Threats to Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers the all the variety of life that can be found on earth such as plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms, as well as to the communities that they form and the habitats in which they live. Biodiversity includes three main types.

Those are diversity within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity). Biodiversity is under serious threat as a result of human activities.

There are five main threats to biodiversity. Those are climate change, deforestation and habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution. Some major results of climate change are, rising ocean temperatures and diminishing Arctic sea ice affects marine biodiversity and can shift vegetation zones, having global implications.

Deforestation is a direct cause of extinction and loss of biodiversity. Large numbers of acres of forest are lost each year, due to logging and other human practices, destroying the ecosystems on which many species depend. Overhunting, overfishing and over-harvesting contribute greatly to the loss of biodiversity, killing off numerous species.

The introduction of non-native species into an ecosystem can threaten endemic wildlife. From the burning of fossil fuels, dumping plastic into the ocean every year, pollution completely disrupts the earth’s ecosystems.

Most of these happen due to human activities. As humans we should protect our environment. Individuals can take various steps to fight to stop this catastrophe and save it for future generations.

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Author – Hiruni Hansani
Undergraduate(Business & Environment)
University of Colombo
Faculty of Science