Conservation Essay

Biology 112
Alan Reid
University of the Fraser Valley
Matthew Strauss
April 4, 2016

Ladies and Gentlemen of the board, we face a crisis. Without going into detail why, only
3 of the designated 12 animals can be saved. They have been chosen and the rational why
follows.

The question is not who to save but who can be lost. Who, when removed from their
ecosystem, will result in the least impact? Those who are 'keystone' in their respective
environment must be saved. Therefore, cultural and social status must be ignored. Humans can
adapt to such changes. In no particular order, each animal will be assessed and graded on a 4
point scale.

Point Value

Status

Critical to Multiple Ecosystems

Critical to Local Ecosystem

Non-Critical to Local Ecosystem

Isolated in Local Ecosystem

A short explanation of the grade will follow each animals description.

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

Habitat

Forested Australia

Prey

Eucalyptus

Predators

Dingo, large python, birds of prey on young

Status

Least Concern

Points

A Koala's impact on it's local ecosystem appears minimal. Food for other carnivores but
neither wide spread enough or essential enough to cause distinct impact on the food chain. As the

Koala primarily ingests Eucalyptus and is not necessary for Eucalyptus control, the Koala is
graded as Non-Critical in it's ecosystem. If removed entirely, local predator's would find other
sources of food and the eucalyptus would grow as before.

Aye-Aye

Daubentonia madagascariensis

Habitat

East coast Madagascar

Prey

Insects, larvae, fruit

Predators

Human, fossa, birds of prey

Status

Endangered

Worlds largest nocturnal primate.

Points

The Aye-Aye provides a mammalian aspect in Madagascar's unique ecosystem. This

endangered animal eats primarily insects, larvae and fruit while being prey to fossa, birds and
humans (Sterling, 1993). As the fossa can also hunt lemurs, they Aye-Aye's presence is valued
but not essential, garnering it a rank of 2.

Mole Rat

Heterocephalus glaber

Habitat

East Africa (Southern Ethiopia, Kenya,

Somalia)

Prey

Tubers

Predators

Snakes

Status

Not Threatened

Resistant to Cancer; Longest Living Rodent (31 years)

Points

Abundant and radicivorous, the mole rat's food will continue to persist in neither excess
nor recess. The snakes that prey on the mole rat may feel the impact, but it is believed not overly

so. Unique to the Mole Rat is it's longevity and particular resistance to cancer (Buffenstein,
2005). For medical reasons, maintaining the mole rat population for study would be preferred,
but not over the potential destruction of other ecosystems. A 2 is given with preference over
other 2 rated animals.

Panda

Ailuropoda melanolecua

Habitat

Mountain ranges in central china

Prey

Eucalyptus

Predators

Adult stage: none; cubs: jackals, leopards, etc.

Status

Endangered

Panda waste contains microbes being studied for potential biofuel; 2000 panda's left.
Points

The Giant Panda, like the Koala, receives a 2 for being neither essential for predators nor
necessary for keeping the Eucalyptus in check. Notable is the scientific research being done in
panda waste, where microbes are being studied for their potential biofuel benefits. This would
place the Panda above other 2 rated animals (equal with the Mole Rat).

Lamottes Round Leaf Bat

Hipposideros lamottei

Habitat

Mount Nimba; border of Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea

Prey

Insects

Predators

Humans (food, deforestation, iron ore mining)

Status

Critically Endangered

Points

Lamottes Round Leaf Bat, while not technically isolated in it's ecosystem, has only 6
known species in existence. The damage humans are doing to its habitat obscures the actual

impact the Round Leaf Bat's absence would have, but it can be extrapolated from the lack of
current serious detrimental effects that the Round Leaf Bat is not critical to the ecosystem.

Harp Seal

Pagophilus groenlandicus

Habitat

Eastern Canada, Greenland and Western Russia

Prey

Fish and Crustaceans

Predators

Polar Bears, Humans, Foxes, Wolves, Orcas

and Sharks

Status

Threatened

Points

Widely hunted by mammals across large northern expanses, the harp seal provides food
for many creatures. It's declination would be felt throughout the northern species but it is not
known how deeply. It garners a 3 due to their volume in northern environments, where few
species manage to survive. It's importance is largely as food and thus would rank lower than
other 3 rated animals.

Alligator

American A. (Alligator Mississippiensis)

Chinese A. (Alligator Sinensis)

Habitat

Southeast United States; Yangtze River Valley

Prey

Fish, insects, crustaceans; turtles, birds,

reptiles; panthers and black bears

Predators

Young to birds and racoons; bobcats, otters,

snakes and larger alligators

Status

Not Endangered

Keep Coypu and Muskrat population in check

Points

The Alligator provides a control on local animals.. The absence of Alligators can be
assumed to damage local ecosystems from the spike in Coypu and Muskrats ranking the
Alligator at 3.

Jaguar

Panthera onca

Habitat

Mexican and South American rainforests.

Prey

Obligate Carnivor terrestrial vertebrates.

Predators

Humans

Status

Near Threatened

Keystone predator in ecosystem.

Points

Keystone predator status is currently debated but tends to describe a creature that
maintains local populations through hunting (Steiner, 2003). Like the Alligator, the Jaguar is
thought to keep other populations in check. Its ecological impact is disproportionate to it's
population (Vandermeer, 1998). For that reason, the Jaguar receives a 3.

Vulture

New World and Old World Vultures

Habitat

Warm and temperate Americas; Africa, Asia,

Europe

Prey

Dead carcasses; dying animals

Predators

Great horned owls, read tailed hawks, golden

eagles

Status

Particular old world vultures are Near

Threatened

Points

Wide spread and only threatened in Indian ecosystems due to diclofenac poisoning , the
Vulture provides recycling of dead animals (Green, 2004). The Vulture only eats dead or dying
animals and as small animals can provide the same, the vulture is not essential to its ecosystem
and is ranked 2.

Blue Sided Tree Frog

Agalychnis annae

Habitat

Tropical rainforests of Costa Rica and Panama

Prey

Insects

Predators

Xiphophorus hellerii fish, chytridiomycosis,

human pet trade

Status

Endangered

Points

Keeping no populations in control, providing no current scientific benefit and food for
specific fish that do not depend on it, the Blue Tree frog is a low 2 due to it's lack of proposed
impact were it absent from its ecosystem.

Soft Shell Turtle

Trionychiae family (soft shells)

Habitat

Largely aquatic Africa, Asia and North

America

Prey

Fish, crustaceans, snails, amphibians

Predators

Humans, large fish, racoons, long legged

herons.

Status

Vulnerable

Points

Food for humans and other animals, the Soft Shell Turtle is not essential to any particular

ecosystem and recieves a 2.

Clown Fish

Amphiprioninae (subfamily)

Habitat

Warmer water of indian and pacific ocean;

Great Barrier Reef.

Prey

Zooplankton, undigested host anemone food.

Predators

Large fish, eel and shark.

Status

Not Endangered

Points

The Clown Fish provides a symbiotic relationship to anemone (Dunn, 1981). As the
Clown Fish is not essential to particular ecosystems and keeps no populations in check through
predation or being preyed upon, it is rated at 2.

Of the animals evaluated, the following have been chosen to save: Jaguar, Alligator and
Harp Seal. The scientific benefits of saving the Giant Panda and Mole Rat are being researched
and currently unknown. The Jaguar and Alligator provide population control that, were they
absent, local populations are assumed to increase and detrimentally influence the local
ecosystem. The Harp Seal provides food for animals in northern ecosystems that, were they
absent, would have significant difficulty in finding other food due to the desolate environment
they inhabit. All other animals are acceptable losses in comparison to these three.

References
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Dunn, D. F. (1981). The Clownfish Sea Anemones: Stichodactylidea (Coelenterata:

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Green, R. E., Newton, I., Cunningham, A. A., Shultz, S., Gilbert, M., Pain, D. J., &
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