D GOAL 4 DISCUSS WAYS TO PREVENT HABITAT DESTRUCTION

Word Focus

recover = to get back the same amount

drain = to remove water
disappointing = When something is disappointing
it is not what you wanted or expected.
explosive = like a bomb
poison = a chemical that kills living things

Hawaiian monk seal

Writing

Illinois chorus frog

Reading
A. Discuss these questions with a partner.
1. These animals are in danger of extinction.
Where do they live? In what kind of habitat?
2. Why is it important to look after animal
habitats?
B. Answer the questions.
1. Why is the number of fish going down?
________________________________
2. If we stop fishing, what will happen?
________________________________
3. Why is it important to look after wetlands?
_ ________________________________
4. Which are we losing more quickly, coral
reefs or wetlands? _________________
5. Why are coral reefs dying? _ _________
________________________________

endangered coral reefs

142 Consequences

Habitat
Destruction
Oceans
Fish are like money in the
bank. If you overspend, soon
you will have no money. If we
overfish, soon we will have no
more fish. Fishermen now have
bigger boats than in the past and
they can catch more fish, so the
number of fish is going down. Many scientists want to reduce
or stop fishing completely in many parts of our oceans so the
number of fish can recover.

Complete the letter to a magazine editor. Use the

information you have learned in the article and your
own ideas.
coral reefs of the world

Coral Reefs
A quarter of all animals that live in the sea live in coral
reefs. They are the rainforests of the sea. However, we have lost
27 percent of our coral reefs in the past 50 years according to
the Coral Reef Alliance. Why are they dying? Mansometimes
directly, sometimes indirectlyis the problem. Fishermen use
explosives and poison to kill fish. They kill the fish but they
also kill the coral. Ocean temperatures have increased due to
climate change. Coral needs water to be at exactly the right
temperature. If the water is too hot, the coral will die. So
mans activities are indirectly killing the coral reefs.

Dear Editor,
I read your article with interest and I agree with
all you say. But what can the individual do?
The answer to the overfishing problem is simple.
If everyone stops eating fish, _ ______________
______________________________________
The problem of the wetlands is more
complicated because it is political. If people write
to their senators, _________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
The loss of coral reefs is partly caused by climate
change, so if ____________________________
___________________________ , that will help.
But how can one person change everything, I
hear you say. Well, if everyone does something,
______________________________________

Wetlands
Freshwater and saltwater
wetlands remove pollutants and
provide habitat for fish, birds,
and other animals. Many people,
especially in Southeast Asia,
depend on wetlands for food.
One hundred thirty-two nations have signed the Convention
on Wetlands. However, the results have been disappointing.
From the Amazon Basin to Iraq, we are draining wetlands for
agriculture, dams, and development. Scientists estimate that we
have lost 50 percent of our wetlands in the last 100 years. If we
continue, there will be no wetlands left in 100 years.

Yours sincerely,
Earl B. Butler
Wisconsin

Goal 4 Discuss ways to

prevent habitat
destruction

endangered coral reefs

Work with a partner. Talk about the things

you will do to prevent habitat destruction.
Lesson D 143