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Definition: endangered species from Philip's Encyclopedia

Animals or plants threatened with extinction as a result of such activities as habitat destruction and overhunting. In 1948, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) was founded to protect endangered species. The IUCN publishes the Red Data Book, which currently lists more than 1,000 animals and 20,000 plants considered endangered. See also conservation; ecology; habitat; wetland

endangered species

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. Endangered Species Act (1973), classified 935 native species as endangered or threatened, including animals such as the Florida panther, the Key deer, the San Joaquin kit fox, the northern spotted owl, the chinook salmon, the Karner blue butterfly, the snail darter, and the cave crayfish and plants such as the Hawaiian nehe and the clover lupine. Over 500 more species were so classified worldwide. The official list of endangered wildlife and plants in the United States is kept by the Fish and Wildlife Service; the National Marine Fisheries Service oversees marine species. In addition, many states keep their own lists. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources maintains an international list of threatened species, published as the Red Data Book. It classifies species as vulnerable, …
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Percentage of mammal species classified as...
Animals or plants threatened with extinction as a result of such activities as habitat destruction and overhunting are known as endangered species. Before the 19th century, roughly one species became extinct a year − but in the last 100 years the extinction rate has accelerated and we are now losing…
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Full text Article endangered species

From Science Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Marine Science
Endangered species are attributed to populations that have been reduced to the point where they are in danger of becoming extinct. Endangerment can be caused by habitat destruction, introduction of exotic or invasive species, overexploitation, disease, and pollution. Species are plants or animals…
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Full text Article endangered species

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. Endangered Species Act (1973), classified 935 native species as endangered or threatened, including animals such as the Florida…
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Full text Article endangered species

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Plant or animal species whose numbers are so few that it is at risk of becoming extinct. Officially designated endangered species are listed by the World Conservation Union (or IUCN). An endangered species is not a new phenomenon; extinction is an integral part of evolution. The replacement of one…
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Full text Article endangered species

From The Macquarie Dictionary
a threatened species that is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. Compare: critically endangered species Compare: vulnerable species Colloquial humorous something that is extremely rare clean cups are an endangered species in this office. The internationally…
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Full text Article Endangered Species Act

From Culture Wars in America: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 is comprehensive federal legislation designed to protect all species in the United States designated as endangered by protecting habitats critical to their survival. Congress passed the ESA with near unanimity in both the House (390–12) and Senate (95–0), and…
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Full text Article endangered species

From Environmental History and Global Change: A Dictionary of Environmental History
Human destruction of species and ecosystems may go back to Palaeolithic times but extinction of species did not cause major concern until recently (see bison , dodo , passenger pigeon ). Endangered species were defined in 1971 by the World Conservation Union as species which decline faster than they…
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A chart of the number of U.S. ESA listed...
Abstract The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been called the strongest piece of environmental legislation in the world. However, as land use pressure increases, the ESA is threatened by both its successes and failures. Increasing landowner resistance to listing of species comes from a perception…
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The Endangered Species Act, in its original form, came close to acknowledging the rights of species to exist. In the framing of the law, no references were made to the utility of the species; the task was only to identify and list them and to find a way to develop a plan, when necessary, to…
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a threatened species that is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. Compare: endangered species Compare: vulnerable species The internationally recognised listing and ranking system of conservation status is that of the International Union for Conservation…
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