Final answer:
Rhino horns are coveted for their supposed medicinal properties, leading to illegal international trade and poaching, thus requiring concerted global conservation efforts like CITES to ensure the survival of rhino species and the broader biodiversity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rhino horns are highly coveted in some parts of the world due to cultural beliefs that attribute medicinal properties to them, such as the perception that they can act as an aphrodisiac or a powerful drug. Despite being made of simple keratin, the same substance as human fingernails, these horns have been implicated in various negative international effects, including driving rhinoceros species to the brink of extinction. The global response, spearheaded by resolutions such as those by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), is crucial since no single nation can address the transnational trade and poaching crises alone. Additionally, the protection of rhinos is considered integral to broader biodiversity conservation efforts, which is supported by international tourism revenues fueled by ecotourism, a model that has been successful in certain countries by incentivizing local communities to preserve their native wildlife and habitats.