Endangered Species

EcosystemsThe term species is used to describe different types of organisms. Sustainable ecosystems provide a habitat for species to live. Natural ecosystems are sustainable.

Ecosystems (cont’d)Human activities can change the environment, leading to unsustainable ecosystems.When this happens, species will leave their habitat. If they cannot find another, they are in danger of becoming extinct.

ExtinctionA species is said to be extinct when it hasn’t been seen in the wild for over 50 years, and the last known individual has died.

AustraliaIn the past 200 years more than 125 species of Australian native plants and animals have become extinct due to hunting and changes to the environment.

Around the WorldHumans are impacting species all over the world. In Sumatra, Indonesia, the elephant, tiger, rhino and orang-utan are critically endangered. This is because 50% of the rainforests there have been logged and burned in the last 35 years.

Questions1. Why are natural ecosystems

sustainable?2. Name three ways humans can affect

ecosystems3. Define the term extinct4. Why do you think so many plants and

animals in Australia have become extinct in the last 200 years?