection from poison. Today, this insatiable demand for horn is as high as ever since the horn is used as an aphrodisiac by the Chinese.

25. Endangered ecosystem: Coral reefs

26. Coral Reefs: “Rainforestsof the seas” • Support and nourish so many marine species while providing shelter to more than 25% of fish species. • The crevices and hollows in coral reefs • provide refuge for fishes from predators • The photosynthetic activities of coral reefs • remove CO2 from the water and air • Coral reefs play an important role in protecting coastlines as they reduce the forces generated by powerful tropical storms

27. Coral Reefs: “Rainforestsof the seas” • Many people depend on coral reefs for food, entertainment and as a way of making income through harvesting and selling coral reef products • Income from coral reef tourism • Significant pharmaceutical products that prevent cancer and HIV and also a compound that blocks harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun • Medical treatments are now using coral reefs for bone grafts, treating viruses and leukemia

28. Threats to coral reefs The same human populations that benefit from the free services that the coral reef provides are causing an incredible destruction to the reefs and its associated marine species To satisfy the voracious appetite of the growing human population, fishers have resorted to using explosives and poisons to catch tropical fish that lived among coral reefs CYANIDE POISONING DYNAMITE FISHING

29. Threats to coral reefs To make matters worse for these very fragile ecosystems, the international trade of coral associated products is in constant increasing demand For SALE

30. The aftermath of harmful fishing activities… • This method of collecting tropical fish for the aquarium trade or for supplying Asian fish markets poisons the coral reefs (bleached) and other invertebrates. • Overexploitation of certain species leads to depletion of target species and change in the ecological structure of the reef community. • Juvenile fish are also caught before they can grow to reproductive age and replenish the population.

31. The aftermath of harmful fishing activities… Algae overgrowth The loss of targeted species such as the herbivorous surgeonfish which is a critical component of a healthy coral reef environment will result in the algae population to overwhelm the coral reefs.