by Jeremy Ford

Created on: December 19, 2010   Last Updated: December 22, 2010

The idea that any species has “unknown” value is misleading.  Every species on this planet, from the bald eagle to the sometimes troubling ragweed of the Southeastern United States has value.  I would even refrain from saying that a species’ value is unknown.  It may be less significant and be less valuable to humans than another species, but this less significant species could be important and even necessary for another species.  So I believe that the common dilemma is whether to preserve species that have “unknown” value to humans, because these species can clearly have very well-defined value for other species.  I would even make the claim that every species has a known value for humans, however trivial or unnoticed that value may be.  Furthermore, an argument can be made that every species has value towards every other species on the planet, and therefore, a species that ostensibly appears to be of no use, can still prove to be valuable, even if this value is not readily defined and eminently applicable.

The first argument, though admittedly a bit vague and general, is nonetheless important to acknowledge, and that is regarding the inter-connectivity among all living beings.  Even if a given species is regarded as invaluable or have no known value to humans, that species may prove to be essential to the persistence of another species that is valuable to humans, and thus indirectly plays an important role in the continued existence of human beings.  For example, toads may at first glance appear to have no value to human beings, but upon closer examination of their habits and modes of subsistence, one would find that most toads diet consist primarily of insects.  Supposing that toads or even one species of toad was to suddenly become extinct, holding all other environmental conditions consistent with the present conditions, there would be an increase in the number of insects in the given environment that this toad species inhabits.  The mitigation of a potential rise in insects is certainly of great value to humans.

Another aspect of this topic that needs to be addressed is what is actually meant by value.  There are some species that would have obvious monetary value such as the various plants and crops used for food or trees used for lumber.  However, flora and fauna can have other forms of value as well, such ascetic and recreational value.  For one person a

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