What is the imprtance of one species on earth?

Question

Why do people try and save animals from being extinc? Whats the big deal if a species dies off, why is that one species SO important to earth?

Answer 1

No species exists by itself. Each species interacts with countless other species in the environment: for food, shelter, other materials. Often, these interactions are not obvious to the onlooker, but losing a species changes all the little threads that hold the ecosystem together.

Looking from just the human point of view, we cannot know which species will hold just the right chemical compound for a certain medicine or process that will save lives or be useful in other ways. Extinction takes that chemical away forever.

Answer 2

So if we became extinct it would be ok? Its not just one species, over time its been hundreds. If we humans keep reproducing as we do Polar Bears could become extinct from global warming. If we keep buiding cities, housing developments etc, may soon there will be no deer, foxes, rabbits, etc etc etc. Lets cut some more trees instead of recycling(yes I recycle) maybe the Bald Eagle will be put back on the endangered species list, or maybe songbirds will cease to exist. And speaking of trees, we cut them all down, like the rain forests, and our oxygen level deteriorates and we can't breathe, we all get sick and die. Poof, we are extinct. What I'm getting at is that its not about one animal or plant, its about the bigger picture. If we dont do something now, with one animal or plant at a time, then before we know it its 5 6 7 8 etc year by year until only the cockroaches survive. Whew. Ok just think about it, read about it, be aware, take care of our earth, its all we have. Thank you for your time.