Some experts warn we’re in the midst of a mass extinction as habitats are destroyed, fish are over-harvested and animals are killed after being deemed a “threat” to humankind. Efforts to save these populations are starting in Syracuse, and it’s important we stand behind them.

Scientists at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry are among those breeding endangered species in captivity to combat extinction. And even when some of these animals don’t have a home to return to, it’s important that we preserve their numbers in captivity by reviving and maintaining populations and habitats in need.

Rebecca Rundell, an assistant professor at SUNY-ESF, is working to revive the Chittenango ovate amber snail population, which is native to central New York. Rundell credited habitat degradation from humans as the cause of the snail’s decline.

Snails tend to live in moist pockets of forests where they eat decaying leaves and fungi. The Chittenango ovate amber snail has specific leaf litter preferences, meaning the snails are picky about the type, decomposition and thickness of the leaves they eat.

“In areas where there has been human encroachment and subsequent invasion by introduced, non-native plant species, the snails have trouble finding food,” Rundell said.

David Althoff, an associate professor of biology at Syracuse University, said habitat loss is usually the single biggest contributor to a species’ decline — an issue affecting animals all over the world.

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Giant pandas are threatened by habitat fragmentation, which Althoff defined as “taking a once-continuous area of habitat, like a forest, and removing parts of it so that there is a checkerboard like pattern of original habitat and disturbed habitat.”

Humans have been encroaching on panda habitats for years, which led to pandas’ 26-year stay on the IUCN Red List as an endangered species. And it’s likely not over, as climate change is predicted to eliminate more than 35 percent of the panda’s bamboo habitat in the next 80 years, according to the list.

While these numbers may make it seem like saving endangered species is hopeless, some conservation efforts around the world are already showing results. The IUCN Red List recently downgraded the panda’s extinction risk from “endangered” to “vulnerable” due to China’s efforts to breed pandas in captivity.

Pandas’ numbers have improved as a result of captive breeding, but this is meant to be a temporary fix. The fates of the panda and other endangered species are still unknown as humans continue to destroy their habitats.

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“(Captive breeding) only works if there is natural habitat available to put new individuals back into the wild,” Rundall said.

The panda’s recovery was likely especially successful because of how many people love the animal. Rundell stressed the importance of helping all endangered animals, not just the cute ones.

“Importantly, this involves working at the local level, not just top down,” Rundell said.  “International organizations like the IUCN are critical for helping to bring attention to species, but the real, hard conservation work, the dialogue, the political will, most of those things happen at the national and local levels.”

Even if you’re not a scientist, a conservationist or a member of the Chinese government, there are still ways to help your favorite animals. If you want to donate time, local zoos like the Rosamond Gifford Zoo offer volunteer opportunities. If you want to donate money, reputable organizations like World Wildlife Fund work to help conserve your favorite animals.

No matter how you take action, it is up to us as humans to help save these endangered species. It is our fault that our favorite species are threatened and it is our duty to help save them.
Allison Weis is a freshman newspaper and online journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at alweis@syr.edu.

Published on October 9, 2017 at 11:04 pm