Now listen to part of a lecture on this topic in an environmental science class.
(male professor) So, one example of this is the macaw, the great green macaw. Now, the great green macaw is a beautiful bird, a fairly large-sized parrot known for its colorful feathers, gorgeous green feathers with some read and blue feathers, too. The macaw lives in the South American rainforest, in a part of the rainforest where a lot of trees have been cut down, trees that the macaw relies on for its food and nesting. So, the macaw was in trouble.And, of course, along with the trees, a lot of other animals were in trouble, too. Lots of birds, bats, and frogs also live in these trees. So, when the trees were cut down and cleared away, these animals also didn't have a place to live anymore and their populations drastically declined. So, what a concerned group of people in the area did was they started spreading the word about how the macaw, you know this really beautiful bird, needed help.They made little books with information about the macaw, with pictures, full colored pictures of the macaw that showed off its beautiful feathers, and they passed out these little books, these informational brochures. They distributed them to people in schools and community centers in the area. And a lot of people responded. They contributed money, and helped the group set up some protected land, a special area where no one could cut down the trees, so the macaw would be safe. And the macaw’s population started to increase and other birds and bats and frogs came back to the area, too. Their numbers increased along with the trees.
Using the example of the macaw from the lecture, explain the concept of a flagship species.
Flagship species is a particular kind of species that people select to represent an endangered habitat in order to protect that habitat. For example, great green macaw, a very beautiful bird that lives in a part of South American Forests. And since many trees that the bird rely on for food and nesting have been cut down, the great green macaw was in trouble, and the number of many other species in the area also decreases. Because the macaw has nice feathers, a group of people who are concerned with the issue choose it to represent the habitat. They spread the words that the beautiful bird is in danger to the general public and give out brochures with its picture printed on them. With the help of the flagship species, the public becomes aware of the situation and begins to respond by donating money or setting up non-cutting zones to help preserve the forest. With these efforts, the habitat is saved and the number of other species living on the land grows back, too. (172 words)
