Drivers of biodiversity loss - I - Loss of Habitat

Drivers of biodiversity loss - I - Loss of Habitat

The five important drivers of biodiversity loss are

1.Habitat loss and degradation

2.Pollution

3.Invasive species

4.Overexploitation

5.Climate change associated with global warming

 1. Loss of Habitat

The greatest threat to life on the Earth is the degradation and destruction of habitats. Nearly half of the planet’s land areas are transformed for human uses and by 2032, more than 70% of the Earth’s surface will be altered. A transformed ecosystem result in the population reductions or even extinction of native species.

Modern equipments such as bulldozers, chainsaws, and other tools allows habitat to be destroyed much more rapidly. and birds may be able to move to remaining habitat, where they must compete with the original inhabitants for space and nutrition.

Dividing large ecosystems into smaller islands of habitat separated by agriculture or urban land is known as

Habitat is lost or fragmented due to the following:

·         Conversion to urban or agricultural land

·         Roads built into natural areas to facilitate agriculture, logging, mining, and urban development

·         water stream engineering to avoid flood or for irrigation and other human uses

·         Pollution: Excess nutrients, detergents and fertilizers, acid rain, toxic chemicals etc reaching the habitat

·         Fire and fire prevention: Burning due to human activity can destroy the ecosystem. In some cases, fire prevention interrupts the processes of germination of seeds or degradation of organic matter into useful minerals

·         Recreational activities at remote areas -

·         Deforestation - The loss of forest due to deforestation is the major cause of habitat loss. 80% of the world’s old-growth forests are gone.

·         Trees are used for fuel

·         Timber is used for manufacture of wood and paper products

·         Tropical rain forests are ranched to create cattle pastures

·         Forests are cleared for agriculture land worldwide.

·         Resource extraction such as Mining, oil drilling, and logging destroy forest habitat

·         Industrial development such as Pipelines, power lines, roads, dams, and other infrastructure destroy forests

Any damage or alteration to the ecosystems results in the loss of native species of plants and animals and need to be protected.

References

• Emerging Consequences of Biotechnology - Biodiversity Loss and IPR Issues, Krishna Dronamraju, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
• Biosphere - Ecosystems and Biodiversity Loss, Dana Desonie, Chelsea House