Plant species that were saved from extinction. Endangered Animals: Basic Information

Plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis, without which we could not exist. Moreover, plants are an effective source of medicines we use today. Today there are about 300 thousand known plant species. Of these species, 12,914, nearly 68 percent, are at risk of extinction. Plants cannot move freely, and this especially contributes to their extinction. Global warming is another important cause of extinction.

Reasons that make plants disappear

The extinction began about 100 million years ago and is a natural process due to the geological transformation of the Earth. Based on fossil research, it is believed that only 2-4 percent of all species that have ever existed survive.

Almost 16,928 species of plants and animals face the threat of extinction. The most important cause of extinction is habitat degradation. For this reason, 91% of plants face the threat of extinction.

Thanks to human activity on the planet, Over the past 500 years, about 869 species of plants and animals have disappeared.

Endangered plants

Here are some plants that are on the verge of extinction.

Bottom line

As we can see, many plant species have already become extinct due to human intervention in a balanced environment, or even without his help. For the same reasons, many of them are on the verge of extinction. However, it is not too late to save the latter, and the least we can do is do not trample or pick flowers, do not cut down trees unnecessarily, and also plant at least one tree in your life.

Nature is beautiful in its versatility. A variety of rare plants are hidden in all corners of the vast planet. It is impossible to pick them as a gift for someone, you cannot buy them in a flower shop, because they are practically never found and are protected by law. It is only in our power to preserve unique species and let them live not only as references on the pages of school textbooks and reference books.

We will describe the most unique plant species in the world in this article.

Midlemist red

Originally exported from China in 1854, this flower is a rare one, with only two specimens left in the world - in the UK and New Zealand. He was destroyed in his homeland. The gardener who miraculously took him to Europe had no idea what gift he would give to humanity in the future.

The last time a plant of this species bloomed was in 2010. It is shaped like a bowl with neat rows of soft pink petals inside.

Franklin tree

The beautiful snow-white plant was discovered in 1765 by two botanists from Philadelphia - William and John Bartra. He was named after Benjamin Franklin, a good friend of William's father.

Alatamaha Franklinia (the second name of the species) was listed as rare in the nineteenth century. It was very difficult to breed him due to his rather whimsical nature. Three years ago this plant bloomed for the first time in two hundred years.

The plant comes from China. It was first discovered in 1907 in Hubei Province. Basically, today this species grows in botanical gardens. It is rarely found in mountainous areas - at an altitude of up to a thousand meters above sea level.

Its unique feature is the color of its petals. During flowering they are white, and later acquire an intense red color.

Lady's slipper

The flower got its name due to its shape, which resembles a woman’s (Venus) shoe. This is the reason for its popularity, which led to the inclusion of the species on the list of the rarest throughout Europe and the world. The population drops especially during the tourist season, as people pick the plant in order to bring it home and plant it.

An interesting feature of the flower is known to many - thanks to its unearthly appearance, the trap hidden inside is completely invisible. This is what gullible flying insects, usually bees, fall for. They land on the smooth, shiny “shoe”, the lip of the plant, and easily roll down. To get out, they need to leave their pollen - only at this price will they be able to crawl through a special hole.

Jade flower (Strongylodon macrocarpal)

This vine-shaped plant immediately attracts attention due to its unusual shape. Another interesting feature is the color. It's not just the beautiful turquoise and blue shades, but also the fact that Strongylodon tends to glow at night. Due to this, it is pollinated by bats, which are attracted by the unusual brightness of the petals.

At home, the plant does not take root well, but in botanical gardens it was possible to grow a few specimens. The main reason for the extinction of this flower is massive deforestation.

Chocolate space

The velvet-colored Mexican flower is almost artificially bred. At one time in its homeland it was considered almost a weed, but when they realized it, it was already too late - there was only one bush of this species left, from which they managed to get some seeds for the whole world. This is an amazing plant that truly has a chocolate aroma.

In nature, it grows poorly, as it has a rather capricious disposition due to its homeland of Mexico, where it is always warm. In addition, it is very difficult to care for a flower on your own:

• good, frequent watering is necessary; the soil should not be left dry;
• you need to find a semi-dark place, but at the same time make sure that the plant gets enough sunlight;
• when frosts arrive, it is recommended to replant chocolate cosmos in a warm place, otherwise the tubers may die.

Parrot beak

The brightly fiery plant, originally from the Canary Islands, has long been bred only artificially. This is due to pollinators - previously they were sunbirds, which became extinct, and it was not possible to replace them with other species due to incompatibility. Since then, the flower has not grown in the wild. The inhabitants of Europe settled him in their greenhouses.

Gibraltar tar

This is a mountain plant. It looks like the simplest of those presented on this list. Its flowers will not surprise you with their pretentiousness or bright color, and the stems will not be the tallest in the world. Nevertheless, the climbers still fell in love with Gibraltar gum, carefully collected the seeds and gave them to specialists. A little later, scientists transferred the plant to botanical gardens.

From a distance it may seem that these are ordinary thickets of wildflowers. But get closer and you will see the delicate lilac shade of the petals in the shape of an elongated heart.

Ghost Orchid

A fragile, pale flower balances on a thin stem that is swayed by a stormy wind. The only hope is the tree on which the plant is located. These “ghost flowers” ​​appear unexpectedly, bloom several times, and then disappear again. This feature gave the plant its name.

The flower's homeland is Florida, where it was first noticed. Being extremely whimsical, plants can remain underground for a long time and appear only when it is really warm.

Wild lupine

This unusual blue plant is native to the Mediterranean and Africa. Its petals tend upward. The flower is sensitive to climate change, which is why it began to die out after industry began to spread throughout the world, and people completely forgot about ecology. In addition, the plant is of industrial interest to humans:

• its seeds contain up to 50% protein;
• there is also oil similar to olive;
• The flower is an excellent food for fish and animals.

Kokyo

This tree with a thousand flaming flowers can only be found in Hawaii. The fate of this plant is tragic. It was discovered too late, in 1860 - then only three copies remained. The battle for life continued until 1950, when the last coquio disappeared. However, by luck, we managed to save one branch and graft it onto other trees. This is how new species of cokyo were formed.

As a result, we managed to save one of the most capricious plants, which now delights many tourists. Its main difference is its many bright petals, red, orange and yellow.

Green pitchers, frozen motionless over the marshy areas of Australia - this is what this predator plant looks like, the most unusual and strange of all mixotrophs. It stores a pleasant-smelling liquid at the bottom, thanks to which not only insects, but also mammals are caught inside! For example, the plant can absorb mice, which are so intoxicated by nectar that they lose their minds and fall into the depths.

This discovery was made after people complained of an unpleasant odor emanating from one such jug. As a result, they found the skeleton of a rat inside. Unfortunately, the plant is distributed only in a few areas of the planet, and therefore is rare.

Magnolia macrofolia

Delicate snow buds require careful handling, which is why they grow in places where they are very difficult to disturb - for example, in gorges along rivers. The plant needs moist soil. It is not afraid of frost, despite its thin leaves and the need for protection.

The flower has joined the list of endangered plant species. Picking large-leaved magnolia is prohibited by law - it is illegal and fraught with punishment.

Kadupul

This most amazing flower cannot even be picked - it only lives for one night. It is this feature that makes people from all over the world come to the plant’s homeland, Sri Lanka, in order to take photographs as a souvenir.

There is a legend: at midnight, when the kadupul blooms, the mythical Nagas, demigods with the body of a snake, take this flower to later present it to Buddha.

Only through joint efforts is it possible to save endangered species and prevent those plants, of which there are many, from dying. Remember the sad example: chocolate cosmos was considered a weed, and now they are trying to recreate it bit by bit... It is better to learn from the sad experience of past generations and not repeat the same terrible mistakes.

Every year the world is getting closer to an environmental disaster. Each of us has the power to push back the worst date by becoming a little kinder to others. You shouldn’t pick an innocent plant just for a bouquet - it’s better to try to increase its population, because then it will be able to delight you not for three days, but for a whole year, being alive and beautiful.

In 1948, in the city of Fontainebleau (France), at an international conference, the International Union for Conservation of Nature was founded, which was subsequently transformed into the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). One of the main tasks of the IUCN was to identify species of animals and plants that are on the verge of extinction and require immediate human care and the development of recommendations for their salvation. To carry out this mission, a permanent Rescue Service Commission, the Rare Species Commission, was created in 1949. The commission included prominent zoologists from various countries of the world. The participants did a great job of compiling a list of rare and endangered animal species, indicating the reasons for this condition around the world.

Compiling the first version of the Red Book required 14 years of hard work. The red color of the Book is symbolic, because it means prohibition, attention, SOS! In 1949, Peter Scott, Chairman of the Commission on Rare Species of Animals, proposed calling the Book Red, so that even its very name would attract people's attention and make them think about the barbaric destruction of nature.

The different colors of the pages of the book allow readers to better understand what threat is currently looming over this or that type of wildlife.

Yes, on yellow pages those animals listed in the Red Book of the World are presented, the number of which is rapidly declining, but does not yet pose a threat of extinction. Conservation species.

On white pages rare species of flora and fauna are presented.

Gray Pages contain little-studied fauna and plants.

Green The Red Book identifies species that were saved from extinction, extinction, and brought the situation from a critical point.

Black pages contain images of animals and plants that can no longer be seen. Extinct species.

1963 - The first edition of the Red Book is published in two volumes.

The first volume contained information about 211 species and subspecies of mammals, and the second - about 312 species and subspecies of birds. Each species had a separate page, which contained information in a concise form about the current and past distribution, status, total number and reproduction in nature, the reasons for the decline in numbers, measures already taken and necessary for their protection, the number of animals kept in captivity, and data on their reproduction.

1966-1971 — published The second edition of the Red Book consisted of three volumes. They included information on the number of species and subspecies of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Each volume was made in the form of a desk calendar, any sheet of which could be replaced with a new one.

1972 - The Third Edition of the Red Book was published. The description of the species in it began with a description of the status and current state of the species, followed by geographic distribution, population structure and numbers, habitat characteristics, current protection measures, an assessment of the possibilities of renewing the species kept in zoos, and sources of information were also given.

1978-1980 — the latest Fourth Edition of the Red Book has been published. This publication includes 226 species and 79 subspecies of mammals, 181 species and 77 subspecies of birds, 77 species and 21 subspecies of reptiles, 35 species and 5 subspecies of amphibians, 168 species and 25 subspecies of fish. Among them are 7 restored species and subspecies of mammals, 4 of birds, 2 species of reptiles.

The publication of the first issues of the International Red Book gave a powerful impetus to the creation of national and regional Red Books and lists.

Now many countries in Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the USA, South America, South Africa, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, etc. have similar publications.

Ecology

People, by and large, are very strange creatures: first we destroy, and then we begin to rebuild everything again. Our history highlights the importance of scientific discoveries in allowing us to improve our lives. However, we can use many scientific advances to, for example, cause unnecessary pain to someone. We call this "human nature".

Today we are on the brink because we have caused enormous damage to our environment, but we are trying to fix everything. Find out about those animals and plants that humans have actually saved from extinction, sometimes completely unintentionally.

1) Head lice

2) Avocado

Many plants are indebted to humans for distributing their seeds. Seeds avocado(lat. Persea americana) have a tasty shell, due to which some animals swallowed the fruits whole, and their seeds came out undigested naturally. This not only benefited the animals, but also allowed the seeds to spread to different parts of the wilderness.

However, considering that an avocado seed is the size of a chicken egg, the question arises: what animals can ingest it today and then successfully carry it through their entire digestive system? For example, a person is a fairly large living creature, but the passage in our intestines is too small to eat such a large seed. Logically, animals that can swallow it must be significantly larger than us.

Megafauna became extinct approximately 12 thousand years ago. The avocado could have disappeared along with the giant animals in the same way, but the inhabitants of Central America were excellent at spreading the seeds by collecting and eating the fruits. Thus, the avocado managed to survive for many thousands of years thanks to man. If a person stops eating avocado (which is unlikely), the plant simply will not be able to spread and will disappear.

3) Hamsters

At the beginning of the last century, a zoologist captured several strange and rare rodents in Syria. They were described just a century earlier and were named Syrian or Central Asian hamsters(lat. Mesocricetus auratus). Among the caught animals there was only one female. They began to be seen less and less often, and zoologists believed that they had disappeared in the wild.

After studying and breeding hamsters in captivity for several generations to increase their populations, some escaped and the rest became the ancestors of modern domesticated hamsters. The ancestor of all the hamsters that live in our home was the same single female that was caught at the beginning of the 20th century, and genetic analyzes of the hamsters that live in the wild in Israel are the descendants of those that once escaped. Thanks to one single zoologist, hamsters have not disappeared.

4) Ginko

According to legend, a long time ago, a Chinese emperor planted a special type of plant in his garden that he really liked. Court gardeners helped grow it, and generations enjoyed the plant for thousands of years.

Several centuries later, the ginko was long considered an extinct tree in other parts of the world and could only be described based on fossil evidence. When China opened up to the Western world, it became clear that the plant survived solely because it was so beloved by the Chinese Emperor.

Today the plant is of the species Ginkgo biloba(lat. Ginkgo biloba) can be found throughout the world, but genetically all the world's trees are closely related to just one tree, or probably a very small group of trees, that grew in China about 3 thousand years ago.

5) Silkworm

Silkworm(lat. Bombyx mori) completely depends on man and owes his existence to him. This insect is sometimes called silkworm, although it is not a worm at all - it is a butterfly. The cocoons of the caterpillars of these butterflies are made of silk, which is widely used by humans. Caterpillars have been bred specifically for silk production for more than 5 thousand years, during which time their wild relatives gradually became extinct.

Caterpillars that are bred for silk are very helpless, and even after metamorphosis occurs, the butterflies cannot fly or feed normally. Their wings remain underdeveloped and their mouthparts are too small to eat properly. As a result of domestication, insects lack the instinct of self-preservation, they are not afraid of enemies, and cannot survive in the wild. To reproduce, they need human help. Despite this, the silkworm is not going to disappear and feels great. It is known that the healthiest and well-fed caterpillars will produce the best silk, so they are groomed and cherished.

6) Bermuda typhoon

This rare bird lives in Bermuda. When Europeans first visited these islands, they brought with them many rats, dogs and other animals that began to exterminate the birds. Three hundred years Bermuda typhoon(lat. Pterodroma cahow) was considered extinct.

In 1951, 18 birds were accidentally discovered nesting on the coast, so they were immediately listed in the Red Book and taken under protection. Even under the most ideal conditions, if even 18 representatives of the species remain, it will not have the most rosy future. Typhoon nests were isolated from the rest of the island by walls to protect them from interference by other animals. Wildlife officials have created other safe nesting areas for these birds, and their numbers have increased within a few years.

Volunteers rushed to protect the birds, risking their own lives, during the 2003 hurricane, many nests were destroyed, which were then restored by conservationists. Today, 250 Bermuda typhoons live on the islands. Thanks to human efforts, perhaps one day their numbers will increase again to several thousand individuals.

7) Medusagina

This plant is so named because the center of its flowers resembles the tentacles of a jellyfish. It was thought to be extinct until the end of the last century, when several small populations were rediscovered in the Seychelles. Today the plant is protected.

This ancient plant adapts very poorly to the modern climate. Its populations have been declining naturally for thousands of years due to climate change on the planet. In 1970, three surviving trees were discovered. Today the plant is protected by law, and botanists are trying to find a way to help it.

The seeds of this plant do not want to germinate in the wild, and only with very high humidity can a person cultivate it artificially. Without further human intervention medusagina(lat. Medusagyne) is unlikely to be able to survive and cope with the climate changes of our time; it simply will not withstand the competition of better-adapted relatives.

8) European bison

As in the case of the Bermuda typhoon, man has also almost driven this animal to extinction. European bison(lat. Bison bonasus) is the largest land animal in Europe, but it was completely destroyed in the wild due to overhunting. Traditionally, people have hunted for its skin and horns since the Paleolithic era, but modern hunters have driven the animal to extinction.

Soldiers during World War I hunted bison for meat, despite knowing full well that the animal was very rare and endangered. The last wild European bison was shot in 1927. Fortunately, several representatives continued to live in zoos and wandering menageries. They attracted the close attention of the German biologist Heinz Heck. Heck theorized that since modern animals carry the genes of their extinct ancestors, they could be bred in captivity and replenish the wild population.

Heck did not want the new bison to become extinct again because of humans, like their ancestors. He tried to breed them, using only 12 animals as a basis. Today the number of European bison is 4 thousand individuals, which have been returned to the wild. Unfortunately, due to their poor genetic diversity, these animals are very susceptible to a number of diseases, and the fertility of males is constantly declining, so they will likely need human help again.

9) Wollemia

Wollemia(lat. Wollemia) is a coniferous plant that was considered extinct. It was known only from fossilized remains that were millions of years old. Unexpectedly, in 1994, one of the employees of a national park in Australia came across a representative of this species. Botanists quickly realized that they were dealing with an ancient plant, a “living fossil,” and that the plant was in fact still living, although very rare. There are no more than a hundred trees left in the world, many of which suffer from diseases, die and cannot produce offspring.

Mathematical models have confirmed that without human intervention, these plants will soon disappear. The Wollemia restoration program protects the plant, and during this time more than a thousand new trees have been cultivated. Today it can be found in New South Wales, Australia, where it acts as an alternative to the New Year tree. Plants are planted in pots and kept at home during the holidays, and then planted in the ground.

10) Przewalski's horse

Most horses living in the wild are related to domesticated ancestors. However Przewalski's horse(lat. Equus ferus przewalskii) has never been domesticated and is the only truly wild horse. Ancient cave paintings show that people hunted them 20 thousand years ago! Since then, the climate on the planet has become warmer and an interglacial period has begun.

The habitat of these horses has shrunk, so their numbers have begun to decline. After World War II, all wild Przewalski's horses died due to wartime destruction of their habitat and because they were hunted by desperate German soldiers.

Existing captive populations also declined, and by 1945, only 31 percent of the Przewalski's horses from before the war remained. Man began to breed horses and today there are about 1800 of them. Of these, 300 have returned to the wild in Mongolia and China in areas where they were last seen. Przewalski's horses are being carefully protected, and it is hoped that they will be able to restore their populations.

11) Marsupial wolf

Although humans managed to restore the populations of many living creatures, some of them were still completely exterminated and it is not yet possible to bring them back. Tasmanian or marsupial wolf(lat. Thylacinus cynocephalus) is an example of one such animal.

It was the largest carnivorous marsupial on the planet, and became extinct in Australia several thousand years ago, except for the island of Tasmania. The number of these animals fell every year due to disease, the disappearance of other creatures that the wolf fed on, and due to excessive hunting by European settlers. The last representative died at the Tasmanian Zoo in 1930.

DNA samples from the remains of this wolf have been preserved, so science has not lost hope of one day developing technologies to restore this unique species. Maybe we can correct our mistakes in the future and never make them again.