How Much Is A Species Worth?

Question

Scientists recently declared that the Chinese White River Dolphin was extinct after living for many million years. The key reason is severe pollution of the Yangtse River. I am so mad that I want to sue the Chinese government on behalf of Mother Nature....Realistically, how much is an animal species worth?

Answer 1

This beautiful dolphin was once called the "the goddess of the Yangtze." How can a society let this happen to a species they once considered culturally important?

There are several schools of thought on what the value of individual species are, but I find that almost all of them have some basic flaw.

Lets say that when there was just one river dolphin left science discovered that they carried a cure in their system that would cure all cancer. What is the river dolphin's value following that realization?

It turns out that the addition of wolves to Yellowstone has been good for the watershed -- specifically streams and creeks (wolves keep the elk moving along and doing less damage to specific sections of water or shoreline). What is the value of that?

I think it's well past the time that we begin to see how interconnected we all our to this planet and that the loss of an one species lessens all of us significantly. Well beyond a monetary value.

Answer 2

Literally speaking after the species becomes extinct, it is priceless. But this is very sad news to hear no matter how much a species is worth.

In Nov of 2006 this article describes the lack of spotting the White River Dolphin: http://www.china.org.cn/english/environment/189936.htm

In Dec 2006 the dolphin is declared "functionally extinct" meaning that one or two might still be alive but the species will not survive: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4805
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121300304.html

This past month Aug 2007 there was a fisherman who says he spotted one but it has not been confirmed. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294999,00.html

I am hoping that there are a few out there that can be placed in captivity and bred. But I am not optimistic. I hope people can look at this dolphin and realize that there is a problem with other freshwater river dolphins as well as other critically endangered mammals. http://endangered-species.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_ten_most_endangered_mammals

And do something about it. Help educate people and spread the word. I did not know about the White River Dolphin until today and regret I never will.

Answer 3

That's a fine question, but you won't like my answer. There are generally 2 schools of thought concerning species. One is that we were all created by God. If you believe this, you also believe that God has given us dominion over all species on this planet. The other is that every species has evolved over time. If you believe this, then you believe that only the fittest species adapt and survive.

Considering you believe the Chinese White River Dolphin has been around for millions of years, I assume you believe in evolution in which case you should believe that particular dolphin species didn't adapt and died. So, what are you complaining about? If you believe in evolution, then the extinction of any given species has been predicted and should be expected. Do you complain about the other species that have become extinct over the past million years?

Realistically, it sucks to be a Chinese White River Dolphin right about now.

Answer 4

As humans, we have no clue as to how important a species is, even when it becomes extinct. How do we know the extent of its impact on the environment? There are so many millions of variables. We'll never know about the White River Dolphin. But just in case, we'd better preserve all the species that are still alive, just in case they're vital to preserving US.

Answer 5

Scientists and politicians have been having to put dollar figures on nature's services, but I don't know that they've put a specific figure to any particular species. Basically, any species has intrinsic value, and that ought to be enough to preserve viable habitat for species like the White River Dolphin, shouldn't it? Every form of life is unique, warranting respect regardless of its worth to man.

The Chinese track record of late is abominable. The Three Rivers Gorge project alone makes you want to cry. The ramifications of such environmental damage, of accelerated species extinction throughout China, is incalculable. Our own track record isn't perfect, but has improved considerably. Awareness has grown here, and hopefully the Chinese people will increasingly become aware of the priceless treasures they've lost.

Answer 6

it depends on how the species affect the ecology. Plants are invaluable because they are the food producer. Species that doesn't contribute much to the environment is not worthed. A worthless species to me is the mosquito, because it just sucks blood and cause disease, while mosquito's predators usually have another species to consume in the food web. The Chinese white river dolphin, i don't know much about it but if it has good affect on the ecology it will be worthy.

Answer 7

I guess you could figure it out by comparing its DNA to the closest relative species, and then determine how many millions of years ago this species broke away on the evolutionary tree of life.

Over the course of that time, you could calculate the work it took to evolve to it's current point. You'd have to determine how many resources were used to support the now-dead members of the species that stayed alive so that the species could continue to reproduce, and then you'd have to subtract any positive impact the species made on its environment.

That would give you the kind of value that it would take to bring the species back.

In dollars, that's probably a very large number with 50-75 digits.

Answer 8

It is an economic question that is not simple at all. It is whatever you can get if you win your case. It may be zero. For that matter, what is one human life worth? How much do drunk drivers have to pay for killing a pedestrian? It depends on how rich they are and how good your lawyer is and where you live. In India, the value would be shockingly low compared to the U.S. And what is "worth" even mean? Why is a 1909 penny worth hundreds of dollars while the pennies in my pocket are only worth one cent? Why is a baseball that Babe Ruth hit out of the park worth more than a new baseball I buy at Target today? Value and worth are very slippery ideas actually.

Answer 9

You should read about the American Chestnut Tree.

Here is an example of an environmental group bring a blight over from a foreign country. When near by trees were dying, they went to prove the blight wasn't the problem by transplanting the infected tree in a Pennsylvania Chestnut Forest.

Now 6 BILLION trees are dead in the US alone. The species is on the verge of extinction, and no one cares.

Answer 10

An animal species is worth a percentage of the world. If that species is gone a part of our world dies as well so a single species is worth alot in order for the world to be complete even .01% is high enough