Final answer:
The protection of the manatee as an umbrella species can lead to the conservation of a wider range of biodiversity within its habitat. This approach benefits numerous other species sharing the same ecosystem and helps restore the natural balance of food webs disrupted by invasive species.
Step-by-step explanation:
Because the manatee is an umbrella species, protecting it may lead to the preservation of a broader range of biodiversity. Umbrella species are those whose conservation indirectly protects the many other species that make up the ecological community of its habitat. By ensuring the survival of the manatee, which requires large areas of healthy aquatic ecosystems, numerous other species benefit from the protection of these shared habitats. Protecting large mammals often means protecting the wide expanses they inhabit, thus conserving the greater diversity of organisms living within those areas.
Focusing conservation efforts on umbrella species can help enhance the efficiency of biodiversity protection. For example, by securing adequate protection and management of the areas where umbrella species like manatees live, the habitat needs of many other species are also taken into account. This helps to eliminate threats to numerous species, fostering healthy populations that will no longer need special protection.
Furthermore, in ecosystems where invasive species have altered the natural balance, preserving an umbrella species can also help restore the natural dynamics. For instance, activities that protect the manatee could also help maintain the balance of aquatic plant life, providing benefits that extend through the entire food web.