Tigers are a beloved species that is unfortunately facing extinction in the tough world of today. Population numbers are at record lows and humans are still killing them off and claiming self defense. Humans killing them however isn’t the sole reason that these animals now face extinction. One major factor contributing to their rapid decline is human destruction of groundcover or deforestation. With the growing human population and demand for hard wood, forests are disappearing by the acre on a daily basis. Being ambush predators, thick, heavy vegetation is what tigers thrive on.
With scarce vegetation the tigers have less and less places to hide for an ambush attack. This is greatly impacting the tigers as most of them are dying of starvation because their element of surprise is almost completely eliminated and they now find it very difficult to capture prey. In Indonesia, the Sumatran tiger is a critically endangered species with an estimated 400 tigers left in the wild. Although Indonesia does have a lot of forest protected for wildlife conservation, this protected forest only accounts for a fraction of the tigers range. This leaves many tigers at risk for exposure to humans.
Tigers generally want to stay away from humans as much as possible. Humans tend to think of tigers as dangerous and therefore many natives kill them if they are nearby and feel threatened by them. Also, many natural forests are being cut down to make room for plantations. This is pushing the tigers out of their home and further and further out of their comfort zone. They now have to adapt their lifestyle in order to survive and that is why most will start to die off. A major push needs to take place in protecting more national forests in order for the tiger population to survive. Local governments really need to step up and take action soon or else there is a good chance that tigers will go extinct altogether in as short a period as our lifetime.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120228140502.htm
Posted by Nicco Ciccolini(4)
Deforestation is a practice with many far reaching consequences that usually aren't recognized. The obvious effect is habitat loss, which threatens enumerable populations of species of all different kinds. However, most people don't realize the gravity of the other consequences. Many don't realize that forests and vegetation provide much more than just a home. As we see with this case with the tiger, vegetation is crucial to their ability to hunt prey and therefore eat and survive. Vegetation is also essential for keeping the earth cool. A loss of vegetation leads to lower albedo, meaning less sunlight is reflected and more is absorbed by the earths surface, leading to global warming, We can't think selfishly about he trees in forests anymore as merely sources of timber and paper (and do you know how many billions of trees are cut down each year for chopsticks!?) We have to recognize the consequences of such actions, as far-reaching and removed as they may be.
ReplyDeletePosted by Laura Moro (2)
I don't see a lot of articles about endangered tigers in the world around me, which is disappointing because they are going extinct. Movement should be taken in areas where the tigers are being killed. I'm sure if somebody talked to the natives, they might not kill as many. Deforestation can definitely be altered to help tigers. Human should not be so selfish in taking resources other organisms need to survive.
DeletePosted by: Jen Silva(3)
It honestly is very disturbing how many species are becoming endangered because of humans. I find it extremely hard to believe that indivduals find it ok to continually cut down forests with no consequeneces. We have to realize that we are not only endangering the lives of the animals, but are also limiting resources for ourselves. If the government does not step in soon to regulate this deforesation, there will be many negative consequeneces such as lack of food and increased global warming humans will have to endure.
ReplyDeleteI agree it is very sad that animals are going extinct due to humans and I don't agree with it at all. But, and this may sound cruel, it's currently how our chain of life works. Humans are the biggest predators. Due to evolution, certain species survive for various reasons. There are species that were around thousands of years ago that are now extinct, and in thousands of years from that will still be the case. Looking at the big picture, that's how life and evolution works.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Pirog
These are all interesting topics brought out. I didn't know that trees being cut down played that big of an effect on global warming itself. Unfortunately this problem has been going on for quite some time now and hopefully we realize it and stop before its too late.
ReplyDeletePosted by Nicco Ciccolini
Habitat is essential to helping tigers like all animals, hunt prey if they're carnivores or protect themselves from ambushes. I find this depressing that we're slowly contributing in the extinction of such a majestic animal.
ReplyDeletePosted By Andy Zou