Abstract
The rates of species extinction are currently 1,000 times greater than natural background levels, but this may soon increase to 10,000 times. Over 99% of modern extinctions, all of which are leading to the rapid loss of ecosystem services, can be attributed to human activity. The IUCN has developed quantitative criteria that assign species to nine conservation categories based on their risk of extinction. Species that are Extinct in the Wild (EW), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), and Vulnerable (VU) are officially considered “threatened with extinction”. The five other categories are Extinct (EX), Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC), Data Deficient (DD), and Not Evaluated (NE). Furthermore, species with the following characteristics are particularly vulnerable to extinction: species with small populations, species with declining populations, species with restricted distribution ranges, species with one or only a few small populations, species that are exploited by people, and species with critical symbiotic relationships. Small populations are at high risk of extinction because they are vulnerable to several deleterious genetic factors, as well as demographic and environmental stochasticity. Such populations often require intensive management to prevent them from becoming a victim of an extinction vortex. De-extinction as a scientific field aims to revive extinct species using methods such as selective breeding and cloning. But this practice is controversial, and not practical with current technology.
Highlights
Introduction to SubSaharan Africa2.1 Sub-Saharan Africa’s Natural Environment2.2 History of Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa2.4 Ongoing Conservation Challenges p. 24 p. 29 p. 37 p. 44
Some impacts are an unavoidable consequence of human activities; vast resources are currently invested in finding ways to mitigate those impacts
Many threatened species continue to be illegally exploited in an unsustainable manner; in the worst cases, the profits from poaching are funding human-rights atrocities and organised criminal networks
Summary
Box 1.2 The Okapi Wildlife Reserve: Protecting Nature and Providing for People 14 Rosmarie Ruf & Marcel Enckoto. Box 5.1 The Importance of Liberia’s Forest Network to the Survival of the Pygmy Hippopotamus. Box 5.3 Migratory Birds of Africa: The Largest of the Last Great Migrations? Box 6.1 Does Oil Palm Agriculture Threaten Biological Diversity in Equatorial Africa?. Box 8.3 Fenced Reserves Conserving Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs in South Africa. Box 11.1 The Overlooked Role of Behavioural Ecology in the Conservation of African Mammals. Box 12.3 Thoughts on Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trafficking in Sub-Saharan Africa. Box 13.3 Marine Protected Areas in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean 481 Abraham J. Box 14.2 Importance of Protected Areas in Cities: Insights from the City of Cape Town. Box 15.3 Tracking Species in Space and Time: Citizen Science in Africa Phoebe Barnard
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have