The process of reducing the number of certain species of plants and animals on Earth has been observed for several centuries. The relevance of this problem today has not become less.
IUCN
Questions about the protection of the animal and plant world were raised by the international community as early as the 19th century, but the first organization that was seriously engaged in this problem was created only in 1948. It is called the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
The organization established the Commission on Rare and Endangered Species. The purpose of the Commission in those days was to collect information about animals and plants that were threatened with extinction.
After 15 years, in 1963, the organization published the first list of such species. The Red Book of Facts was the name of the list. The later edition was renamed, and the list was called the Red Book of the World.
Reasons for the decline in the number of plants and animals
The reasons that led to the reduction of species of flora and fauna are very diverse. But all of them are mainly connected with the economic activity of a person or his thoughtless intervention in the life of nature.
The most common reason for the reduction of wildlife species is the massive shooting of animals during hunting, fishing, the destruction of egg clutches, and the collection of plants. Here we are talking about the direct destruction of species.
Another, no less common, reason for the reduction in the number of wild animals and plants of the planet is not associated with their direct extermination. Here it must be said about the destruction of the habitat: plowing virgin lands, the construction of hydroelectric power stations and reservoirs, deforestation.
There is a natural reason that affects the reduction or extinction of wildlife species - climate change on Earth. For example, relict gull today lives only on some lakes in Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan and the Chita region. The number of species is 10 thousand individuals, and the number of breeding pairs varies from year to year depending on weather conditions. The Red Book of Peace devotes one of its pages to this rare bird. But millions of years ago, when in the modern territories of its habitat there was a huge inland sea, relic gulls, according to scientists, were widespread everywhere, and their numbers were not in danger.
Wildlife Conservation Activities
Plants and animals of the Red Book forced a person not only to understand the reasons for their disappearance from the face of the Earth, but also to develop a set of measures aimed at saving wildlife.
Today it is already clear that to restore the abundance of certain species, it is enough to ban hunting or gathering. To preserve other rare animals and plants, it is necessary to create special conditions for their living. Moreover, any economic activity in this territory should be prohibited.
A person is trying to save the species that are on the verge of complete extinction by artificial breeding in special nurseries, while creating all favorable conditions for existence.
The Red Book of the World categorized the animals and plants listed on its pages. For this, the current state of the species, its predisposition to reduce the number or extinction, has been taken into account.
First category of species
The pages of the book where the views of the first category are listed are the most disturbing. Endangered wildlife is recorded here. If humanity urgently does not take special measures, then the rescue of these animals and plants will be impossible.
Second category
These pages contain a list of living creatures of the planet, whose number is still quite large, but there is a process of steady reduction. Scientists are convinced that if they do not take specific actions, then these species can be threatened with death.
The third category of plants and animals
The Red Book of the World has published lists of species that today are not in danger, but their numbers are small or they live in small territories. Therefore, any changes in the environment where they are common can lead to unpredictable results.
The most vulnerable plants and animals that live on small islands. For example, a Komodo lizard inhabits the islands of East Indonesia. Any rash human actions or natural phenomena (floods, volcanic eruptions) can lead to the disappearance of the species in a very short period of time.
Fourth category
Despite the fact that science is moving forward at a tremendous pace today, representatives of the flora and fauna that have been little studied are still on Earth. They are represented on the pages of the Red Book in the fourth category.
For some reason, scientists are concerned about the number of these species, but due to lack of knowledge, it is not yet possible to classify them with other categories of plants and animals.
Green pages
The fifth category of species of animals and plants is located on the pages of green. These are special pages. The species that managed to escape the threat of extinction are listed here. Strength restored through human action. These representatives of the species have not been removed from the pages of the Red Book for the reason that their commercial use is prohibited.
The Red Book of Peace. Plants
The 1996 edition of the “disturbing” book describes 34,000 species of plants that are threatened with extinction. They were taken under their protection by the IUCN public organization and the Red Book.
The plant world most often becomes a victim of beauty. People, delighted at the unusual and sophisticated plants, begin to thoughtlessly destroy plantations for the sake of a bunch of flowers. Not the least role is played in this case by the person’s desire for profit. Such is the fate of the alpine edelweiss, bell of Ossetia, daffodil.
There are many plants that have suffered from human activities and environmental pollution. These include tulips, chilli, yew berry, some species of pine and many others.
Animals of the Red Book of the World
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, today about 5.5 thousand species of animals need protection.
Paying tribute to fashion or satisfying one's gastronomic needs, a person invades the life of wildlife, inflicting irreparable damage to it. The list of animals affected for this reason is incredibly extensive: European pearl mussel, gigantic salamanders, muskrat, Galapagos giant tortoise, Asiatic lion and many other species.
IUCN is a public organization, and its decisions are not binding, therefore, the leadership works closely with governments to ensure that the recommendations that help save the life of the planet are implemented.