Question

Describe various causes of loss of biodiversity.

Answer 1

1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: A habitat is a place where a plant or animal naturally lives. Habitat loss is identified as the main threat to 85% of all species described as threatened or endangered. Factors responsible for this are deforestation, fire and over-use and urbanization.
2. Over-exploitation for Commercialization: Over-exploitation of resources has coasted more environmental degradation than earning. For example; shrimp farming in India, Thailand, Ecuador and Indonesia results in Wetland destruction, pollution of coastal waters and degradation of coastal fisheries. Scientific studies have concluded that the cost of environmental degradation resulting from shrimp farming was costing more than the earning through shrimp exports.
3. Pollution is a major threat to biodiversity, and one of the most difficult problems to overcome; Pollutants do not recognize international boundaries. For example, agricultural run-off, which contains a variety of fertilizers and pesticides, may seep into groundwater and rivers before ending up in the ocean. Atmospheric pollutants drift with prevailing air currents and are deposited far from their original source.
4. Global Climate Change: Many climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is likely to raise world temperatures by about 2°C by 2030, meaning that sea levels will rise by around 30-50 cm by this time. Global warming, coupled with human population growth and accelerating rates of resource use will bring further losses in biological diversity. Vast areas of the world will be inundated causing loss of human life as well as ecosystems.