Invasive and Endemic Species Around the Word

Case Assignment
Part 1a:
In line with Executive Order 13112, "invasive species" can be defined as a class that qualifies two distinct conditions. Firstly it should be alien (or non-native) to the local environment; secondly, once that specie is introduced into the system it will likely cause damage to either the environment, other species or even humans. The three examples of invasive species in my region are all belong to the class or specie of herbs and originated from Tropical America. The first is known as, Aerva javanica (Burm.f.) Juss. ex Schult. (Amaranthaceae); the second, Aeschynomene americana L. (Papilionaceae); while the third is Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King & Robinson (Asteraceae). Another kind of specie is endemic species and this can be classified as animals and plants which are found in only one geographic area or place. Different species can be found in both large as well as small areas around the planet: some species are limited in a specific continent, while others are limited certain parts of a continent, and still others in a single island. Normally, a region that holds endemic species happen to be remote and inaccessible, as these species struggle to move and relocate to other regions; or that region has abnormal environmental attributes and those species find these attributes to be comfortable and they adapt to these conditions easily. One familiar specie happens to be the Australian koala, which grew and adapted in its present environment and cannot be found anywhere else.
Part 1b:
Currently there are two strategies being used to tackle the threats against endemic species. The first strategy is to get rid of them or dispose them off. The second strategy is to pass laws and regulations that forbid trading or killing of such species and making safer pesticides and protecting the environment. Currently, over 1200 programs are being executed around the world. Most of these are taking place in remote islands and as per International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) chairman of specialist group on invasive alien species, Piero Genovesi, nearly 90% have thus far been successful. Nonetheless, issues still remain a plenty. For instance, Habitat loss is considered to be the biggest challenge for governments around the world. This is so because Habitat loss is where majority of the resources have been utilized. They key is to limit the loss of habitat and the most potent strategy thus far has been to create protected areas, which includes national parks. The only successful strategy to address this challenge has been to develop and preserve parks and recreational areas. This strategy was first used in 1864 by the then US president Abraham Lincoln stipulating, “the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation; shall be inalienable for all time.” Gradually, other countries too started adopting this strategy. Currently, lands around the world are being preserved and a study in 2009 proved that around 13% of the land has been preserved for such species.
Part II
1. What size of land/water is required to support this animal?
African savannahs need a lot of area to move around and experts estimate that this specie needs three times the present area of rain forests to sustain their habitat.
2. What pressures threaten this organism’s habitat?
Two elements have threatened African savannahs habitat. Firstly, deforestation to the extent that only one third of the total area now remains where this specie can survive. Second, is the death and killing caused by humans as a result of retaliatory killing, poaching, along with trophy hunting
3. What role do international trade and political regulation play in protecting this organism? Are these in place and enforced?
Currently there are no regulations in place that are providing any substantial cover to this specie. However, a few initiatives are worth mentioning; for instance, the Big Cats Initiative, the Panthera initiatives along with BCI grantees, all play a key role in finding innovative projects to stop the decline of cats as well as create awareness.
Part III:
The costs associated with maintaining this collection can be calculated by adding “horticulture” and “plant records” cost and dividing it by the total plants maintained annually. The benefits of preserving this collection is “degree of genetic capture” and they are measured by using ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) data. To understand diminishing returns one needs to comprehend that that initial increases give a steep rise in genetic capture; however, after a certain point, additional plants seize to add any value to their conservation and this is referred to as “law of diminishing marginal returns”. Collection size relates to the efficiency of management of the collection as more plants equal higher maintenance costs. It is most valuable to preserve a plant specie when there is “maximum efficiency” for conservation.


References
Braun, D. (2012). Lion numbers plunge as African wilderness succumbs to human pressure. National Geographic Society. Retrieved from https://voices.nationalgeographic.org/2012/12/06/lion-numbers-plunge-as-african-wilderness-succumbs-to-human-pressure/
Montgomery Botanical Centre Case Study. 2010. The Price Of Conservation: Measuring The Mission And Its Cost. http://www.bgci.org/resources/article/0634/
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website: National Invasive Species Information Center. USDA. www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov
Where eagles dare: The more prosperous countries now favour protecting wildlife, not killing it. (2013). The Economist. Available in the Trident Online Library