The process of reducing the number of some species of plants and animals on Earth has been observed for several centuries. The urgency of this problem has not become less today.
IUCN
Questions about the protection of flora and fauna were raised by the international community back in the 19th century, but the first organization that seriously de alt with this problem was created only in 1948. It was named the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
When organizing, the Commission on rare and endangered species was established. The purpose of the Commission in those days was to collect information about animals and plants that were threatened with extinction.
15 years later, in 1963, the organization published the first list of such species. The Red Book of Facts was the name of this list. Later, the edition was renamed, and the list was called the "Red Book of the World".
Reasons for the decline in the number of plants and animals
The reasons that led to the reduction of species of flora and fauna are very different. But they are all related toeconomic activities of man or his thoughtless interference in the life of nature.
The most common reason for the decline in species of wildlife is the mass shooting of animals during hunting, fishing, destruction of egg clutches, collection of plants. Here we are talking about the direct destruction of species.
Another, no less common, reason for the decline in the number of wild animals and plants on the planet is not related to their direct extermination. Here it must be said about the destruction of the habitat: plowing of virgin lands, construction of hydroelectric power stations and reservoirs, deforestation.
There is a natural reason for the decline or extinction of wildlife species - climate change on Earth. For example, the relic gull today lives only on some lakes in Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan and the Chita region. The number of species is 10 thousand individuals, and the number of nesting pairs varies from year to year depending on weather conditions. The Red Book of the World dedicates one of its pages to this rare bird. But millions of years ago, when there was a huge inland sea in the modern territories of its habitat, relic gulls, according to scientists, were distributed everywhere, and nothing threatened their numbers.
Wildlife Conservation Activities
The plants and animals of the "Red Book" made a person not only understand the reasons for their disappearance from the face of the Earth, but also develop a set of measures aimed at saving the wildnature.
Today it is already clear that in order to restore the number of some species, it is enough just to ban hunting or gathering. In order to preserve other rare animals and plants, it is necessary to create special conditions for their living. At the same time, any economic activity in this territory should be prohibited.
Species that are on the verge of extinction, people are trying to save by artificial breeding in special nurseries while creating all favorable conditions for existence.
The "Red Book of the World" divided the animals and plants listed on its pages into categories. For this, the current state of the species, its predisposition to a decrease in numbers or extinction is taken into account.
First species category
The pages of the book, where the species of the first category are listed, are the most disturbing. Endangered wildlife is recorded here. If humanity does not urgently take special measures, then saving these animals and plants will be impossible.
Second category
These pages contain a list of living creatures of the planet, whose numbers are still quite large, but are in the process of their steady reduction. Scientists are convinced that if specific actions are not taken, then these species may also face death.
Third category of plants and animals
The Red Book of the World has posted lists of species that are not threatened by anything today, but their number is small or they live in small areas. Therefore, any changesenvironments where they are common may have unpredictable results.
The most vulnerable are plants and animals that live on small islands. For example, the Komodo dragon inhabits the islands of Eastern Indonesia. Any rash human actions or natural phenomena (floods, volcanic eruptions) can lead to the extinction of the species in a very short period of time.
Fourth category
Despite the fact that science today is moving forward at a tremendous pace, there are still representatives of flora and fauna on Earth that are little studied. They are presented on the pages of the "Red Book" in the fourth category.
For some reason, scientists are concerned about the abundance of these species, but due to lack of knowledge, it is not yet possible to rank them among other categories of plants and animals on the "alarm list".
Green Pages
The fifth category of animal and plant species is located on the green pages. These are special pages. Here are the species that managed to avoid the threat of extinction. The number has been restored thanks to human actions. These representatives of the species have not been removed from the pages of the Red Book for the reason that their commercial use is prohibited.
"The Red Book of the World". Plants
The 1996 edition of the disturbing book contains descriptions of 34,000 endangered plant species. They were taken under their protection by the public organization IUCN and the Red Book.
The plant world most oftenbecomes a victim of beauty. People, admiring the unusualness and sophistication of plants, begin to mindlessly destroy plantations for the sake of a bunch of flowers. Not the last role is played in this case by the desire of a person for profit. Such is the fate of Alpine edelweiss, Ossetian bluebell, narcissus.
There are many plants that have suffered from human activities and environmental pollution. These include tulips, chilim, yew berry, some types of pine and many others.
Animals of the "Red Book of the World"
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, about 5.5 thousand species of animals need protection today.
Paying tribute to fashion or satisfying their gastronomic needs, a person invades the life of wildlife, causing irreparable damage to it. The list of animals affected by this cause is incredibly long: European pearl mussel, giant salamanders, muskrat, Galapagos giant tortoise, Asiatic lion and many other species.
IUCN is a non-binding organization and its decisions are therefore working closely with national governments to ensure that recommendations are implemented that will help save the planet.
