旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � BIODIVERSITY: BEYOND NOAH'S ARK Page 81 � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � By: Rep. James H. Scheuer, Chairman, Subcommittee on the Environment � � Continued... � � � � their numbers decline, their biological and genetic viability declines, � � and the probability of extinction increases. The Gulf of California � � harbor porpoise was listed as endangered in 1985, although none had been � � sighted since 1980. Subsequent sightings confirm that the species still � � lives, but its population may be as low as 100. Measures to save popula- � � tions when they reach such low numbers often become heroic & economically � � expensive. Our opportunities to save them without significant economic � � disruption also decrease. We need to increase the amount of resources � � allocated to process this backlog of candidate species & act before � � species become the 'living dead'. � � � � However, these endangered & threatened species serve as indicators of far � � more serious problems - they warn us that our ecosystems are in trouble. � � The GAO report found that most endangered species have been concentrated � � in two areas of the country - the far west and southeast. The far west � � region includes Hawaii, the national jewel of biological diversity. 3/4 � � of the species waiting to be listed are from their regions. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸