Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present. A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. In this process, plants and animals which previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Agriculture is the principal cause of habitat destruction. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Other important causes of habitat destruction include mining, logging, trawling and urban sprawl. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. Trawling is a method of Fishing that involves pulling a large Fishing net through the water behind one or more boats Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area Habitat destruction is currently ranked as the most important cause of species extinction worldwide. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. [1] It is a process of environmental change important in evolution and conservation biology. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 "Conservation Biology" redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Conservation Biology (journal. As the name implies, it describes the emergence of discontinuities (fragmentation) in an organism's preferred environment (habitat). Habitat fragmentation is a process of environmental change important in Evolution and Conservation biology. Habitat fragmentation can be caused by geological processes that slowly alter the layout of the physical environment or by human activity such as land conversion, which alters the environment on a rapid time scale. Habitat fragmentation is a process of environmental change important in Evolution and Conservation biology. The former is suspected of being one of the major causes of speciation. The latter is causative in extinctions of many species. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank.
This term, or the terms "loss of habitat" and "habitat reduction", can also be used in a wider sense including loss of habitat due to other factors, such as water and noise pollution. Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human- or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life
Contents |
Definitions
Habitat destruction is human-induced habitat change that results in a reduction of natural habitat. This includes conversion of land to agriculture, urban sprawl, infrastructure development, and other anthropogenic changes to the characteristics of land. In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area Public works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the State on behalf of the Community. Habitat degradation, fragmentation, and pollution are subsets of the broader category of habitat destruction; these do not necessarily involve overt destruction of habitat, yet they cause many of the same results. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Desertification, deforestation, and coral reef degradation are specific types of habitat destruction for those areas (deserts, forests, coral reefs). Desertification is the degradation of land in arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting primarily from human activities and influenced by climatic variations Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland Coral bleaching is the loss of color of Corals due to stress-induced expulsion of symbiotic Unicellular Algae or due to the loss of pigmentation within A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water
Effects
In the simplest terms, when a habitat is destroyed, the plants, animals, and other organisms that occupied the habitat have a reduced carrying capacity so that populations decline and extinction becomes more likely. The supportable Population of an Organism, given the food habitat, water and other necessities available within an environment is known as the environment's In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. [2] The single greatest threat to species worldwide is the loss of habitat. [3] Temple (1986) found that 82% of endangered bird species were significantly threatened by habitat loss. An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation Habitat destruction, often sugar-coated by the phrase of "land-use change", is the primary cause of loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth.
Geography
Biodiversity hotspots are mostly tropical regions that feature high concentrations of endemic species and, when all hotspots are combined, may contain over half of the world’s terrestrial species. A biodiversity hotspot is a Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 Terrestrial animals are Animals that live predominantly or entirely on land as compared with Aquatic animals which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e [4] These hotspots are suffering enormous habitat loss, as each hotspot has lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation. Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants [4]
Most of the natural habitat on islands and in areas of high human population density has already been destroyed (WRI, 2003). Islands suffering extreme habitat destruction include New Zealand, Madagascar, the Philippines, and Japan. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. [5] South and east Asia—especially China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan—and many areas in west Africa have extremely dense human populations that allow little room for natural habitat. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. Marine areas close to highly populated coastal cities also face degradation of their coral reefs or other marine habitat. The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water These areas include the eastern coasts of Asia and Africa, northern coasts of South America, and the Caribbean Sea and its associated islands. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant [5]
Regions of unsustainable agriculture and/or unstable governments, which may go hand-in-hand, typically experience high rates of habitat destruction. Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals environmental Stewardship, Farm Profitability and prosperous Farming communities Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Amazonian tropical rainforest areas of South America are the main regions with unsustainable agricultural practices or government mismanagement. Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a [5]
Areas of high agricultural output tend to have the highest extent of habitat destruction. In the U.S., less than 25% of native vegetation remains in many parts of the East and Midwest. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Eastern Half of The United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. [6] Only 15% of land area remains unmodified by human activities in all of Europe. [5]
Ecosystems
Tropical rainforests have received most of the attention concerning the destruction of habitat, and for good reason: From the approximately 16 million square kilometers of tropical rainforest habitat that originally existed worldwide, less than 9 million square kilometers remain today. Tropical rainforests are generally found near the Equator. They are common in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central [5] The current rate of deforestation is 160,000 square kilometers per year, which equates to a loss of approximately 1% of original forest habitat each year. [7]
Other forest ecosystems have suffered as much or more destruction as tropical rainforests. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches Farming and logging have severely disturbed at least 94% of temperate broadleaf forests; many old growth forest stands have lost more than 98% of their previous area due to human activities. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests temperate deciduous forest) --> are a Temperate and Humid Biome. Ancient Woodland Old growth forest, (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier [5] Tropical deciduous dry forests are easier to clear and burn and are more suitable for agriculture and cattle ranching than tropical rainforests; consequently, less than 0. The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest Biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes Slash and burn consists of cutting and burning of Forests or Woodlands to create fields for Agriculture or Pasture for Livestock, or A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle 1% of dry forests in Central America's Pacific Coast and less than 8% in Madagascar remain from their original extents. The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest Biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes The Madagascar dry deciduous forests represent a tropical dry forest Ecoregion generally situated in the western part of Madagascar. [7]
Plains and desert areas have been degraded to a lesser extent. Only 10-20% of the world's drylands, which include temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands|temperate shrublands, grasslands]], scrub and deciduous forests, have been somewhat degraded. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. Scrubland is a Plant community characterized by scrub Vegetation. The Temperate deciduous forest is a Biome found in the eastern United States, Canada, central Mexico, southern South America, [8] But included in that 10-20% of land is the approximately 9 million square kilometers of seasonally dry-lands that humans have converted to deserts through the process of desertification. [5] The tallgrass prairies of North America, on the other hand, have less than 3% of natural habitat remaining that has not been converted to farmland. Liriodendronflower0117JPG|thumb|right| Liriodendron tulipifera, closely related to L [9]
Wetlands and marine areas have endured high levels of habitat destruction. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog More than 50% of wetlands in the U. S. have been destroyed in just the last 200 years. [6] Between 60% and 70% of European wetlands have been completely destroyed. [10] About one-fifth (20%) of marine coastal areas have been highly modified by humans. [11] One-fifth of coral reefs have also been destroyed, and another fifth has been severely degraded by overfishing, pollution, and invasive species; 90% of the Philippines’ coral reefs alone have been destroyed. Overfishing occurs when Fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions [12] Finally, over 35% mangrove ecosystems worldwide have been destroyed. The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. [12]
Human activity
Geist and Lambin (2002) assessed 152 case studies of net losses of tropical forest cover to determine any patterns in the proximate and underlying causes of tropical deforestation. Their results, yielded as percentages of the case studies in which each parameter was a significant factor, provide a quantitative prioritization of which proximate and underlying causes were the most significant. The proximate causes were clustered into broad categories of agricultural expansion (96%), infrastructure expansion (72%), and wood extraction (67%). Therefore, according to this study, forest conversion to agriculture is the main land use change responsible for tropical deforestation. Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland The specific categories reveal further insight into the specific causes of tropical deforestation: transport extension (64%), commercial wood extraction (52%), permanent cultivation (48%), cattle ranching (46%), shifting (slash and burn) cultivation (41%), subsistence agriculture (40%), and fuel wood extraction for domestic use (28%). A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle Slash and burn consists of cutting and burning of Forests or Woodlands to create fields for Agriculture or Pasture for Livestock, or Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficient farming in which farmers grow only enough food to feed the family and to pay taxes or feudal dues One result is that shifting cultivation is not the primary cause of deforestation in all world regions, while transport extension (including the construction of new roads) is the largest single proximate factor responsible for deforestation. For methods see Slash and burn Shifting cultivation is an Agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily then abandoned Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. [13]
Drivers
While the above-mentioned activities are the proximal or direct causes of habitat destruction in that they actually destroy habitat, this still does not identify why humans destroy habitat. The forces that cause humans to destroy habitat are known as drivers of habitat destruction. Demographic, economic, sociopolitical, scientific and technological, and cultural drivers all contribute to habitat destruction. Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government Marketing or opinion research or the Demographic profiles [12]
Demographic drivers include the expanding human population; rate of population increase over time; spatial distribution of people in a given area (urban versus rural), ecosystem type, and country; and the combined effects of poverty, age, family planning, gender, and education status of people in certain areas. Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat. Population growth is the change in Population over time and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals in a population using "per unit time" for Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume This is a list of contiguous Urban areas of the world ordered according to population as of 2008 [12] Most of the exponential human population growth worldwide is occurring in or close to biodiversity hotspots. A biodiversity hotspot is a Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction [4] This may explain why human population density accounts for 87. 9% of the variation in numbers of threatened species across 114 countries, providing indisputable evidence that people play the largest role in decreasing biodiversity. Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. [14] The boom in human population and migration of people into such species-rich regions are making conservation efforts not only more urgent but also more likely to conflict with local human interests. "Conservation Biology" redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Conservation Biology (journal. [4] The high local population density in such areas is directly correlated to the poverty status of the local people, most of whom lack an education and family planning. [15] although no one could be bothered to put in the other sections of drivers, like the economic or scientific ones.
From the Geist and Lambin (2002) study described in the previous section, the underlying driving forces were prioritized as follows (with the percent of the 152 cases the factor played a significant role in): economic factors (81%), institutional or policy factors (78%), technological factors (70%), cultural or socio-political factors (66%), and demographic factors (61%). The main economic factors included commercialization and growth of timber markets (68%), which are driven by national and international demands; urban industrial growth (38%); low domestic costs for land, labor, fuel, and timber (32%); and increases in product prices mainly for cash crops (25%). Institutional and policy factors included formal pro-deforestation policies on land development (40%), economic growth including colonization and infrastructure improvement (34%), and subsidies for land-based activities (26%); property rights and land-tenure insecurity (44%); and policy failures such as corruption, lawlessness, or mismanagement (42%). The main technological factor was the poor application of technology in the wood industry (45%), which leads to wasteful logging practices. Within the broad category of cultural and sociopolitical factors are public attitudes and values (63%), individual/household behavior (53%), public unconcern toward forest environments (43%), missing basic values (36%), and unconcern by individuals (32%). Demographic factors were the in-migration of colonizing settlers into sparsely populated forest areas (38%) and growing population density—a result of the first factor—in those areas (25%).
There are also feedbacks and interactions among the proximate and underlying causes of deforestation that can amplify the process. Road construction has the largest feedback effect, because it interacts with—and leads to—the establishment of new settlements and more people, which causes a growth in wood (logging) and food markets. [15] Growth in these markets, in turn, progresses the commercialization of agriculture and logging industries. When these industries become commercialized, they must become more efficient by utilizing larger or more modern machinery that often are worse on the habitat than traditional farming and logging methods. Either way, more land is cleared more rapidly for commercial markets. This common feedback example manifests just how closely related the proximate and underlying causes are to each other.
Impact on human population
Habitat destruction vastly increases an area's vulnerability to natural disasters like flood and drought, crop failure, spread of disease, and water contamination. A natural disaster is the consequence of a Natural hazard (eg A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply An infectious disease is a clinically evident Disease resulting from the presence of Pathogenic microbial agents including Pathogenic viruses Pathogenic Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities [12] On the other hand, a healthy ecosystem with good management practices will reduce the chance of these events from happening, or will at least mitigate adverse impacts.
Agricultural land can actually suffer from the destruction of the surrounding landscape. Over the past 50 years, the destruction of habitat surrounding agricultural land has degraded approximately 40% of agricultural land worldwide via erosion, salinization, compaction, nutrient depletion, pollution, and urbanization. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil Salt affected soils are caused by excess accumulation of salts typically most pronounced at the soil surface Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing [12] Humans also lose direct uses of natural habitat when habitat is destroyed. Aesthetic uses such as birdwatching, recreational uses like hunting and fishing, and ecotourism usually rely upon virtually undisturbed habitat. Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of Birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like Binoculars. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals Many people value the complexity of the natural world and are disturbed by the loss of natural habitats and animal or plant species worldwide.
Probably the most profound impact that habitat destruction has on people is the loss of many valuable ecosystem services. Humankind benefits from a multitude of resources and processes that are supplied by natural Ecosystems. Habitat destruction has altered nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and carbon cycles, which has increased the frequency and severity of acid rain, algal blooms, and fish kills in rivers and oceans and contributed tremendously to global climate change. The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the Biosphere, Pedosphere, Geosphere, Hydrosphere, and Acid rain is Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually Acidic It has harmful effects on plants aquatic animals and infastructure An algal bloom is a rapid increase in the population of Algae in an aquatic system The term fish kill is applied to a localized die-off of aquatic life Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences [12] One ecosystem service whose significance is becoming more realized is climate regulation. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of On a local scale, trees provide windbreaks and shade; on a regional scale, plant transpiration recycles rainwater and maintains constant annual rainfall; on a global scale, plants (especially trees from tropical rainforests) from around the world counter the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by sequestering carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Transpiration is the Evaporation of water from the aerial parts of Plants especially leaves but also stems Flowers and Roots Greenhouse gases are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere bothnatural and anthropogenic that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared Photosynthesis is a Metabolic pathway that converts Light Energy into Chemical energy. [5] Other ecosystem services that are diminished or lost altogether as a result of habitat destruction include watershed management, nitrogen fixation, oxygen production, pollination, waste treatment (i. Watershed management is the process of creating and implementing plans programs and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the Plant Nitrogen fixation is the process by which Nitrogen is taken from its natural relatively inert molecular form (N2 in the atmosphere and converted into Pollination in angiosperms and Gymnosperms is the process that transfers pollen grains, which contain the male Gametes (sperm to where the female Waste treatment refers to the activities required to ensure that Waste has the least practicable impact on the environment e. , the breaking down and immobilization of toxic pollutants), and nutrient recycling of sewage or agricultural runoff. Decomposition (or spoilage) refers to the break down of tissue of a formerly living Organism into simpler forms of matter Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other Surface runoff is a term used to describe when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess Water, from Rain, Snowmelt, or other sources flows [5]
The loss of trees from the tropical rainforests alone represents a substantial diminishing of the earth’s ability to produce oxygen and use up carbon dioxide. These services are becoming even more important as increasing carbon dioxide levels is one of the main contributors to global climate change. Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences
The loss of biodiversity may not directly affect humans, but the indirect effects of losing many species as well as the diversity of ecosystems in general are enormous. When biodiversity is lost, the environment loses many species that provide valuable and unique roles to the ecosystem. The environment and all its inhabitants rely on biodiversity to recover from extreme environmental conditions. When too much biodiversity is lost, a catastrophic event such as an earthquake, flood, or volcanic eruption could cause an ecosystem to crash, and humans would obviously suffer from that. Loss of biodiversity also means that humans are losing animals that could have served as biological control agents and plants that could potentially provide higher-yielding crop varieties, pharmaceutical drugs to cure existing or future diseases or cancer, and new resistant crop varieties for agricultural species susceptible to pesticide-resistant insects or virulent strains of fungi, viruses, and bacteria. A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ A virus (from the Latin virus meaning Toxin or Poison) is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have [5]
The negative effects of habitat destruction usually impact rural populations more directly than urban populations. [12] Across the globe, poor people suffer the most when natural habitat is destroyed, because less natural habitat means less natural resources per capita, yet wealthier people and countries simply have to pay more to continue to receive more than their per capita share of natural resources.
Another way to view the negative effects of habitat destruction is to look at the opportunity cost of keeping an area undisturbed. In other words, what are people losing out on by taking away a given habitat? A country may increase its food supply by converting forest land to row-crop agriculture, but the value of the same land may be much larger when it can supply natural resources or services such as clean water, timber, ecotourism, or flood regulation and drought control. [12]
Outlook
The rapid expansion of the global human population is increasing the world’s food requirement substantially. Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat. Simple logic instructs that more people will require more food. In fact, as the world’s population increases dramatically, agricultural output will need to increase by at least 50%, over the next 30 years. ,[17] which outcome is at best problematic. In the past, continually moving to new land and soils provided a boost in food production to appease the global food demand. That easy fix will no longer be available, however, as more than 98% of all land suitable for agriculture is already in use or degraded beyond repair. [18]
The impending global food crisis will be a major source of habitat destruction. Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it Commercial farmers are going to become desperate to produce more food from the same amount of land, so they will use more fertilizers and less concern for the environment to meet the market demand. Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Others will seek out new land or will convert other land-uses to agriculture. Agricultural intensification will become widespread at the cost of the environment and its inhabitants. Species will be pushed out of their habitat either directly by habitat destruction or indirectly by fragmentation, degradation, or pollution. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Any efforts to protect the world’s remaining natural habitat and biodiversity will compete directly with humans’ growing demand for natural resources, especially new agricultural lands. [17]
Solutions
In most cases of tropical deforestation, three to four underlying causes are driving two to three proximate causes. [15] This means that a universal policy for controlling tropical deforestation would not be able to address the unique combination of proximate and underlying causes of deforestation in each country. [15] Before any local, national, or international deforestation policies are written and enforced, governmental leaders must acquire a detailed understanding of the complex combination of proximate causes and underlying driving forces of deforestation in a given area or country. [15] This concept, along with many other results about tropical deforestation from the Geist and Lambin study, can easily be applied habitat destruction in general. Governmental leaders need to take action by addressing the underlying driving forces, rather than merely regulating the proximate causes In a broader sense, governmental bodies at a local, national, and international scale need to emphasize the following:
- Considering the many irreplaceable ecosystem services provided by natural habitats,
- Protecting remaining intact sections of natural habitat,
- Educating the public about the importance of natural habitat and biodiversity,
- Developing family planning programs in areas of rapid population growth,
- Finding ways to increase agricultural output than simply increasing the total land in production,
- Preserving habitat corridors to minimize prior damage from fragmented habitats. Family planning is frequently used to mean that people plan when to have children using Birth control, preconceptional counseling.
Notes
- ^ Pimm & Raven, 2000, pp. 843-845
- ^ Scholes & Biggs, 2004
- ^ Barbault & Sastrapradja, 1995
- ^ a b c d Cincotta & Engelman, 2000
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Primack, 2006
- ^ a b Stein et al. , 2000
- ^ a b Laurance, 1999
- ^ Kauffman & Pyke, 2001
- ^ White et al. , 2000
- ^ Ravenga et al. , 2000
- ^ Burke et al. , 2000
- ^ a b c d e f g h i MEA, 2005
- ^ Geist & Lambin, 2002
- ^ McKee et al. , 2003
- ^ a b c d e Geist & Lambin, 2002
- ^ Tibbetts, 2006
- ^ a b Tilman et al. , 2001
- ^ Sanderson et al. , 2002
References
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- Burke, L. , Y. Kura, K. Kassem, C. Ravenga, M. Spalding, and D. McAllister. 2000. Pilot Assessment of Global Ecosystems: Coastal Ecosystems. World Resources Institute, Washington, D. C.
- Cincotta, R. P. , and R. Engelman. 2000. Nature's place: human population density and the future of biological diversity. Population Action International. Washington, D. C.
- Geist, H. J. , and E. E. Lambin. 2002. Proximate causes and underlying driving forces of tropical deforestation. BioScience 52(2): 143-150.
- Kauffman, J. B. and D. A. Pyke. 2001. Range ecology, global livestock influences. In S. A. Levin (ed. ), Encyclopedia of Biodiversity 5: 33-52. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
- Laurance, W. F. 1999. Reflections on the tropical deforestation crisis. Biological Conservation 91: 109-117.
- McKee, J. K. , P. W. Sciulli, C. D. Fooce, and T. A. Waite. 2003. Forecasting global biodiversity threats associated with human population growth. Biological Conservation 115: 161-164.
- MEA. 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-Being. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Island Press, Covelo, CA.
- Primack, R. B. 2006. Essentials of Conservation Biology. 4th Ed. Habitat destruction, pages 177-188. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA.
- Pimm, Stuart L. and Peter Raven (2000) Biodiversity: Extinction by numbers Nature 403: 843-845 doi:10. 1038/35002708.
- Ravenga, C. , J. Brunner, N. Henninger, K. Kassem, and R. Payne. 2000. Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems: Wetland Ecosystems. World Resources Institute, Washington, D. C.
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- Tibbetts, John. (2006). Louisiana's Wetlands: A Lesson in Nature Appreciation. Environ Health Perspect. January; 114(1): A40–A43.
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- White, R. P. , S. Murray, and M. Rohweder. 2000. Pilot Assessment of Global Ecosystems: Grassland Ecosystems. World Resources Institute, Washington, D. C.
- WRI. 2003. World Resources 2002-2004: Decisions for the Earth: Balance, voice, and power. 328 pp. World Resources Institute, Washington, D. C.
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