SAVING ENDANGERED SPECIES
As the Foundation for Endangered Species are interested in maintaining biodiversity and saving animals from extinction, my recent visit to Lundy Island seemed indicative. Because it is only here that the rare Lundy Cabbage grows. It not only endemic to this small island, but it specifically lives only on two steep cliffs of the island, the south and east coasts. Unfortunately, this is also exactly where the invasive Rhododendron is now out of control and will outgrow and kill this beautiful flower.
So why is there all of this fuss? Briefly, if the Lundy Island Cabbage dies, its extinction will be a tragedy. This is because this is an issue that we humans CAN do something about. So we Conservationists are now ‘Rhodi-bashing’ and destroying the threat that it poses to indigenous wildlife.
As certain plants and small animals depend on one another for their existence, it follows that if a plant dies, then do does a species of animal. This is the case of the Lundy Cabbage as the Lundy Cabbage Beetle and Lundy Cabbage Weevil only live on this unique plant and none other.
Therefore the Foundation for Endangered Species undertakes the policy of helping to save ALL species from extinction by protecting and promoting the whole of the natural and physical environment. I am sure that this example of the Lundy Cabbage can be retold in slightly different ways in many different habitats all over the world. Perhaps there are still some unknown examples that exist ranging throughout Europe from Lundy to Belarus and from Norway to Malta.
Let me know if anyone finds any of more of these examples. It is the interests of all Conservationists to flag up these problems for people like me to act, whenever possible.
AndyMydellton .
Tags: Lundy Cabbage, Conservation,
No comments:
Post a Comment