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From Pelts to Parasites: The Perilous Plight of the Sea Otter
In recent years, scholars have unearthed that the Aleutian Isles within the United States are dwindling, as coral-like reefs crafted of crimson algae are being devoured by a markedly burgeoning populace of sea urchins. The surge in sea urchin numbers is attributed to the sharp decline in their natural adversaries, the sea otters. Once abundant denizens of the Aleutian Isles, sea otters now endure a tumultuous existence. Commencing in 1741, they faced a dual onslaught from both human and environmental predators. The subsequent three centuries have been a saga of endurance amidst adversity. Despite human recognition of their significance since 1911, concerted efforts to revive sea otter populations have faltered,…
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From Paradise to Disaster: The Kaibab Forest and the Unexpected Role of Wolves
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Kaibab Forest in northern Arizona, USA, was still lush with pines and firs and full of vitality. There are about 4,000 deer in the forest, and the ferocious and cruel wolves are the deer’s biggest enemies. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to effectively protect the deer in the Kaibabo Forest and breed more. He declared the Kaibab Forest a national hunting preserve and decided that the government would hire hunters to go there and eliminate wolves. The sound of gunfire echoed through the forest. Under the cold muzzle of the hunter, the wolf screamed one after another and died.…
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How Poaching Is Affecting the Evolution of African Elephants
Why do female African elephants no longer grow tusks? In everyone’s impression, evolution is a very long process, especially for some key traits for organisms, but with the continuous increase of human hunting and poaching of wild animals, this situation may have changed. Evolution, under the effect of artificial selection, started to run wild. A 15-year civil war ravaged Mozambique from 1977 to 1992. In order to obtain war funds, rampant poaching has caused a sharp decline in the number of elephants in Gorongosa National Park, and more than 90% of African elephants have lost their tusks. Object-wise, ivory = life. After the war, although poaching has disappeared in Gorongosa…
