List any ten factors that cause fearful depletion of flora and fauna.?

Question

List any ten factors that cause fearful depletion of flora and fauna.?

Answer 1

habitat destruction, over hunting

Answer 2

Habitat loss

Habitat degradation

Habitat fragmentation

Alien (Invasive) species

Pollution (Includes chemical pest control & fertilizers)

Overexploitation

Disease

Answer 3

Flora and Fauna

Flora

Due to the Korean Peninsula's long north-south stretch and topographic complexity, there are wide variations in temperature and rainfall. The mean temperature throughout the four seasons ranges from 5 degrees C to 14 degrees C and rainfall from 500 to 1,500 millimeters. Such an environment makes the land a diversified floral region. An enumeration of Korean plants, published in 1946 by Pak Man-kyu, listed 201 families, 1,102 genera, 3,347 species, 50 subspecies, 1,012 varieties and 168 formae of higher plants including pteridophytes. This means that more than 4,500 kinds of vascular plants, including about 400 endemics grow in the country. By comparison, there are about 1,500 species in Denmark and about 2,000 species in England. Many plants in northern Korea have elements in common with those growing in Manchuria. While in the north and high mountain areas many alpine plants are found, the central part and the western lowlands have the predominent vegetation of the temperate zone such as broad-leaved deciduous trees. The southern coast and the offshore islands of Chejudo and Ullungdo are regions where warm-temperate plants grow abundantly. Many evergreen plants growing in the southern parts are identical or similar to those found in the southwestern part of Japan. While there are many plant species in Korea which have common elements with those growing in neighboring countries, the aforementioned environmental conditions have brought the emergence of a few endemic species.

1) Warm-Temperate Vegetation

Because of the high average annual temperature (14 degrees C) prevailing over the southern part of the Peninsula and the offshore islands -- Chejudo, Sohuksando and Ullungdo -- numerous plant species grow in those areas. On the shorelines of Chejudo Island, more than 70 species of broad-leaved evergreens grow; e.g., Camellia japonica Linne, Cinnamomun camphora Sieb., Bladhia villosa Thunb., Quercus myrsinaefolia Blume, Ligustrum japonica Koehne, Biwa japonica (Thunb.) Gmelin, Rhaphiolepis umbellata Makino, Neolistsea sericea (Blume) Koidzumi, Actinodaphne lancifolia (Seib. et Zucc.) Meiss., Euonymus japonicus Thunb. Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand. - Mazz., Trachelospermum asiaticum Nakai var. intermedium Nakai, Ficus pumila Linne, Machilus japonica Sieb. et Zucc., Daphniphyllum glaucescens Blume, Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) Aiton., Citrus nobilis Makino, ect. Also found are such herbal plants as Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitam., Pollia japonica Thunb., Crinum asiaticum Linne var. japonicum Baker, and such broad-leaved deciduous trees as Celtis Japonica Planch., and Elaeagnus macrophylla Thunb.

The southeast slope of Mt. Hallasan on Chejudo Island is more abundant in warm-temperate vegetation than the northern side of the mountain. Such vegetation gradually diminishes in the number of species as the contour line of temperature moves northward to the southern shore of the peninsula via Komundo, Sohuksando and other islands. Near Pusan and Mokp'o, the number of natural broad-leaved evergreens is limited to fewer then 20 species, and these areas are the northernmost limits of the distribution of Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitam.

Ullungdo Island, located at 37 degrees and 30 minutes north latitude, has many plants of the warm temperate zone such as Daphniphyllum glaucescens Blume, Camellia japonica Linne, Magnolia obovata Thunb., Ilex integra Thunb., Aucuba japonica Thunb., Neolitsea Sericea (Blume) Koidzumi, and Elaeagnus macrophyll Thunb. Because of the high contour of the temperate zone, Camellia japonica Linne and Neolitsea sericea (Blume) Koidzumi are distributed as far north as Taech'ongdo Island off Hwanghae-do province. This distribution is caused by seed dispersal by sea currents.

2) Temperate Vegetation

The Korean Peninsula, except for the high terrains of Mt. Hallasan on Chejudo Island and the T'aebaeksan mountains, has a typical temperate zone climate. It abounds in the type of vegetation natural to the temperate zone, such as Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. and other deciduous broad-leaved trees. Typical deciduous broad-leaved trees found in Korea are Quercus aliena Blume, Quercus acutissima Carr., Quercus serrata Thunb., Carpinus laxiflora Blume, Betula platyphylla Sukat. var. japonica (Miq.) Hara, Carpinus tschonoskii Maxim., Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance, Salix gracilistyla Miq., Tilia amurensis Komarov var. barbigera Nakai, Styrax japonica Sieb. et Zucc., Forsythia koreanum Nakai, Lespedeza biclor Turcz. var. japonica Nakai, Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz., Rhododendron yedoense Maxim. var, poukhanense Nakai, and Rhododendron schlipenbachii Maxim. Herbaceous plants in this zone include Miscanthus sinensis Ander.,Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Hackel, Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth., Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herb., Hylomecon vernalis Maxim., Primula sieboldii E. Morr., Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC., Adenophora triphylla A. DC. var. tetraphylla Makino, Codonopsis lanceolata (Sieb. et Zucc.) Trautv., Melanphyrum reseum Maxim., Elscholztia splendens Nakai and Gentiana chosenica Okuyama.

Among the endemic species of plants, there are Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, Hylomecon hylomeconoides (Nakai) Y. Lee, and Aconitum chiisanense Nakai.

3) Cold-Temperate Vegetation

Cold temperate plants grow in the northern part of Korea and on high mountains, such as Mt. Soraksan, which is more than 1,000 meters high, Mt. Chirisan more than 1,300 meters high and Mt. Hallasan more than 1,500 meters high, where the mean annual temperature is 5 degrees C. Typical of these locations are such needle-leaved trees as Abies nephrolepis Maxim., Larix olegensis Henry var. koreana Nakai, Thuja koraiensis Nakai, Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carr., Pinus pumila Regel, Juniperus chinensis Linne var. sargentii Henry, Picea koraiensis Nakai, Abies Koreana Wilson, Taxus Cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc. and broad-leaved deciduous trees as Quercus mongolica Fisher, Quercus dentata Thunb., Chosenia bracteosa Nakai, Betula platyphylla Sukat.var. japonica (Miq.) Hara, Betula ermanii Chamiss, Betula costata Trautv., Salix myrtilloides Linne var. mandshurica Nakai, Vaccinum ulginosum Linne var. krushianum Herd., and Syringa dilatata Nakai.

As for endemic plants, there is a predominant growth of Echinosophora koreensis Nakai in Hamgyongbuk-do province and near Yanggu, Kangwon-do province. Myongch'on-gun, Hamgyongbuk-do province, is the native place of Sasa coreana Nakai and forms the northern limit for bamboo. Endemic herbal plants are Terauchia anemarrhenaefolia Nakai and Hanabusaya asiatica Nakai, which grow in the northern part of the country. Rhum coreanum Nakai is found in the range of the Changbaeksan mountains on the Pujon Plateau, Hamgyongnam-do province.

There are many kinds of plants common to Korea and Manchuria. Typical of these are Astilboides tabularis Engler, Acerphyllum rossii Engler and Plagiorhegma dubia Maxim.

Pinus pumila Regel grows abundantly in the northern mountains as well as on Mt. Soraksan, and Thuja koraiensis Nakai, which grows in the northern mountains, can be found on the higher part of the T'aebaeksan mountains. Vaccinium ulginosum Linne var. krushanum Herb., a plant of the northern element, grows on the summits of Mt. Soraksan and Mt. Hallasan. This is regarded as a relic species, its present location resulting from the climatic change which presumably occurred in the Tertiary Period.

Empetrum nigrum Linne var. asiaticum Nakai grows in the northernmost regions and the southern end of Mt. Hallasan, while Diapensia lapponica var. obovata Fr. Schm. is found on Mt. Hallasan and in Japan. Their distribution may suggest that the Korean Peninsula, Chejudo Island, and the Japanese archipelago were once a connected land mass.

Major flora in the cold-temperate elements of the northern forest are Larix olgensis Henry, Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carr., Abies nephrolepis Maxim., Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc., Picea koraiensis Nakai, and Abies holophylla Maxim.

The important needle-leaved trees growing on Mt. Kumgangsan are Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc., Abies holiphylla Maxim., Picea jezoensis Carr., Larix olgensis Henry, and Thuja koraiensis Nakai.

The predominant species growing on Mt. Chirisan are Juniperus chinensis Linne var. sargentii Henry, Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc., Abies holiphylla Maxim., Abies Koreana Wilson, and Picea jezoensis Carr. Near the summit of Mt. Hallasan on Chejudo Island are found Abies Koreana Wilson and Juniperus chinensin Linne var. sargentii Henry.

4) Flowering Periods

As for the patterns of flowering periods, July, the hottest month, is the time when flowering reaches its peak. The lower the temperature becomes, the fewer species bloom. Summer is the peak of the flowering season, although there are quite a few species blooming in spring and autumn. Woody plants tend to have their flowering peaks in May.

Flowers blooming in spring are Forsythia koreana Nakai, Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz., Lonicera praeflorens Batalin, Fraxinus ryhnchophylla Hance, Abeliophyllum disticum Nakai, Prunus ansu Komarov, Prunus yedoensis Matsum., Magnolia kobus A. DC., Sorbus alnifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) Koch., Ginkgo biloba Linne, Iris rossii Baker, Pulsatilla cernua Spreng var. koreana (Nakai) Y. Lee, Erythronium japonicum Decne, Berberis amurensis Rupr., Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., Hylomecon vernalis Maxim, and Viola mandshurica W. Becker.

Plants blooming in summer comprise Paeonia japonica Migabe et Takeda, Paeonia lactiflora Pazz., Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, Iris ensata Thunb. var. spontanea (Kakino) Nakai, Rosa rugosa Thunb., Sorbus commixta Hedlund, Magnolia sieboldii K. Koch., Majanthemum dilatatum (Wood) Nelson et Macbride, Lilium concolar Salis., Lilium distichum Nakai, Lilium hansonii Leitch., Morus alba Linne, Chenopodium centrorubrum Nakai, Syringa wolfii Schneid, Dianthus chinensis Linne, Rosa poryantha Sieb. et Zucc., Hypericum ascyron Linne, Cirsium maackii Maxim. var. koraiense Nakai, Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A.DC., Phytolacca insularis Nakai, Hanabusaya asiatica Nakai, and Anemone narcissiflora Linne.

Plants which bloom in autumn are Miscanthus sinensis Ander, Miscanthus sacchariflorus Benth., Sedum aizoon Linne, Gentiana scabra Bnuge, Elscholtzia splendens Nakai, Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fischer, Aster incisus Fischer, Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herb., and Lespedeza bicolar Turcz. var. japonica Nakai

In winter, Camellia japonica Linne is seen blooming on Chejudo and the Huksando islands and also on the southrnmost coast.

Fauna

1) Zoogeography

Korea belongs to the Palaearctic zoogeographical realm. Its geographical history, topography, and climate divide the Peninsula into highland and lowland districts. Included in the former are the Myohyangsan mountains, the Kaema Plateau and the more rugged terrain of the T'aebaeksan mountains, high in altitude and similar in climate to the Amur-Ussuri river region. Most of the district lies about 1,000 kilometers from Mt. Paektusan on the Korean-Manchurian border. Most of the area is covered with boreal forest and many of the higher mountains supported glaciers during the Pleistocene period.

Animal life in the district is closely related to that of the boreal zones of Manchuria, China, Siberia, Sakhalin and Hokkaido. Representative species are deer, roe deer, Amur goral, Manchurian weasel, brown bear, tiger, lynx, northern pika, water shrew, muskrat, Manchurian ring-necked pheasant, black grouse, hawk owl, pine grosbeak and three-toed woodpecker.

The remainder of the country is the lowland peninsular area which has a milder climate and includes the islands of Chejudo and Ullungdo. The fauna, closely related to that of southern Manchuria, central China, and Japan, include black bear, river deer, mandarin vole, white-bellied black (or Tristram's) woodpecker, fairy pitta and ring-necked pheasant.

2) Species

There have been 379 species of birds recorded in South Korea. Of these, 62 species are vagrants and Kuroda's Sheldrake has probably become extinct. Of the other 316 species, 50 are permanent residents and 266 are migrants. Of the migratory birds, 111 species visit the country in the winter, 64 in the summer and 90 in the spring and autumn. One hundred and fourteen species breed in Korea, 50 indigenous species and 64 species of summer visitors.

There are 18 other species of birds recorded in North Korea. Of these, five are boreal residents of the high terrain of Mt. Paektusan (black grouse, hawk owl, lesser-spotted woodpecker, three-toed woodpecker, and willow t*t), and the remaining 13 are vagrants. There are six orders, 17 families, 48 genera and 78 species of indigenous mammals in Korea. These include 28 species of Chiroptera, 18 Rodentia, 16 Carnivora, 11 Insectivora, two Lagomorpha, and seven Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates). There are 28 endemic subspecies on record as inhabiting the Peninsula, but this is yet to be verified.

The large mammals are the tiger, leopard, lynx, leopard cat, wolf, badger, bear, marten, weasel, wild boar, roe deer, and Amur goral. A few species such as the bat, shrew, striped hamster, and muskrat are found only in North Korea. The tiger, lynx, two species of deer, Manchurian weasel, and northern pika are found only in the plateau regions of Mt. Paektusan in North Korea. Other wildlife species in South Korea include 25 reptiles, 14 amphibians, and 130 freshwater fishes.

Seventeen species of terrestrial mammals have been found on Chejudo Island. The wild boar, deer, and wild cat are now extinct and today the land is inhabited by roe deer, weasel, hamster, field mouse, house rat and two bat species. There are also 207 forms of birds, and eight amphibians and reptilians on the island. Ullungdo Island is devoid of endemic mammals. The island's known mammals consist of six species (two species of bat, one shrew, and three house rats that are commensals of man), all of which are found on the Korean mainland. There are no amphibians or reptiles on the island except for frogs and snakes which have been introduced by man. As for birds, 54 species have been recorded on the island.

Designated Species of Wildlife

Korea has designated twenty-three species of wildlife as protected wildlife, and 20 birds, two mammalians and several insect species as endangered species. There are 17 localities designated as breeding grounds (eight egretries and heronries), passing or wintering grounds, or habitats for Tristram's woodpecker, fairy pitta, and loon. Also designated as protected species are the domesticated silky fowl, Californian grey whale, the endemic dog called Chindogae, and four fish species, the Anguilla mormorata Quoy and Germard, Brachymystax lenox Pallas, Gonoprokopterus mylodon Berg and Siniperca scherzeri Steindachner.

The following species of animals have been designated protected species by the Cultural Property Preservation Law under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. -- Tristram's (or White-bellied Black) Woodpecker, Dryocopus javensis richardsi. Total length: 46 centimeters. A large black and white woodpecker with a crimson crown and crimson cheek patches. Upper parts, throat and upper breast, black; remainder of under parts and rump, white.

Tsushima, a large island in the Korea Strait, was known as one locality of the species. However, reckless hunting from 1898 to 1902 to export this rare species of bird to Western countries brought about virtual extinction. Belatedly, the Japanese designated it as a natural monument to protect and preserve the species. A specimen collected by the Japanese ornithologist Dr. Nagamichi Kuroda in 1920 was the last of this species seen on the island.

Tristram's woodpecker is a permanent resident of the Kyonggi-do and Kangwon-do provinces. Old records indicate that such woodpeckers were collected a few times around Hwanghae-do (North Korea), Ch'ungch'ongbuk-do and Kyongsangnam-do provinces, but the only reported reliable breeding places are Kwang-nung and Kumnung in Kyonggi-do province.

Through two surveys of Mt. Soraksan in May 1966 and June 1976, the Ornithology Institute of Kyunghee University established that the bird is found at an elevation of 1,000 meters in this range. This large woodpecker is a rare resident of what little heavy forest there is left in Korea. Nesting success in Korea was confirmed again in the forest of Kwangnung, and a pair of the birds breed there, changing their nesting site within a short distance each year.

-- White-naped Crane, Grus vipieo

Total length: 119 centimeters. A pale grey crane with a white head and neck; the grey on the body continues up the sides of the neck in a narrow line to a little below the eye. Lore naked and red; legs red. It is a regular winter visitor and passage migrant. The species is the most abundant of the cranes occurring in Korea, but its number has decreased in recent years. Flocks of about 2,000 birds concentrated in the estuary of the Hangang River were observed in November 1975. This estuary is a bird sanctuary designated Natural Wildlife Sanctuary No. 250. The crane migrates to Korea in late October and November and winters here until the end of March.

-- Great Bustard, Otis Tarda

Length: male 102 centimeters, female 76 centimeters. Head and neck, grey; upper parts, buff with black bars; under parts, white. Male has a chestnut band across the breast; female lacks this band. Flies with neck outstretched and shows mostly white wings with black tips. Until the end of World War II, it was a common winter visitor in flocks of 40 - 50 birds throughout Korea. Hundreds were seen in paddies north of Seoul until the end of the 19th century. Today, few are seen wintering in Korea. The bird has long been known as a game bird for the savory taste of its meat. As a species in danger of extinction throughout the world, its protection and preservation are urgently needed. This species is designated Natural Protected Species No. 206 under the Cultural Property Preservation Law.

Vanishing and Extinct Species, and Noteworthy Wildlife

1) Vanishing and Extinct Species

Kuroda's Sheldrake, Tadorna cristata Kuroda Today there are only three mounted specimens to testify to the existence of this bird in Korea. The last time this species was seen in Korea was in December 1916, when a female bird was shot on the lower reaches of the Naktonggang River near Pusan.

In April 1917, a female bird shot near Vladivostok was reported as a hybrid of two species of duck. A male bird was collected in the winter of 1913 - 14 at the Kumgang River estuary near Kunsan. The female which was shot near Vladivostok is now in the National University Museum of Copenhagen, Denmark and the two specimens from Korea are preserved in the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology in Tokyo This species is found in painting done by Japanese painter about 140 years ago. An old Japanese book on birds record it as a "Korean Mandarin Duck." It is therefore thought that the species was imported to Japan from Korea some 200 years ago. Although the former exact range of this bird is unknown, it is generally believed that it bred in eastern Siberia and migrated to Korea and Japan in winter.

The bird is in the Red Data Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) but is believed to have become extinct. Two Russian students of ornithology claimed to have sighted three birds of this species in the Rimskii-Korsakov Archipelago in 1964, but there is no evidence to support their report.

Siberian Tiger, Panthera tigris altaica (Temminck)

This tiger is found in Korea, northeastern China and isolated regions of the Soviet Far East. This species was once scattered widely in Korea, from Mt. Paektusan in the North to Chollanam-do province in the South. Many of these tigers were captured in all parts of Korea prior to World War II, including five tigers at Musan, Hamgyongbuk-do province in 1935; one female and one male at Kosan, Hamgyongnam-do province in 1924 - 29; one tiger at the Pulgapsa Temple in Chollanam-do province in 1911; one male on Mt. Karisan, Kangwon-do province in 1918; one male at Kyongju, Kyongsangbuk-do province in 1922, and one at Pukchin, P'yonganbuk-do province in 1930. There is no record showing the capture of a tiger after 1922 in South Korea, where the species probably is extinct. It is believed that any surviving Korean tigers make the rugged terrain of Mt. Paektusan, North Korea, their habitat.

2) Noteworthy Wildlife

Magpie, Pica pica sericea Gould

Length: 45 centimeters. Plumage, glossy greenish or purplish black and white with a long, graduated black tail. Scapulars, flanks and belly, white, and the remaining plumage is black. Korea's national bird, the magpie lives in the lowlands, always in the vicinity of human habitation. It generally breeds in trees in the center of Seoul and other major cities as well as in or near villages.

The bird's call is a harsh "chak-chak-chak-chak" or "chat-chat-chat-chat." More varied or "conversational" chattering may be heard in the spring. It breeds in tall trees in late March and April and usually lays five to six eggs. The incubation period is 17 - 18 days. It feeds mostly on insects but also eats small mammals, birds, mollusks and vegetable matter.

Red Fox (Common Fox), Vulpes Vulpes peculiosa Kishida

Size: 60 centimeters or more long and 30 centimeters or more high at shoulders with a 45 centimeter long brush. Fur: sandy to reddish brown, white under parts black legs and backs of ears. The muzzle is sharp pointed, the ears are large and erect and the eyes are large with vertical pupils.

The fox is mainly nocturnal but may be out during the day sunbathing or sleeping when the weather is good. It is a loner except during the mating season. It usually sleeps in a natural cavity or a burrow taken over from another animal, although it can dig its own burrow. It lives in almost any kind of area including gardens in small towns, but prefers woodlands. It feeds mainly on rats, mice and voles, but also eats all flesh, even carrion. It will eat poultry, game birds, lambs and any other bird or mammal it can catch. It also eats vegetables, fruits and grass.

The mating season is in January but may extend into February. Gestation is 51 - 63 days and the average litter is four. Cubs open their eyes at 10 days and leave the burrow when they are about a month old, at which time they are covered with soft, downy, chocolate colored fur and their tail is not a brush though it has the usual tag. The muzzle is blunt and the ears are small.

The male feeds the vixen as soon as the cubs are born and may continue to bring her food and to help feed the cubs for some weeks. The vixen teaches the cubs to forage later, and they leave their parents in August. The life expectancy of the fox is said to be about 12 years. The red fox is rare in Korea and its number is said to be decreasing. One may be found in the Seoul Zoo.

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This article is taken from A Window on Korea. ASNIC is grateful to the Korean Embassy in Washington for lending the CD-ROM containing the article.

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Answer 4

1 humans

2 humans

3 humans

4 humans

5 humans

6 humans

7 humans

8 humans

9 humans

10 humans

Answer 5

A) Extensive use of fossil fuels

Also all the carbon from the Hugh forest fires brought on by drought that is going on everywhere. The result of climate change.The tundra in the Artic is also melting which holds extremely large amounts of methane.Which is 20 times worst then burning fossil fuels is being released. So we are at the tipping point now of runaway global warming!

Answer 6

1. human consumption (food)

2. destruction of natural habitat or niche

3. climatic change

4. pollution

5. hibernation (which results to false alarm of extinction, think coelecanth)

6. disruption of food cycle like loss of food (low end of food chain) which leads to starvation of animals

7. increase in number of predators due to imbalance in the food cycle

8.  illegal capture and selling of wildlife in black markets

9. consumption of plants and animals as raw materials for clothing and other usage.

10.  inability to reproduce as some flora and fauna are monogamous so if their partners die, they don't "remarry".

Answer 7

Typically there are three reasons

1) Loss of Habitat (this can be due to increased construction, deforestation, fragmentation, using land for agriculture, and land used for recreation)

2) Commercial Exploitation (over hunting, loss of food supply, and poaching)

3) Introduced Species (Invasive non-native plants or animals brought into an area and out compete native plants, which creates lower diversity).

I guess we could also include

4) Increase in human population (the more people the Earth has to support the more resources we use).

5)Consumerism (The need for more "stuff" bigger houses, boats, ATVs, and etc)