What are 3 ways the Endangered Species Act protects animals?

Answer

It is widely recognized that the diversity of life on Earth as we know it, forms an Ecological balance, whereby living things rely on each other for existence. The endangered species act promotes the survival on species of animals that are threatened with extinction if overly hunted or poached.  The direct answer is that the endangered species act protects animals by:

1) Studies the number of populations of certain animals over large geographic areas or in certain ecosystems.
2) Recognizes the positive or needed impact of threatened species on certain ecosystems
3) Controls the number of animals that can be hunted or killed to prevent a species being killed off to extinction.
4) Sets up preserves (or parks) where animals cannot be hunted or killed, in order to maintain a specie's existence.
5) Gives authority to different law enforcement agencies to enforce protection laws for species identified as endangered.
6) Balances rural rancher's needs of raising livestock with environmental groups' efforts toward re-introduction programs of certain species' back to their natural habitats.

• BALANCE* is the key issue to preserving species, and the Endangered Species Act.  In an ecological system (a forest per sey):  If all the large predators that prey on deer are killed off, then the deer population increases exponentially, and the large herds eat all the plants of a certain type that they forage on.  Other animals might need that specific type of plant to thrive (such as Monarch Butterflies to Milkweed Plants).  If deer are overly hunted in that same forest, natural predators will die off because they can't find prey to hunt; *and* vegetation that is eaten by the deer, will grow exponentially, which when they die cause the forest to be littered with dense undergrowth, and thus be a nightmare if a forest fire were to result. 

First answer by Billgoatboygates. Last edit by Billgoatboygates. Contributor trust: 114 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 47 [recommend question]