Endangered Species of New York What exactly does the term endangered species denote? There can be numerous definitions that correctly describe the term. It is any plant or animal whose survival is in jeopardy of becoming extinct. Extinction, of course, is when the species no longer exists, and there is no way it can be brought back to this earth. In most cases, the cause of this displeasing calamity is generally human-related. As more time goes on, more species are in peril of becoming extinct. The rate at which they are being lost is startling, even when compared with the catastrophe of the extinction of the dinosaurs approximately 70 million years ago. Nobody knows exactly what the current extinction rate is, but according to leading scientists it is around 1,000 to 10,000 times greater than normal. The rate of extinction seems to keep escalating as time passes as well. Everywhere you go there are hundreds of species at risk of becoming extinct. They are threatened in every habitat of every continent. Freshwater habitats, especially rivers and lakes, are severely affected by species extinction because of the lackadaisical dumping of hazardous wastes. CAUSES OF ENDANGERMENTNow you might ask yourself, “why are so many animals vanishing off the face of this earth?” Well, there are several different causes for the extinction of hundreds of endangered species. As I already stated, the majority of this lies on the shoulders of the disgraceful, careless measures taken by the human race. Hunting is one of the main reasons for animals in the wild becoming extinct. The animals are sought after for food, for their skin, and in some cases, even their bones. Water pollution and air pollution take part in big roles in extinction as well. Regrettably, there is little one can do about air pollution. No matter where you set out, the air is crammed with smoke and detrimental gases. As far as water pollution goes, much ...
