How man influenced animals. Abstract on biology "human influence on flora and fauna"

The extinction of some and the appearance of other animal species is inevitable and natural. This happens during evolution, with changes in climatic conditions, landscapes, and as a result of competitive relationships. Under natural conditions, this process proceeds slowly. According to calculations by D. Fisher (1976), before the appearance of humans on Earth, the average lifespan of a bird species was about 2 million years, and that of mammals was about 600 thousand years. Man has accelerated the death of many species.

Human economic activity has a strong impact on animals, causing an increase in the numbers of some, a decrease in the populations of others, and the extinction of others. Human impact on animals can be direct or indirect.

Direct impact(persecution, extermination and relocation) are experienced mainly by commercial animals, which are hunted for fur, meat, fat, etc. As a result, their numbers decrease, and individual species disappear.

Direct effects include introduction and acclimatization animals to new areas. Along with targeted relocation, cases of unintentional, spontaneous importation of certain, often harmful, animals to new, sometimes distant places are quite common.

Indirect influence humans on animals is associated with changes in the habitat during deforestation, plowing of steppes, drainage of swamps, construction of dams, construction of cities, villages, roads, changes in vegetation as a result of pollution of the atmosphere, water, soil, etc. This radically changes the natural landscapes and living conditions of animals.

Most animal species cannot adapt to the conditions changed by humans; they either move to new places or die.

The shallowing of rivers, the drainage of swamps and floodplain lakes, and the reduction in the area of sea estuaries suitable for nesting, molting and wintering of waterfowl have caused a sharp decline in their natural reserves. The negative impact of humans on animals is becoming increasingly widespread. To date, approximately 150 species and subspecies of birds have disappeared in the world. According to the IUCN, one species (or subspecies) of vertebrates is lost every year. More than 600 species of birds and about 120 species of mammals, many species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, and insects are at risk of extinction.

2.3. Animal protection

Protection of aquatic invertebrates. Marine and freshwater animals - sponges They lead an attached lifestyle and form colonies in areas with hard rocky soil. To preserve the role of sponges as biofilters, it is necessary to reduce their fishing, use fishing gear that does not cause damage to aquatic ecosystems, and reduce the entry of various pollutants into water bodies.

Coral polyps – marine colonial organisms. Of particular interest is the order of madrepore corals - the largest group of the coelenterate type.

Shellfish – a type of marine and freshwater, less often terrestrial, invertebrate animals, which are characterized by a hard calcareous shell covering the body. Shellfish serve as food for fish, birds and mammals. They also have nutritional value for humans. They catch oysters, mussels, scallops, squid, cuttlefish, and octopus. There is a fishery for pearl mussels and mother-of-pearl shells.

Crustaceans – animals, different in lifestyle, body shape and size (from fractions of a millimeter to 80 cm).

Crustaceans playing important role in aquatic ecosystems, they serve as intermediaries between algae and fish, making organic matter created by algae available to fish. On the other hand, they use dead animals for food, ensuring the cleanliness of the reservoir.

Pollinating insects pollinate about 80% of all flowering plants. The absence of pollinating insects changes the appearance of vegetation. In addition to the honey bee (the income from its pollination of plants is 10-12 times higher than the income from honey and wax), pollen is carried by 20 thousand species of wild bees (of which 300 are in central Russia and 120 in Central Asia). Bumblebees, flies, butterflies, and beetles take part in pollination.

They bring great benefits different types ground beetles, lacewings, ladybugs and other insects, exterminating pests of agricultural and forest plants.

Insect nurses belong to the family of beetles and Diptera. These are widespread groups of carrion beetles, dung beetles, calorie beetles and flies, numbering thousands of species.

Fish protection. In human protein nutrition, fish make up from 17 to 83%. Global fish catches are rapidly increasing due to the development of the edge of the continental shelf and the depths of the open sea, where up to 85% of fish are now caught, including new ones. commercial species. The permissible annual removal of fish from the World Ocean is estimated at 80-100 million tons, of which more than 70% is currently caught. In inland waters of most countries, including Russia, fish catch has reached its limit, stabilized or decreased.

Overfishing – a phenomenon common in many marine and inland waters. At the same time, young fish that have not reached sexual maturity are caught, which reduces the population size and can lead to the extinction of the species. Combating overfishing is the most important task of fisheries, protection and rational use of fish resources.

Water pollution negatively affects the state of fish stocks. Pollution of marine and freshwater bodies of water with various substances has become widespread and continues to increase. Particularly dangerous for fish are pollution from industrial wastewater containing salts of heavy metals, synthetic detergents, radioactive waste and oil.

Hydraulic structures have a negative impact on fish numbers. Dams on rivers block access of migratory fish to spawning grounds and disrupt natural reproduction. A number of measures are being taken to eliminate this adverse impact.

Shallowing of rivers reduces fish stocks. It is associated with deforestation of banks and watersheds, and with water withdrawal for irrigation. Measures have been developed to increase water levels in rivers and inland seas, which is of great importance for fisheries, Agriculture, for climate mitigation, etc. One of the drastic measures is afforestation of the banks, which requires constant care over a long period of time.

Protection of amphibians and reptiles. These two groups of animals have a small number of species (amphibians - 4500, reptiles 7000), but their importance in natural biocenoses is very great. Amphibians are carnivores; among reptiles there are also herbivorous species.

Amphibians, feeding on insects and other invertebrates, regulate their numbers and, in turn, provide food for reptiles, birds and mammals. Some amphibians (giant salamander, pond frog, edible frog, Chinese frog, bullfrog, etc.) are consumed by humans; Amphibians are widely used in laboratories for biological experiments.

Reptiles, no less than other groups of animals, suffer from overfishing. High damage was caused to populations of commercial reptiles: crocodiles, turtles, monitor lizards and some snakes. Turtles and their eggs are used as food in many tropical countries.

Protection and attraction of birds. The very important importance of birds in the national economy (except poultry farming) is explained by their participation in the extermination of forest and agricultural pests. Most bird species are insectivorous and insectivorous-herbivorous. During the nesting season they feed the chicks mass species insects, including many pests. To combat insect pests, birds are attracted by hanging feeders and artificial nesting boxes. Hollow nesters deserve special attention: tits, flycatchers, wagtails, which most often use artificial nests.

Mammal conservation. Representatives of the class of mammals, or animals, are important for humans. Breeding ungulates is the basis of animal husbandry; rodents and carnivores are used in fur farming. The most important terrestrial species for fishing are rodents, lagomorphs, and carnivores, and the aquatic species are cetaceans and seals.

All of these measures are aimed at the protection and rational use of mammals. Recently, more attention has been paid to the protection of wild animals. 245 species of mammals live on the territory of Russia, of which 65 species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

The extinction of some and the appearance of other species of animals occurs as part of evolution, with changes climatic conditions, landscapes, as a result of competitive relationships. Under natural conditions, this process is slow. According to calculations by D. Fisher 11976), before the appearance of humans on Earth, the average lifespan of birds was about 2 million years, for mammals - about 600 thousand years. Man has accelerated the death of many species. It significantly influenced animals already in the Paleolithic, more than 250 thousand years ago, when it mastered fire. Its first victims were large animals. In Europe, 100 thousand years ago, people contributed to the disappearance of the forest elephant, forest chough, giant deer, woolly rhinoceros and mammoth. In North America, about 3 thousand years ago, apparently not without human influence, the mastodon, the giant llama, the black-toothed cat, and the huge stork became extinct. The island fauna turned out to be the most vulnerable. Before the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand, the Maori, local residents, exterminated more than 20 species of huge moa birds. The early period of destruction of animals by humans was called by archaeologists “Pleistocene overhunting.” Since 1600, the extinction of species began to be documented. Since that time, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 94 species (1.09%) of birds and 63 species (1.48%) of mammals have become extinct on Earth. The death of more than 75% of mammal species and 86% of birds from the above number is associated with human activity.

The direct impact (persecution, extermination and resettlement) is experienced mainly by commercial animals, which are hunted for fur, meat, fat, etc. As a result, their numbers decrease, and certain species disappear.

To combat pests of agricultural and forest plants, the relocation of animals from other areas is widely practiced. At the same time, there are often cases when migrants have a negative impact on the new habitat. For example, the mongoose, brought to the Antilles to control rodents, began to harm birds nesting on the ground and spread rabies. With the active or passive participation of humans, new species of animals were introduced and acclimatized to many countries and continents. They began to play an important role in the life of local nature and people. Especially many new species were introduced to Australia, New Zealand and to the oceanic islands during the period of mass migration of Europeans to these then uninhabited countries. In New Zealand, with its poor fauna, 31 species of birds, 34 species of mammals, and several species of fish imported from Europe, Asia, Australia, America, and Polynesia have taken root.

In the former Soviet republics, work was carried out to acclimatize more than 137 species of animals. According to incomplete data, 10 species of insects, 5 species of fish and 5 species of mammals were introduced into the fauna.

The unintentional, random spread of animals has especially increased due to the development of transport, delivering them to various areas globe. For example, during inspections of aircraft at airports in the USA and Hawaii in 1952-1961. 50 thousand species of insects were discovered. A special quarantine service has been introduced at trade ports to prevent the accidental import of animals

Direct human impacts on animals include their death from chemicals used to control agricultural pests and weeds. In this case, not only pests, but also animals useful to humans often die. These same cases include numerous cases of poisoning of fish and other animals by fertilizers and toxic substances in wastewater discharged by industrial and household enterprises.

The indirect influence of humans on animals is associated with changes in the environment (during deforestation, plowing of steppes, draining swamps, construction of dams, construction of cities, villages, roads) and vegetation (as a result of pollution of the atmosphere, water, soil, etc.), when Natural landscapes and living conditions for animals are radically transformed.

Some species find favorable conditions in the changed environment and expand their range. House sparrows and tree sparrows, for example, along with the advance of agriculture to the north and east of the forest zone, penetrated the tundra and reached the Pacific coast. Following deforestation and the appearance of fields and meadows, the habitats of the lark, lapwing, starling, and rook moved north into the taiga zone.

Under the influence of economic activity, new anthropogenic landscapes with specific fauna have emerged. The urbanized areas occupied by cities and industrial agglomerations have changed the most. Some animal species have found favorable conditions in anthropogenic landscapes. Even in the taiga zone, house and tree sparrows, barn and city swallows, jackdaws, rooks, house mice, gray rat, some types of insects. The fauna of anthropogenic landscapes has a small number of species and a high density of animal populations.

Most animal species, not adapting to the conditions changed by humans, move to new places or die. As living conditions deteriorate under the influence of human economic activity, many species of natural landscapes reduce their numbers. The bobak (Marmota bobak), a typical inhabitant of the virgin steppes, was in the past widespread in the steppe regions of the European part of Russia. As the steppes expanded, its numbers declined, and now it survives only in isolated areas. Together with the marmot, the shelduck duck, which nested in marmot holes, disappeared from the steppes, and has now lost its nesting sites. Cultivation of the land also had a negative impact on other indigenous inhabitants of the virgin steppe - the bustard and little bustard. In the past they were numerous in the steppes of Europe, Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, Transbaikalia and the Amur region, are now preserved in small numbers only in Kazakhstan and the south of Western Siberia. Shallowing of rivers, drainage of swamps and floodplain lakes, reduction in the area of sea estuaries suitable for nesting, molting and wintering of waterfowl, caused a sharp decline in their species. The negative impact of humans on animals is becoming increasingly widespread. To date, approximately 150 species and subspecies of birds have disappeared in the world. According to the IUCN, one species (or subspecies) of vertebrate animals is killed every year. More than 600 species of birds and about 120 species of mammals, many species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, and insects are at risk of extinction.

* this work is not a scientific work, is not a final qualifying work and is the result of processing, structuring and formatting collected information intended for use as a source of material for independent preparation of educational work.

Despite the enormous value of the animal world, man, having mastered fire and weapons, even in the early periods of his origins began to exterminate animals (the so-called “Pleistocene overhunting”, and now, armed modern technology, developed a “rapid attack” on all natural biota. The main reasons for the loss of biological diversity, population decline and extinction of animals are as follows:

— disturbance of the habitat;

- over-harvesting, fishing in prohibited areas;

— direct destruction to protect products;

— accidental (unintentional) destruction;

— environmental pollution.

Habitat disruption due to deforestation, plowing of steppes and fallow lands, drainage of swamps, flow regulation, creation of reservoirs and others anthropogenic impacts radically changes the breeding conditions of wild animals and their migration routes, which has a very negative impact on their numbers and survival.

For example, in the 60-70s. was restored at the cost of great effort Kalmyk population saiga. Its population exceeded 700 thousand heads. Currently, there are significantly fewer saiga in the Kalmyk steppes, and its reproductive potential has been lost. There are various reasons: intensive overgrazing of livestock, excessive use of wire fences, the development of a network of irrigation canals that cut off the natural migration routes of animals, as a result of which thousands of saigas drowned in canals along the way of their movement.

Something similar happened in the area of Norilsk in 2001. The laying of a gas pipeline without taking into account the migration of deer in the tundra led to the fact that animals began to gather in huge herds in front of the pipe, and nothing could force them to deviate from their centuries-old path. As a result, many thousands of animals died. In the Russian Federation, there has been a decline in the numbers of a number of game species, which is primarily due to the current socio-economic situation and increased illegal production (for example, poaching).

Excessive production is the main reason for the decline in numbers large mammals(elephants, rhinoceroses, etc.) in African and Asian countries. The high cost of ivory on the world market leads to the annual death of about 60 thousand elephants in these countries. However, small animals are also destroyed on an unimaginable scale. According to the calculations of world experts in the field of zoology and general ecology and Russian corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences and doctors of biological sciences A. V. Yablokov and S. A. Ostroumov, at bird markets big cities In the European part of Russia, at least several hundred thousand small songbirds are sold annually. International trade volume wild birds exceeds seven million copies.

Other reasons for the decline in numbers and disappearance of animals are their direct destruction to protect agricultural products and commercial fisheries (the death of birds of prey, ground squirrels, pinnipeds, coyotes, etc.); accidental (unintentional) destruction (on roads, during military operations, when mowing grass, on power lines, during regulation water flow etc.); environmental pollution (pesticides, oil and petroleum products, atmospheric pollutants, lead and other toxicants).

Let us give just two examples related to the decline in animal species due to unintentional human impact. As a result of the construction of hydraulic dams in the bed of the Volga River, spawning grounds have been completely eliminated salmon fish(whitefish) and migratory herring, and the distribution area sturgeon fish decreased to 400 hectares, which is 12% of the previous spawning fund in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain in the Astrakhan region.

In the central regions of Russia, 12-15% of field game perishes during manual haymaking, and 30% during mechanized hay harvesting. In general, the death of game in the fields during agricultural work is seventy times greater than the volume of game caught by hunters.

Indirect human impact on animal world consists of polluting the habitat of living organisms, changing it or even destroying it. Thus, populations of amphibians and aquatic animals are greatly harmed by water pollution. For example, the size of the Black Sea dolphin population is not recovering, since the mortality rate of individuals is high as a result of the entry of huge amounts of toxic substances into sea waters.

confirmed that this is the result of suppression of the immune system of fish due to the dumping of technical waste into the Volga, as well as runoff from rice fields in the delta.

Often the reason for the decline in numbers and extinction of populations is the destruction of their habitat, the fragmentation of large populations into small ones, isolated from each other. This can happen as a result of deforestation, road construction, new enterprises, and agricultural development of land. For example, the number of the Ussuri tiger has sharply decreased due to human development of territories within the range of this animal and a reduction in its food supply.

Human impact on animals

The extinction of some and the appearance of other animal species occurs in the course of evolution, with changes in climatic conditions, landscapes, as a result of competitive relationships. Under natural conditions, this process is slow. According to the calculations of D. Fisher (1976), before the appearance of humans on Earth, the average lifespan of birds was about 2 million years, mammals - about 600 thousand years. Man accelerated the death of many species. He significantly influenced animals already in the Paleolithic, more than 250 thousand years ago, when he mastered fire. Its first victims were large animals. In Europe, as early as 100 thousand years ago, man contributed to the disappearance of the forest elephant, forest chough, giant deer, woolly rhinoceros and mammoth. In North America, about 3 thousand years ago, apparently not without -human actions, the mastodon, the giant llama, the black-toothed cat, the huge stork became extinct. The island fauna turned out to be the most vulnerable. Before Europeans arrived in New Zealand, the Maori, the local residents, exterminated more than 20 species of huge moa birds. The early period of destruction of animals by humans was called “Pleistocene overhunting” by archaeologists.

Since 1600, the disappearance of species began to be documented. Since that time, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 94 species (1.09%) of birds and 63 species (1.48%) of mammals have become extinct on Earth. The death of more than 75% of mammal species and 86% of birds from the above number is associated with human activity.

It is widely practiced to control pests of agricultural and forest plants. resettlement animals from other areas. At the same time, there are often cases when migrants have a negative impact on the new habitat. For example, the mangoose, brought to the Antilles to control rodents, began to harm birds nesting on the ground and spread rabies. With the active or passive participation of humans, new species of animals were introduced and acclimatized to many countries and continents. They began to play an important role in the life of local nature and people. Especially many new species were introduced to Australia, New Zealand and the oceanic islands during the period of mass migration of Europeans to these then uninhabited countries. In New Zealand, with its poor fauna, 31 species of birds, 34 species of mammals, and several species of fish imported from Europe, Asia, Australia, America, and Polynesia have taken root.

The unintentional, random dispersal of animals has especially increased due to the development of transport, delivering them to various regions of the globe. For example, during inspections of aircraft at airports in the USA and Hawaii in 1952-1961. 50 thousand species of insects were discovered. A special quarantine service was introduced at trade ports to prevent the accidental import of animals.

TO direct influences Humans on animals should be attributed to their death from chemicals used to control agricultural pests and weeds. In this case, not only pests, but also animals beneficial to humans often die. These same cases include numerous cases of poisoning of fish and other animals by fertilizers and toxic substances in wastewater discharged by industrial and household enterprises.

Indirect influence humans on animals is associated with changes in the habitat (during deforestation, plowing of steppes, draining swamps, construction of dams, construction of cities, villages, roads) and vegetation (as a result of pollution of the atmosphere, water, soil, etc.) , when natural landscapes and living conditions of animals are radically transformed.

Some species in the changed environment find favorable conditions for themselves and expand their range. House sparrows and tree sparrows, for example, along with the advancement of agriculture to the north and east of the forest zone, penetrated the tundra and reached the Pacific coast. Following the deforestation, the appearance of fields and meadows, the habitats of the lark, lapwing, starling, and rook moved to the north, into the taiga zone.

Under the influence of economic activity, new anthropogenic landscapes with specific fauna have emerged. The most changed areas are urbanized areas occupied by cities and industrial agglomerations. Some animal species have found favorable conditions in anthropogenic landscapes. Even in the taiga zone, house sparrows, tree sparrows, barn and city swallows, jackdaws, rooks, house mice, gray rats, and some types of insects began to be found. The fauna of anthropogenic landscapes has a small number of species and a high density of animal populations.

Most animal species, not adapting to the conditions changed by humans, move to new places or die. With the deterioration of living conditions under the influence of human economic activity, many species of natural landscapes are reduced in number. Baybak (Marmota bobak), a typical inhabitant of virgin steppes, in the past it was widespread in the steppe regions of the European part of Russia. As the steppes were plowed, its numbers decreased, and now it is preserved only in certain areas. Together with the marmot, the shelduck duck, which nested in the marmot's holes, disappeared from the steppes, and has now lost its nesting sites. Cultivation of the land also had a negative impact on other indigenous inhabitants of the virgin steppe - the bustard and little bustard. In the past, they were numerous in the steppes of Europe, Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, Transbaikalia and the Amur region, but now they are preserved in small numbers only in Kazakhstan and in the south of Western Siberia.

The shallowing of rivers, the drainage of swamps and floodplain lakes, and the reduction in the area of sea estuaries suitable for nesting, molting and wintering of waterfowl have caused a sharp decline in their species. The negative impact of humans on animals is becoming increasingly widespread. To date, approximately 150 species and subspecies of birds have disappeared in the world. According to the IUCN, one species (or subspecies) of vertebrate animals perishes every year. The danger of extinction threatens more than 600 species of birds and about 120 species of mammals, many species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, and insects.

Causes of animal extinction

Extinct animal species are forever lost to the biosphere and humans) Analysis of the causes of their extinction is important to prevent this sad phenomenon in the future.

The extinction of animals under the influence of human economic activity began, as noted, a very long time ago, but especially intensified in the era of the scientific and technological revolution. At the same time, the rate of extinction of animal species has steadily increased, reaching maximum values over the last one and a half to two centuries.

In addition to the extinction of species, there is such a negative phenomenon as the disappearance of populations in certain regions. As a result, the fauna of many countries lost species that were valuable in applied and scientific terms. Thus, in Australia, under the influence of sheep grazing, 7 species of kangaroos became extinct, and in its state of South Wales, out of 52 species of marsupials, 11 disappeared. In the state of Alabama (USA), 3 species of snakes died due to the use of pesticides; Louisiana - 4 species of frogs. In Scotland, 14 species of birds were exterminated, in the southwestern part of North America - 7 species of fish. In the European part former USSR and in the Caucasus the lion, cheetah, kulan, tarpan, bison, and tour disappeared.

Cases of death of species as a result of direct and indirect human impact on a particularly large scale have been recorded in Africa and North America. The fauna of the oceanic islands was severely damaged. Thus, on the Hawaiian Islands, 26 species and subspecies of birds, 60% of the local fauna, became extinct. On the islands of Luzon and Midway of the Hawaiian archipelago, out of 5 species, 3 have disappeared. On the small island of Guadalupe in Pacific Ocean 39% of all nesting birds died. On the Mascarene Islands (Indian Ocean), out of 28 bird species, 24, or 86% of the local avifauna, became extinct. This is the highest rate of species extinction in the world.

The catastrophic decline in bird species on oceanic islands is associated with radical imputation of natural landscapes And competition with people brought there domestic and wild animals. The extinction of birds on the island of Luzon (Hawaiian archipelago) occurred 40 years after the appearance of the population there and 25 years after the introduction of cats there. Existing for a long time in conditions of isolation and in the absence of competition from other species, island birds have adapted to these conditions. The influence of economic activities and competition from animals introduced by humans had a negative impact on their survival.

Summarizing information about the causes of animal extinction, they can be reduced to two factors: direct persecution by humans and changes in habitats. IN Lately heavy pollution added environment chemicals, especially pesticides. These factors can cause the death of animals, acting together or each separately. It is characteristic that in the last century the importance of hunting in the extermination of animals has decreased. So, if in the 17th century. 86% of species died from shooting and trapping of animals, then in the 20th century. Only 28% of species became extinct due to direct persecution, and 72% of species died out due to indirect reasons.

Many species experienced a sharp reduction in their ranges; they disappeared from some regions and became rare in others. A large number of species are on the verge of extinction.

Has a huge impact on animals economic activity zeros. Deforestation, plowing of land, use of fertilizers and pesticides worsen the living conditions of animals. These conditions change with the draining of swamps, the creation of dams and irrigation systems, the development of mineral resources, and the construction of cities and transport highways. In all of these cases, humans have an indirect impact on animals by changing their habitat.

Great and direct influence humans on animals. Excessive hunting has led to the extinction of many animal species. For example, in just 27 years (1741-1768) Steller's cow was destroyed (Fig. 15) - sedentary and trusting sea animal, feeding on algae in shallow waters off the Commander Islands. Unfortunately, the animal had tasty meat and was easy to hunt.

Rice. 15. Steller's cow

By the middle of the 18th century. Large (weighing up to 20 kg) flightless pigeons, the dodo, which lived on the Mascarene Islands, disappeared. The birds nested on the ground, so domestic animals brought by Europeans - dogs, cats, pigs, which ate eggs and chicks - brought them great harm.

One of the most numerous birds North America life of the passenger pigeon (Fig. 16). It nested in trees in large colonies. Flocks of pigeons reached millions of individuals. The mass extermination of passenger pigeons by European settlers began in the 17th century. Birds were shot, caught in nets, and knocked down with sticks. Pigs were released at the sites of massacres to eat killed birds and chicks that had fallen from their nests. By the end of the last century, passenger pigeons had become rare, but no one could believe it. The last passenger pigeon died at the Cincinnati Zoo (USA) in 1914. Now a museum has been opened in this city. dedicated to the passenger pigeon. This is a sad example of man's deliberate destruction of a once thriving species.

Rice. 16. Passenger Pigeon

The list of animals exterminated by humans is extremely long. It includes the quagga zebra, marsupial wolf, and European ibis. In southern Europe, Western Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, the wild horse, the steppe tarpan, has disappeared (Fig. 17). Until the middle of the 19th century. this species was still found in the Black Sea steppes. The last free Tarpan was killed in 1879, and in captivity, at a stud farm, he lived until 1918. Now this wild ancestor There are no modern horses on Earth. The forest tarpan was also exterminated. Apparently, Przewalski's horse has also disappeared from nature by now.

Rice. 17. Steppe Tarpan

The fauna of Australia, New Zealand, and the ocean islands have suffered especially hard from the direct and indirect impact of people. There, many species were on the verge of extinction due to human fault. Realizing that the disappearance of any species of animal is an irreparable loss, people began to protect rare species and take care of preserving the number of game animals. In 1966, the World (International) Union for Conservation of Nature and natural resources The Red Book was published containing a list of rare and endangered species of animals. Red color is an alarm signal.

The Red Book contains information about rare species - their distribution, numbers, causes of their plight and conservation measures. This information is updated regularly. Later Red Books were created rare species animals different countries. There is a Red Book of Rare Species of Animals Russian Federation. Each country is responsible for the conservation of species listed in the Red Book to its people and all humanity. Naturally, causing any harm to such animals is a crime.

To preserve rare animals, their habitats and everything natural complex biosphere, state, and republican reserves have been created. So. in Russia, in the Volga delta, since 1919 there has been an Astrakhan reserve for the protection of nesting places of rare aquatic and shorebirds and their habitats. During their migrations, northern birds stop here to rest and feed.

In cases where the number of a species in nature becomes so low. that he himself cannot recover, he is bred in captivity, and then released into natural environment a habitat. This is what they did with the California condor. It is now bred in several zoos and then released in those places where condors lived before. Scientists are monitoring how released birds feel. In our country, several nurseries have been created for breeding noble falcons (saker falcons, peregrine falcons) and other birds of prey. There is a nursery for birds of prey in the Galichya Gora Nature Reserve in the Lipetsk Region, and cranes are bred in the Oksky Nature Reserve.

Rational use and protection of wildlife are the most important state and public tasks, caring for our national heritage.

Exercises based on the material covered

Give examples of the negative impact of humans on the number and diversity of animals.
Name those animals that have disappeared as a result of human activity.
What measures are being taken in our country and in the world to preserve rare animals?

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