Wildlife
conservation consists of using scientific knowledge and practices to use,
preserve, protect, conserve, limit, enhance, and control wildlife resources. It
is an effort to maintain and use natural resources wisely in an attempt to
ensure that those resources will be available for future generations. Wildlife
is a renewable resource which has unique economic properties that support a
massive growing global tourism industry, based on the consumptive and
non-consumptive use of the resource. The advantage of a wildlife industry is
that it promotes the conservation of biological diversity, which is essential
for continued human adaptation in a world of increasing resource scarcity and
changing economic forces. In addition, wildlife management is often more
profitable than alternative uses of the land, given appropriate institutions
that permit it to realize its inherent economic advantage.
Ecotourism
is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and usually
protected areas, intended as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to
standard commercial (mass) tourism. Its purpose may be to educate the
traveller, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit
the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to
foster respect for different cultures and for human rights.
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| The graph above represents the human population growth |
Humanity
has subscribed to the doctrine: "Be fruitful and multiply." Thus
there are almost six billion human beings now crowding the planet. But when it
comes to the Earth's life-sustaining and basic natural resources, an addendum
would read: "Now, divide." Since 1600, the human population has
increased from about one billion to nearly six billion. The increase in the
last decade of the twentieth century exceeds the total world population in
1600. The explosive population growth and the spread of affluence in the last
few decades have put tremendous pressure on the planet's natural resources.
Unlike wildlife, forests and people, the world's fossil fuels and minerals are
limited and finite. However, population explosion also has its advantages.
Negative impacts of
Human Population Explosion
On Wildlife
Conservation: Increase in population would put
a strain on resources. More and more land would have to be brought under
cultivation and occupation. This would reduce the forest cover that is
important for the water cycle, regulation of climate and maintenance of wildlife
(wildlife which includes plants and animals present in the forests). Precious
plants and animals are becoming extinct or endangered as a result of clearing
of the forests which are home to many precious species of plants and animals. The
major causes of biodiversity decline are land use changes, pollution, changes
in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, changes in the nitrogen cycle and acid rain,
climate alterations, and the introduction of exotic species, all coincident to
human population growth. The ever increasing demand for food production is
leading to habitat destruction. Dedicated wildlife conservationists valiantly
try to manage ecosystems and wildlife populations by conducting research
projects, establishing large natural preserves, signing cooperative agreements
with landowners, maintaining genetically diverse captive-breeding programs,
developing education programs, and many other activities. But increasingly, all
these positive efforts are being overwhelmed by the demands of an ever-growing
human population.
Pollution:
There have been suggests that our activities are placing accelerating demands
on fossil energy and water in particular.
The methods of pesticide control, fuel extraction are leaving the air
polluted and the water is being contaminated. The contamination of life-support
systems has an adverse effect on wildlife. These life-support systems include
the provision of clean air, clean water and soils of adequate fertility.
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| As the population grows situations such as these increase |
Agriculture:
The dramatic increase in the number of humans during the twentieth century has
instigated a concomitant growth in agriculture, and has led to conversion of
wildlands to croplands, massive diversions of water from lakes, rivers and
underground aquifers, and, at the same time, has polluted water and land
resources with pesticides, fertilizers, and animal wastes.
Logging:
The fragmentation of forests is a general consequence of not only of
agriculture but of haphazard logging, too. Forest clearing is occurring
everywhere, but especially in tropical forests. When forests are cut into
smaller and smaller pieces, there are many consequences, some of which may be
unanticipated. This habitat loss represents a big threat to biodiversity.
Hunting:
Many forests which appear intact are in fact “empty forests,” since most large
animals have been hunted to unsustainable levels. According to Robert (2008)
loss of wildlife species due to hunting could be attributed to poorly defined
and or poorly enforced property rights, in this case humans will expand their
hunting effort as long as hunting is more beneficial (profitable) than
alternative activities, or until there are zero profits in hunting for bush
meat. Poaching or unlawful harvesting of wildlife resources has proven to be
one of the direct effects of population explosion.
On Ecotourism:
One of the main weaknesses of ecotourism starts with the success of ecotourism.
The more that ecotourism succeeds, the more people will want to try an eco-tour
and the more likely that people will have a negative impact on a local
ecosystem. At some point, just one more person may become one too many,
especially if the environment is particularly fragile.
Ecotourism
strives to have as little effect on local populations as well as a local
ecosystem. This, on the surface, is a noble practice however, the simple fact
that visitors are there can influence local culture. Therefore if there is an
increase in the population it is more likely that the local cultures will be
altered.
Positive Impacts of Human
Population Explosion
On Wildlife
Conservation: With some of our brightest minds
dying each day due to tragedy or the natural aging process, it's important that
the world has a new generation of people to ensure the morality of society. The
world will always need people who have the integrity to defend the rights and
issues of those who society sometimes ignores such as the conservation on wildlife
and natural resources. Before the 1900s, conservation of wildlife was of little
concern to humans. People assumed that the taking of wildlife was a birth right
and that animals would always be abundant. As we now know, the unregulated
taking of wildlife, destruction of habitat, and environmental pollution can
push wildlife populations toward extinction. Today, we recognize that human activity
has an impact on wildlife. If we are to ensure survival of all the diverse
species living on this planet, we must understand and pursue conservation. So
in that sense population growth is also important because we need a new
generation of people who can think big and create ways to keep society strong.
When new babies are born, some may grow up to invent new technologies that can
ensure safe food production methods for us hence there wouldn’t be need to hunt
or exploit wildlife resources.
On Ecotourism:
Tourism is a fluctuating industry, dependent on uncertain influences such as
weather, foreign-exchange rates, and political stability. Another dilemma
facing planners is the possibility that a tourism program may not attract
sufficient visitors, or visitors quickly enough, to generate the quantities of
revenue needed to meet the economic expectations of the community. This can
lead to disenchantment with the program and the belief that the park serves no
useful purpose. This can result in a decreased likelihood that the community
will make efforts to protect park resources. Therefore, population explosion
would ensure that sufficient tourists visit to generate the quantities of
revenue needed to meet the economic expectations of the community.
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with us your experiences, comments and recommendations. Send emails to wildlifemgtsociety@gmail.com
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