This indicator is part of Eco-sensitive residents.

Indicator description:                                                           

This indicator denotes the number of animal species at the Albuquerque BioPark. The number of species at the Rio Grande Zoo is compared to benchmark Southwest community zoological parks. 2007 Citizen Survey data from Research and Polling Inc. is also shown below. Citizens were asked how important it is for the BioPark to help visitors learn about the importance of the preservation of endangered animals and plants. 

Why is this indicator relevant?

Species diversity is important so that citizens can be encouraged to be committed to celebrate, study, and protect plants and animals and their habitats. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, there are currently 1,326 species on the threatened or endangered lists. Typically, zoos offer a captive environment to encourage breeding and a species can be more easily sustained, even when the species’ natural habitat is being destroyed. Some species exist only in captivity as habitat destruction is the single greatest threat to species around the globe. Preservation of species—plants, animals, microorganisms, and their ecosystems—goes beyond protecting the life of these organisms, but also affects our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment. For example, 40% of the pharmaceuticals prescribed in the United States have active ingredients originating in plants.

Data Sources:
City of Albuquerque Cultural Services Department, 2008; Albuquerque Citizen Perception of Community Conditions survey, 2007; Association of Zoos and Aquariums, 2003-2007, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2008

What can we tell from the data?

• Currently, the Albuquerque Rio Grande Zoo has 246 animal species which is more than Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, and Tucson but far below Oklahoma City’s 539 species.
• Seventy-nine percent of those surveyed cited the BioPark as being important or very important in helping visitors learn about the importance of the preservation of endangered animals and plants. Albuquerque citizens value the importance of ecological diversity as all demographic categories rated this condition highly.

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