Preserving Threatened and Endangered Species

“A civilization able to envision God and to embark on the colonization of space will surely find the way to save the integrity of this planet and the magnificent life it harbors.”
—Edward O. Wilson
Source: Wilson, E. O. 2002. The Future of Life. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

The national parks are treasure houses of our rich natural heritage. Every year, wonderful new discoveries of organisms not previously known to science add to already sizable species lists and increase the value of these sanctuaries as places to study, reflect upon, and interpret the diversity of life. Yet among this richness is a small minority of species that are at risk. Threatened and endangered species are plants and animals that require special attention, and in 2004 the National Park Service took action to help secure their future in the national parks. The evolving success stories reported in this chapter include a record number of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles at Padre Island National Seashore, restoration of freshwater mussels at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, local expansion of sensitive joint vetch at Colonial National Historical Park, the recovery of piping plovers at Great Lakes parks, and a thriving wolf population in Yellowstone that is having effects throughout that ecosystem. Some of the successes are simply the result of research and reintroduction. In most instances, however, threatened and endangered species require constant attention because of particular challenges: habitat fragmentation, competition with invasive species, poaching, limited genetic diversity, and disease. As demonstrated by many of the articles, actions to recover these species in national parks are increasingly being taken with partners, including federal agencies, state governments, and private landowners.

The bald eagle has made a magnificent recovery since the era when prevalent pesticides led to eggshell thinning and its listing as one of the first threatened species more than 30 years ago. Though this American symbol is still classified as threatened, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering delisting the species. Bald eagles are found in 125 national parks, the greatest number of parks for the occurrence of any federally listed species.