As defined in Biology; An Illustrated History of Life Science by Tom Jackson, Conservation is the protection of nature, natural resources, and wildlife. Though some issues regarding conservation are deemed as more important than others, every single organism on the planet plays a role in the lives of everything else. For example, saving the turtles was a very popular conservation issue in the past, but if we don't also make an effort to conserve the kelp forests, then all the work will have been for nothing. The relationships each organism has with the rest of the world is described in the Gaia Hypothesis. This hypothesis proposes that Earth's systems can be thought of as one big organism(Jackson 104). It's best to understand the world as a human body. The nervous system needs the brain, the heart needs the arteries, and so on. Everything has a purpose, and if one part goes missing, or extinct, the rest will have a very hard time surviving.
The role that every organism plays is defined as an ecological niche: the position a plant, animal, or other organism has in its environment together, with its role there(Jackson 95). An example could be a red eyed tree frog relying on tropical vegetation for safety and reproduction. Because every organism plays a role in the lives of another, the extinction of one will lead to cascading deaths throughout. This can be defined as a Trophic cascade: changes in an ecosystem due to the addition or removal of an organism(National Geographic Society, 2012).
Reasons for Extinction
A report by students of Princeton say that deforestation, overexploitation, invasive species, and human mediated climate change are the leading causes of extinction. To keep it short and sweet, cutting your amount of consumption and waste, as well as supporting eco-friendly businesses can help make a difference for many species. I've made posts in the past that go into much more detail on how to help, which include "Healthy Habits for Limiting your Environmental Impact" and "Zero Waste: Zero Problems."
Every ecosystem includes a complexity of organisms, together with all the non-living elements, and every ecosystem includes a multitude of relationships that make it possible for the Earth to maintain a perfect equilibrium.
"If we can work on reducing the negative impact we've had on the climate, then other things will also improve, such as the number of species that are currently threatened by habitat loss." -Katie Collins, Curator of Benthic Mollusks at The Natural History Museum
Humans are the most complex organisms on this planet, and we are the only ones who have the control to protect everything else. It is our responsibility to look out for the life that we are threatening.
The Earth thanks you for your kindness!
Works Cited-
Begum, T. (2021). What is mass extinction and are we facing a sixth one? Natural History Museum. Retrieved May 9, 2022, from https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-mass-extinction-and-are-we-facing-a-sixth-one.html
National Geographic Society. (2012, October 9). Role of keystone species in an ecosystem. National Geographic Society. Retrieved May 9, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/role-keystone-species-ecosystem/
Sodhi, N. S., Brook, B. W., & Bradshaw, C. J. A. (n.d.). (rep.). Causes and Consequences of Species Extinctions (Vol. 1, pp. 1–7). Princeton.edu.
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