An organization called the Canservation International (CI) works to ensure a healthier planet for everyone. This organization does not only help develpment that are necessary to human well-being such as clean water, but also has serious impacts on nature. Conservation International engages resolutions to help protect our natural resources and helps communities, countries and societies save lakes, rivers, forests, sea and wetlands.
CI’s Mission
“The challenges confronting our global environment and the needs of the world’s human populations have never been greater; the futur, quite literally, is in the balance.
Every person on Earth deserves a healthy environment and the fundamental benefits that nature provides. But our planet is expiriencing an unprecedented drawdown of these resources, and it is only by protecting nature and its gifts- a stable climate, fresh water, healthy oceans and reliable food- that we can ensure a better life for everyone, everywhere.”
A specific situation in the world where human intervention is being used to positively affect the biodiversity of our ecosystem is “The Search for Lost Frogs.” This project helps the survival of amphibians, helps us to prevent more lose of amphibians and documents statuses and whereabouts of threatened amphibian species not seen in over a decade.
Rio Pescado stubfoot toad found in Ecuador, one of the organizations top 10 "lost" frogs
During August to December 2010 Conservation International, with the help of the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) and Global Wildlifee Conservation (GWC) researched and supported 21 different countries to find amphibians that have not been seen in over a decade. Threats to amphibians include habitat destruction, disease, climate change, pollution, invasive species and over-exploitation for the food and pet trades. Amphibians are particularly sensitive to environmental changes and this can lead to extinctions, especially when populations are small or confined to a small, isolated area.
Out of Conservation International’s top 100 most wanted list of amphibians they were only able to find four amphibians. However, Conservation International (CI), the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG), and Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), were able to rediscover species that were not on the top 100 list as well as species that might be new to science.
Amphibians play a very important role in our ecosystem. Without them, insects may spread diseases, damage crops, and help maintain healthier water systems. Also amphibians have a chemical on their skin that helps create drugs to save lives.
As for the 96 amphibians that were not rediscovered scientists and other organizations have hope to find them in the future. CI will continue their efforts to search for the lost frogs and prevent further extinctions. If efforts aren’t made in our community then more amphibians will start to disappear and it will be too late to save them.
SOURCES:
Worldwide search for 'lost frogs' ends with 4% success, but some surprises
Search for 'lost' frogs yields important warnings, few findings
THE SEARCH FOR LOST FROGS "Rediscovering lost amphibians around the world"
