Defenders of Wildlife Blog

The Value of Conserving Wildlife

by Jamie Rappaport Clark

(This post originally appeared on Huffington Post on October 4, 2011)

Why save a lizard? Who cares about some little fly? What difference does it make if we kill off a few unwanted prairie dogs?

These are fair questions. At a time when nine percent of Americans are unemployed, another seven percent are marginally employed or working only part-time, and millions more are struggling to stay afloat, protecting obscure endangered species probably isn’t the first thing on people’s minds. But that doesn’t mean we should turn our backs on the countless species, large and small, that still need our help.

Nearly 40 years ago, our government made a commitment in the form of the Endangered Species Act to preserve all native wildlife for the benefit of future generations. And since that time the Act has been 99 percent effective in preventing the extinction of the plants and animals it protects. But tragically, Congress is preparing to use our current economic crisis as an excuse to abandon America’s commitment to preventing extinction.

Before the August recess, no fewer than 13 different proposals had been introduced to limit the federal government’s ability to protect endangered species (see Assault on Wildlife: The Endangered Species Act Under Attack). Since Congress returned from recess, another four have been added to the list, and more will no doubt surface long before a comprehensive funding bill is finally passed this fall.

At the center of nearly all of these attacks on our landmark wildlife conservation law is the implicit argument that saving imperiled plants and animals is simply a luxury we can no longer afford. Some members of Congress are taking it a step further, exploiting our country’s very real financial difficulties by pinning job losses on endangered species protections. Of course, this sham calculus disguises the fact that many of these politicians rely on certain big corporate interests hostile to the Endangered Species Act to line their campaign coffers.

Despite the protestations of anti-wildlife politicians, there are very good reasons to protect a lizard, or a fly or a prairie dog. Though they may seem trivial, these animals are an integral part of the web of life that sustains us all. Lizards control insect pests and provide food for hawks. Flies feed reptiles and can help pollinate crops. Prairie dogs mow down prairie grasses, reducing risk of wildfire, and they provide food for ferrets, badgers and owls. What’s more, by fighting to save these species, we are preserving the vitality of the entire ecosystems that they inhabit.

Madagascar periwinkle

There are also practical reasons for saving as many imperiled species as we can. The ESA acknowledges the direct link between maintaining biodiversity and our own well-being. For example, one economist has estimated that America’s plants and animals provide us with “ecosystem services” (such as erosion control, flood protection, air and water filtration, sedimentation, carbon sequestration, providing nutrients, crop pollination, etc.) totaling $33 trillion per year. Plants like the Pacific yew tree, Madagascar periwinkle and mamala tree have all led to promising treatments for diseases like cancer, leukemia and AIDS. And expenditures for wildlife-related recreation accounted for more than $122 billion in 2006 — about one percent of our GDP.

What doesn’t show up on the ledger though is the value of upholding the principles of good stewardship. The great conservationist Aldo Leopold once wrote, “The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, ‘What good is it?’ If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not.”

We should ask ourselves instead, what will be left when all the lizards, and flies and prairie dogs are gone? What will happen to our lakes and forests, our deserts and oceans, our rivers and prairies, when fewer and fewer living creatures call them home? If we allow piecemeal changes now to our most important environmental laws, what else might politicians find inconvenient to protect?

The attacks on America’s great conservation legacy may seem small and insignificant. But each one tugs at a thread that could unravel the entire fabric of the great safety net we have built over four decades. Killing off a few lizards or flies or prairie dogs isn’t going to rescue our flailing economy. But it could very well ruin us all.

Barton Springs salamander

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small.

What do Robert Redford and a two-inch salamander have in common? They both learned to swim in Barton Springs pool in Austin, Texas. True to its name, the Barton Springs’ salamander is found only in Barton Springs­—a set of four natural water springs where Redford supposedly learn to swim when he was 5 years old.

Salamanders are amphibians, meaning they spend at least part of their lives in the water. Typically they have long tails, moist skin, and slender bodies. Adults can grow up to 2.5 inches long and usually have a purplish grey coloring. The tiny critters feed on brine shrimp, and other small crustaceans underwater. They have bright red external gills and unlike many other species that move from the water to the land during adulthood, Barton Springs salamanders remain in the water their entire lives.

One thing not unique about the salamanders is that they—like so many related species—are critically endangered. Nearly one third of all documented amphibian species around the world face extinction, and the Barton Springs salamander is no exception. They rely on the pure, flowing currents of the Barton Springs to survive, and urban expansion and development in the area continues to severely contaminate the water.  According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the sediment runoff from construction clogs the salamanders’ gills, smothers their eggs, reduces the availability of spawning sites, and lessens water circulation and oxygen. In 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Barton Springs salamander as an endangered species.

WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?

The cleanliness of the Barton Springs is a critical issue for both salamanders and humans since the springs provide much of Austin’s municipal water supply. Salamanders are particularly sensitive to contaminants and the Barton Springs salamander serves as a very important indicator of the health of a water supply used by much of southern Austin. Even while they distribute clean water to the city, the springs themselves are also a treasured place that people want to see protected, and the Barton Springs salamander is a key indicator of the springs’ health. Researching them has even led to the discovery of another endangered species—the Austin blind salamander.

The Barton Springs salamander evolved under such unique and specific conditions that they might also provide valuable information to scientists about the development of the ecosystem and possibly even help in the development of modern medicine.

Luckily for us, there are a number of things people can do to help the salamanders, and none of them involve abstaining from swimming in the popular Barton Springs pool. The salamanders require clean and consistent water flow which means no dumping chemicals or waste into the springs. There are even things you can do at home to help. Little changes like shutting off water while brushing your teeth or washing dishes helps reduce the amount of water used which helps keep it in the springs for the salamanders.

Continual monitoring and protection efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the local communities will be essential if we hope to continue swimming with these special and rare creatures in the future.

Houston toad

Recently, wildfires raged throughout Bastrop State Park–considered the last remaining stronghold for the Houston toad featured in our recent “Can’t Live Without ‘Em” blog. Biologists are currently investigating the damage to the toad’s habitat and population. Hopefully these resourceful critters aren’t among the things we lost in the fire. Firefighters worked tirelessly to save the 6,000-acre Bastrop State Park after fires burned through much of the area located just east of Austin, Texas. According to reports, more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed throughout the affected area along with buildings and habitats inside Bastrop State Park. Read the full article.

Watch the full story as Texas Wildlife officials try to stop the blaze:

Houston toad

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small.

(Based on research by Ben Ikenson)

Houston toads are an endangered species native to the midlands of Texas. Masters of disguise, they can range in color from bluish- grey to speckled red, or even dark brown and black. These little guys don’t have powerful hind legs like frogs so they rely heavily on camouflage and their poisonous skin secretions to protect them from predators. Adult females grow up to four inches long (males are slightly smaller). During scorching hot summers and bitter winters, the toads bury their tiny bodies under loose sand and hibernate to protect themselves from the extreme weather.

Unfortunately, one threat these miniature marvels can’t seem to outwit is industrialization. Rapid development in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas has destroyed much of the toad’s habitat. Wetlands were replaced by roads, and forests were replaced by shopping centers as cities grew. By the 1960s, the toads had seemingly vanished. Once thought to number in the tens of thousands, some researchers estimated that there were as few as 3,000 Houston toads remaining. In 1970, they were federally listed as an endangered species with habitat loss cited as the primary cause of decline. Some isolated populations of the toad in and around Houston had been completely wiped out. And although the toads are now protected under the Endangered Species Act, the largest remaining population in Bastrop County is still under intense threat from urban development according to reports from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?

You’ll probably never hear a doctor say “lick two toads and call me in the morning,” but toads are known to carry toxins that are pharmaceutically important. Many modern medicines contain active ingredients derived from these chemicals. The Houston toad in particular, secretes serotonin—an essential chemical in our brains—and alkaloids used to treat heart and neurological disease. The alkaloids are thought to have analgesic properties quite possibly more powerful than morphine.

Of course, their chemical cures aren’t their only talent. Houston toads help manage the ecosystem by keeping the insect population down. And despite their many defense mechanisms, spiders, raccoons, turtles, snakes, owls, and even fire ants have been known to prey on the amphibians. However with so few toads to study, it’s hard for scientists to accurately estimate the Houston toad’s impact on the environment. Often toads provide key linkages in nutrient cycles because they carry substances from the water to land during metamorphosis from the tadpole stage to being fully terrestrial adults.

As studies continue, Houston toads might prove valuable in other ways to the environment and for practical uses like medicine.

Still despite their helpfulness, urbanization and even agricultural development continue to intrude on the toad’s habitat. Recently more and more forests have been turned into fields or pastures for farming. Unfortunately, livestock often overgraze these areas and leave the toads with little resources for food and shelter. But there are ways that people can help. Replanting native bunchgrasses instead of sod-forming plants and limiting livestock numbers can help the toad’s populations grow in these areas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and USFWS jointly prepared a brochure for private landowners who wish to implement their agricultural practices in ways that are compatible with the needs of the Houston toad. With the assistance and involvement of a dedicated community, perhaps these little amphibians will be able to make the leap from brink of disaster to the threshold of recovery.

Recently, wildfires have raged throughout Bastrop State Park–considered the last remaining stronghold for the Houston toad. Read the  full article here.

Defenders of Wildlife and numerous zoos across the country are in a fight for the lives of frogs. That’s right. The critters that mesmerized many of us as children are in trouble.  Chytrid fungus, a deadly skin disease, has struck many species of frogs, and is spreading through Central America at an average rate of about 30 km per year. This is a race against the clock, with survival of the worldwide amphibian population in jeopardy.

Already, the disease has wiped out 90 species all over the world, including Puerto Rico, the United States, Australia, Central and South America. Defenders is working with scientists that are on the ground in Panama, capturing frogs before chytrid reaches them and searching for a cure.

Learn More

Read part one of a two-part series on the challenges we are facing to stop this deadly disease.

Check out some pictures of the diverse array of frogs.

Read more about this project in Defenders magazine.

Frog Leg Trade Decimates Species and Causes Ecological Chaos
New report highlights dangers of international frog leg trade

WASHINGTON, D.C./MUNICH (July 26, 2011) – International wildlife conservation groups Pro Wildlife, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Animal Welfare Institute, issued a report today titled Canapés to Extinction: The international trade in frogs’ legs and its ecological impact. The report is the first comprehensive study of the frog leg market ever conducted and reveals an industry that is systematically devastating frog populations throughout the world and, subsequently, causing severe environmental impacts to natural ecosystems.

“Humans have been eating frogs for ages. But today the practice is not sustainable on a global scale,” said Alejandra Goyenechea, acting director of international conservation programs for Defenders of Wildlife. “Billions of frogs are traded internationally each year for human consumption, and that industry is responsible for depleting wild populations, spreading deadly disease, and allowing invasive species to destroy the health of native ecosystems.”

In recent years, the United States has imported an average of 2,280 tonnes (4.6 million pounds) of frog legs each year—the equivalent of 456 million to 1.1 billion frogs—and another 2,216 tonnes (4.4 million pounds) of live frogs for Asian-American markets. Most frog and frog leg imports to the U.S. come from China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Mexico and Indonesia.

During the last decade, the European Union imported an average of 4,600 tonnes (9.2 million pounds) of frog legs each year—the equivalent of 1 to 2.3 billion frogs. Indonesia is the world’s leading supplier, providing 84 percent of total imports to the EU with the vast majority of frogs being caught in the wild. Belgium, France and the Netherlands are the top importers in the EU.

“The decline of many frog species is a global problem that is being greatly accelerated by just a handful of European nations,” said Sandra Altherr, director of wildlife programs for Pro Wildlife in Germany. “The capture and killing of native frogs is prohibited within the EU, so it is incomprehensible that we would be supporting environmentally disastrous practices abroad.”

American bullfrog

Until the mid-1980s, India and Bangladesh dominated the international frog leg export market. Severe exploitation resulted in the collapse of many wild frog populations in those countries, including two of the most sought-after species, the green pond frog and the Indian bullfrog. In turn, the decline of those species resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of pesticides, due to an explosion of insects and other agricultural pests previously kept in check by frogs. In 1985, the two frog species were protected with an Appendix II listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). India and Bangladesh subsequently banned exports, their native species have since recovered and the use of pesticides has been reduced.

However, in recent years, other countries have stepped in to fill the void and their frog populations appear to be headed for a similar fate. Indonesia, where billions of frogs are taken from the wild annually, and to a lesser extent China, Taiwan and Vietnam, where frogs are farmed very intensively, have now taken over the export market.

“We must take immediate action to protect frog species from being exploited for international trade,” said D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist with the Animal Welfare Institute. “Wild populations across Asia are already in trouble, and unregulated trade puts native species in the U.S. at even greater risk from deadly diseases that have been wreaking havoc on amphibians worldwide. It will take a coordinated effort from governments and the world’s conservation community to prevent the extinction of imperiled frog species and to protect our native species from harmful invasives.”

The report will be distributed to key government decision-makers, including those responsible for the implementation of CITES, with a request that they take immediate action to bring this unregulated trade under control.  Considering that the frog species dominating the frog leg trade are not currently protected under CITES, there is an urgent need for governments to secure CITES protections for them.

Click here to download the full report.