The Swift Fox
Why is it Going Extinct?
The swift fox was a very common site in the early 1800s in the Alberta, however; by the late 1800s the fox was becoming more rare as humans were trapping it for its fur. By the late 1930s the swift fox was going extinct due to the competition of the coyote as well as the the loss of habitat. The susceptibility of trapping and poisoning programs meant for other animals and severe climatic change are also thought to be responsible for the extinction of the fox. However, in the past 40 years efforts have been made to reintroduce the swift fox back to Alberta. As of 2002, it was estimated that about 96 swift foxes lived in the Alberta boreal forest.
What affects will the extinction have on the ecosystem?
Since the Swift Fox is a secondary consumer it has an effect on two different levels on the food pyramid, the primary consumers and tertiary costumers. In the case of the boreal forest in Alberta, the primary consumers are mice, larks, insects, and squirrels while the tertiary consumers are coyotes. If the swift foxes are not there to eat all of the primary consumers also known as herbivores, grasses and plants will not be able to grow and develop. Since plants are the main source of oxygen for humans, oxygen levels may go down. Not only that but coyotes would have nothing to eat causing them to die off and also contributing to the over-population of other consumers. Clearly the extinction of the species would have a dramatic effect on not only the enviroment but also on us humans, that is why their exsistance is so essential.