By James Wallunya
The World Environment Day is a call to action and a day to remind us of one our inherent responsibilities.
During last year’s commemoration of the World Environment Day, I wrote an informative post on Environmental conservation; one which extensively if not entirely captured the need for reducing our carbon footprint. I surely hope that it was and still remains relevant in our lives today, as we forge a future of environmental sustainability.
This year, I am going to write about the essence of animals in our ecosystems. I won’t focus much on their aesthetic values (which I appreciate greatly) neither will I focus on domestic animals which are reared either as pets or for their products. I am going to focus on the importance of wild animals in our ecosystems in effort to prove their great importance in maintaining ecosystems and discourage poachers, would be poachers or humans in general from killing them.
The importance of wild animals in maintaining ecosystems spins down to the essence of biodiversity in sustaining ecological balance.
Ecological balance can be defined as “a state of dynamic equilibrium within a community of organisms in which genetic, species and ecosystem diversity remain relatively stable, subject to gradual changes through natural succession.” and “A stable balance in the numbers of each species in an ecosystem” [1]. This balance is importance to the survival and stability of our environment.
Wild animals, together with other forms of wildlife play different roles in our environments: either as; predator, prey, decomposer or preserver and in this way - ecological balance is preserved [1]. The earth is thus becomes a host whose inhabitants determine its sustainability. Ecologists point out that the disappearance of one species means catastrophic implications on other organisms thus eventually upset the ecological balance.
Besides natural causes, wild animals are dying at alarming rates because of human activities such as dumping of wastes, human – wildlife conflicts and poaching. Pollutants such as industrial chemicals, farm inputs and plastics, just to mention a few, contaminate ecosystems and disrupt natural process and this may lead to the death of plants and animals [1]. It is estimated that 100,000 marine creatures die annually as a result of plastic pollution in oceans. This number represents the fraction of those cases which were discovered and with up to 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean more and more could die [1]. Similarly, instances of human – wildlife conflicts have led to the destruction and death of plants and wild animals alike [1]. Wildlife poaching is yet another sad attribute of our existence today. Wildlife is mainly poached for their products that fetch high market prices and because of poor law enforcement or protection of wildlife. The Dodo bird, Sea mink, Bubal hartebeest and the Tasmanian tiger are some animals which have become extinct as a result of poaching [1] while others like Elephants, Rhinos, Sea turtles and Tigers are gravely endangered [1].
At this point, the importance of wild animals in maintaining ecological balance cannot be negated. In the same tone, so do the numerous human activities that endanger these animals and by extension; threaten our own existence.
One cannot simply sit on this knowledge and do nothing. There is much that we can do to stop the senseless endangerment of wild animals: from activism in calling for the prosecution of illegal wildlife poachers, deterring trade in wild animals’ products and discouraging irresponsible littering and extensive use of farm chemicals; to concrete actions in protecting animals and reversing environmental damage done through cleanups.
During last year’s commemoration of the World Environment Day, I wrote an informative post on Environmental conservation; one which extensively if not entirely captured the need for reducing our carbon footprint. I surely hope that it was and still remains relevant in our lives today, as we forge a future of environmental sustainability.
This year, I am going to write about the essence of animals in our ecosystems. I won’t focus much on their aesthetic values (which I appreciate greatly) neither will I focus on domestic animals which are reared either as pets or for their products. I am going to focus on the importance of wild animals in our ecosystems in effort to prove their great importance in maintaining ecosystems and discourage poachers, would be poachers or humans in general from killing them.
The importance of wild animals in maintaining ecosystems spins down to the essence of biodiversity in sustaining ecological balance.
Ecological balance can be defined as “a state of dynamic equilibrium within a community of organisms in which genetic, species and ecosystem diversity remain relatively stable, subject to gradual changes through natural succession.” and “A stable balance in the numbers of each species in an ecosystem” [1]. This balance is importance to the survival and stability of our environment.
Wild animals, together with other forms of wildlife play different roles in our environments: either as; predator, prey, decomposer or preserver and in this way - ecological balance is preserved [1]. The earth is thus becomes a host whose inhabitants determine its sustainability. Ecologists point out that the disappearance of one species means catastrophic implications on other organisms thus eventually upset the ecological balance.
Besides natural causes, wild animals are dying at alarming rates because of human activities such as dumping of wastes, human – wildlife conflicts and poaching. Pollutants such as industrial chemicals, farm inputs and plastics, just to mention a few, contaminate ecosystems and disrupt natural process and this may lead to the death of plants and animals [1]. It is estimated that 100,000 marine creatures die annually as a result of plastic pollution in oceans. This number represents the fraction of those cases which were discovered and with up to 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean more and more could die [1]. Similarly, instances of human – wildlife conflicts have led to the destruction and death of plants and wild animals alike [1]. Wildlife poaching is yet another sad attribute of our existence today. Wildlife is mainly poached for their products that fetch high market prices and because of poor law enforcement or protection of wildlife. The Dodo bird, Sea mink, Bubal hartebeest and the Tasmanian tiger are some animals which have become extinct as a result of poaching [1] while others like Elephants, Rhinos, Sea turtles and Tigers are gravely endangered [1].
At this point, the importance of wild animals in maintaining ecological balance cannot be negated. In the same tone, so do the numerous human activities that endanger these animals and by extension; threaten our own existence.
One cannot simply sit on this knowledge and do nothing. There is much that we can do to stop the senseless endangerment of wild animals: from activism in calling for the prosecution of illegal wildlife poachers, deterring trade in wild animals’ products and discouraging irresponsible littering and extensive use of farm chemicals; to concrete actions in protecting animals and reversing environmental damage done through cleanups.