Saving the Siberian Tiger
Rylie Neely
As a keystone species, the Amur Tiger is crucial to the health of its environment. They are the monitors of how the rest of the ecosystem is functioning, and help manage the populations of other species as well. These tigers play a major role in maintaining the balance and health of the Russian Far East forests. When the top predator becomes endangered in an environment, it may allow another species under it on the food web to overpopulate. This in turn, could lead to the depletion of the resources this species relies on. For instance, without a top predator, the overpopulation of a deer species could lead to the complete depletion of a grassland or water source. The land simply cannot sustain an unlimited amount of animals. At some point its carrying capacity will become maxed out. When this happens, it can open doors for invasive plant and animal species, which pounce on any opportunity to take root in an environment. This is why a keystone species is so vital to the environment it lives in (Amur, 2015).
As humans, we rely on the natural resources and services that ecosystems provide. For instance, we need plants to filter our water, and to absorb other toxins from our wastes. It was found that every year, the world’s forests absorb 8.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide. This is an immense amount of CO2 taken in every year by trees alone (Tigers in Crisis, 2015). Without these forests, we would have an even greater abundance of CO2 in the air we breathe. Tigers help keep the forests healthy, and are responsible for maintaining a balance in these fragile ecosystems.
Humans also benefit from the natural resources that forests provide. We use wood for our furniture and homes, and to sell for profit. We use plants as a source of food, and many hold medicinal properties, found only in their specific regions. The forests are a source of food, clean water, and resources for many people, by saving the forests, and the tigers, we are saving the people as well.
Click to view the videos below: Siberian Tigers released into the Wild
Tigers themselves can also be a source of income without having to kill them. People from all over the world flock to see the great tigers of the world, bringing with them their money. The tourist industry could be an even greater source of income for the local people then the short term benefits of killing and selling a tiger’s skin or body parts on the black market.
Killing off the tigers would lead to a domino effect felt by countries all over the world. It would lead to the further deterioration of the Russian Far East forests, destroying a source of food, water, and income in which many people in the immediate area rely heavily on. It would also mean destroying a resource that benefits the entire world through CO2 sequestering, water filtration, and animal preservation (Logging of Russian Far East Damaging Tiger Habitat, 2014). These forests also harbor an immense amount of biodiversity which is a great indicator to the health of an environment, and also very important in the long term.
Although one could argue that the $82 million dollars per year that it would cost to save the Siberian Tiger is an astronomically high number for the benefits that its recovery would provide, I would readily argue against that (Watson, 2010). The U.S. government spends around $200,000 dollars per minute on oil, which adds up to about $312 million dollars per day. The Siberian Tiger calls for a mere $82 million dollars per year! A number that pales in comparison to the amount the U.S. spends on oil per day! (Safe, Strong, and Secure: Reducing America’s Oil Dependence, 2004) I would argue that the many benefits that saving the Siberian Tiger provide, greatly outweighs its expense.
Tigers are also an international symbol for Earth’s biodiversity. When the Siberian Tiger thrives, it in turn means a balance exists within the environment, the economy, and with the people that live near these tigers. For me, the question is not whether the Siberian Tiger should be saved, it is a matter of how quickly we will be able to reverse the effects that have already taken a toll on the incredible species.
