Environmental Perspective
Doesn't every one of Earth's Creatures Deserve the Right to Live?
Although Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterflies are classified as an r-selected species, meaning that they have a high biotic potential (this particular insect can lay around 240 eggs per lifetime), yet this species is one of nature's rarities since it faces many threats (Rafferty, 2014). They are very susceptible to disappear from the face of the earth forever, and that means that we will lose our world's largest butterfly! That can not happen! The existence of this beautiful butterfly, among billions of other species, is intrinsic! It doesn't matter what it can provide for us! It is a living being, one of mother nature's complex creatures, that deserves the right to survive just as much as we do.
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Why are they disappearing?
According to the IUCN, their greatest threat is Deforestation and Habitat Destruction. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of butterflies are losing their primary or secondary low-land rain forest homes, to palm oil, rubber, cocoa plantation owners, and logging companies in Papua New Guinea ( Böhm, 2018). Imagine if your home was being destroyed for the purpose of unsustainable profit? Wouldn’t you do anything in your power to fight back to protect your personal space? Imagine what life is life for this butterfly, and for many other species that depend on the rain forest’s resources? Consider putting yourself in their shoes for once, and encourage yourself to aide these marvelous creatures, in any way possible.
Deforestation
Rainforest deforestation affects animals AND residents alike. It causes a huge decline in biodiversity because a variety of species lose their habitats, which can lead to extinction. New roads and trails that cross through New Guinea’s rain forests cause habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation makes habitats more susceptible to droughts and crown fires, which are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for EVERYONE, not just the animals. Deforestation also reduces very important water cycling services and increases the input of Carbon Dioxide into the air.
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Fewer Trees = less CO2 absorbed = more pollution and Greenhouse Gas in the atmosphere (Deforestation in New Guinea, 2019).
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The rainforests support the lives and livelihoods of MILLIONS of people as well. Half of the rainforests in the country show signs of human establishment and their rights need to be considered! (Palm Oil Interest Surges in New Guinea, 2014).
HIPPCO, What's The Big Idea?
A ventral photograph of the Queen Alexandra Birdwing Butterfly- Ornithoptera alexandrae Rothschild, 1907. A non-type female. This Image has not been modified.
Photographer: Peter Wing
(Wing,2018)
Click Here For Licensing Information
Image has some rights reserved
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What is HIPPCO?
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Biodiversity researchers created the acronym HIPPCO, to represent the most important, direct causes of species extinction, and biodiversity degradation in order from greatest threats, to less significant threats. It stands for Habitat Destruction, Degradation and Fragmentation, Invasive Species, Population growth and increasing growth of resource use, Pollution, Climate Change, and Over exploitation (Miller, 2012).
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Who Cares about Biodiversity Anyway?
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You might be thinking, why does biodiversity matter anyway? There are a wide variety of different reasons! Not only, is it important for surrounding animal species and their own ecosystems, it is vital for our own survival. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity, so that every species can fulfill it's ecological role, and it provides humans with important natural services. High Biodiversity allows us to have Food, Medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs, fresh clean water, and even Pollution breakdown. But, this isn't even the beginning, the list goes on and on. If you won't try to preserve a healthy biodiversity solely for the animal and plant species around the world, then try to do it to protect your own species. (Shah, 1998)
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How is this Acronym Related to the Species?
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Alexandra's Birdwing Butterflies threat applies to the letters H and O. It faces the greatest threat to species extinction under HIPPCO, which is the first H, habitat loss and destruction. They are also threatened by the over exploitation of rain forest resources for profitable benefits. So, the real question is, why does this matter? This species faces not one, but two, of the most important direct causes of (Miller, 2012).extinction ( Not to mention the fact that biodiversity researchers consider Habitat Destruction to be the most significant, which is in this species’ central threat ( Böhm, 2018). If enough action isn’t taken immediately, this species will certainly die out...forever.