(c) Anthony K. Grafton 2003

Extinction of Species

Kentucky is home to around 4000 different species of animals and plants. Did you know that about 14% of those species, more than one out of every ten, is considered rare? Did you know that there are around 25 species in Kentucky that are considered federally threatened or endangered? Our state is fortunate to have such diversity, but it is important that we understand something about how scientists describe species that are in trouble.

A species of plant or animal is considered “threatened” when scientists judge that the population of that species is dangerously low. Plants and animals require a certain number of individuals to exist in order to continue producing healthy offspring. When numbers drop too low, then encounters between opposite sex members of the same species may become very rare, thus reducing the number of new individuals produced. Or, when a population is very small, individuals that do meet and mate may be related, and the offspring produced by such inbreeding may not be healthy, especially if inbreeding occurs for many generations.

A species is listed as “endangered” when it is believed to be in imminent danger of disappearing. Normally, laws provide for measures that can be taken in an attempt to save the species. But sometimes, human efforts come too late, and a species becomes “extinct”, meaning that, to the best of our knowledge, no more individuals of that species are alive, and that unique plant or animal is gone forever.

In Kentucky, over 25 species that were once known to exist here are now gone. Some of these are totally extinct. Can you find out if there are any threatened or endangered species in your county?