Endangered Species and Conservation

What is Endangered Species and Conservation?

Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Endangered Species and Conservation. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.

Check that you can explain Endangered Species and Conservation in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding Endangered Species and Conservation helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.

Endangered Species and Conservation in detail

Species are classified by extinction risk using the IUCN Red List, from "least concern" to "vulnerable", "endangered", "critically endangered" and "extinct". Examples of endangered species include the tiger, giant panda, black rhino and many amphibians.

Conservation approaches include protected areas and wildlife corridors (in situ), and captive breeding, zoos and seed banks (ex situ), laws against hunting and trade (CITES), habitat restoration and reintroduction, working with local communities and public education. Some species have recovered, such as the giant panda's improved status, showing conservation can work. Success relies on tackling root causes, funding and international cooperation.

How the interactive helps you understand Endangered Species and Conservation

Watch the population model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the population model responds.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Endangered Species and Conservation.

Real-life uses and examples

• Use a diagram of Endangered Species and Conservation to describe the steps of a process in order.
• Discuss how human activity changes Endangered Species and Conservation, using a named example.
• Explain how Endangered Species and Conservation affects the landscape or climate near you.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
• Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.