The World Health Organization estimated that the levels at which infants, through breast milk, were consuming DDT, exceeded maximum daily permissible levels. If not for the plight of the eagle, it might have taken much longer to identify the negative health implications for human beings. Maintaining the Ecosystems Protecting the habitat for endangered species protects ecosystems upon which all life depends. Wetlands, like the Florida Everglades, act as the kidneys of the earth purifying our drinking water. In addition to purification, they also provide flood control.
Rainforests are the lungs of our earth.
They purify the air and provide oxygen. Both ecosystems when left in tact help prevent the spread of infectious disease. Worrisome biological signals suggest that major damage to global ecosystems has already occurred. The rapid disappearance of many species of frogs worldwide, even in pristine environments far from people, indicates that they may be dying as a possible consequence of habitat degradation. Marine mammals are also dying in record numbers.