Much attention has been devoted over the past several years to the study, protection, and management of threatened and endangered species. These activities have been universally accepted within the wildlife management community as beneficial and worthwhile; and rightfully so. It is important, however, that we not limit our management to only a few species, but maintain a more holistic view of our wildlife management responsibilities. This becomes increasingly important as we enter the paradigm of ecosystem management. This paper discusses some past human errors that resulted in extinction or decimation of once abundant species and aims to remind us of the importance of maintaining currently abundant species. Neglect of any species merely because it does not face immediate danger or represent obvious human benefits can lead to ultimate losses to biological communities with resultant negative impacts beyond the species in question. If we are serious about ecosystem management we must consider the object of our inquiry in a holistic manner. Achievement of the goal of maintenance of biodiversity demands that we consider all organisms in our management activities.
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