Question

Which of the following is NOT an example of overexploitation?

o 90 species of Asian turtles are collected in Singapore and Cambodia for Chinese restaurants.
o Little more than one thousand bison existed in North America by the 1880s.
o Slow-growing medicinal plants are harvested before they have a chance to reproduce.
o Fur processing in Canada is carefully regulated to protect both the animals and the environment.

Answer 1

Fur processing in Canada, being carefully regulated to safeguard wildlife and their habitat, is not an example of overexploitation, which is a harvesting rate exceeding the natural replacement rate of species, often resulting in population declines or extinctions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The example that is NOT an example of overexploitation is the statement that fur processing in Canada is carefully regulated to protect both the animals and the environment. This indicates the implementation of practices designed to ensure sustainable usage and prevent overharvesting, contrasting with the other examples that clearly describe exploitation leading to dramatic reductions or threats to species populations.

Overexploitation happens when the rate of harvest exceeds an organism's natural replacement rate. It includes the extraction of biological commodities from the environment, often resulting in declines in species populations and sometimes pushing species to the brink of extinction. Regulating measures, such as no-take zones or harvest quotas, are critical in managing overexploitation and maintaining biodiversity. The careful regulation of the fur trade in Canada is an example of such management in practice, attempting to balance economic activities with conservation initiatives.