Bratcher 1

Alyssa Bratcher

Dr. Cassel

English 1201

2 August 2020

An End to Habitat Loss: Saving Species from Extinction

Habitat loss is best defined as eliminating or destroying the environment needed for

wildlife and plant life to live and reproduce (“The Global Impacts of Habitat Destruction”).

Habitat loss has been a growing issue over the past few decades. Habitat loss is what can and

will lead to many possible extinctions that could be occurring in the near future. Most people

believe that humanity is the only cause for habitat loss. However, there are actually multiple

causes for habitat loss. There can be an end to habitat loss if stricter laws are put in place for

people to follow in order to save the animal and plant species that are becoming endangered and

extinct due to ignoring the protection of their inhabitance.

Habitat loss occurs from numerous things but are distinguished by three categories.

Fragmentation, degradation, and destruction of habitats are the three kinds of habitat loss

(“Habitat Loss”). When trees are cut down and grass is mowed into wetlands, many habitats are

destroyed (“Habitat Loss”). Fragmentation is defined in the article titled “Habitat Loss” as when

a part of a body of water is blocked off by something such as a dam. Land habitats have been

fragmented by modernization. For example, building roads and buildings require land to be

cleared off. The last type of habitat loss is degradation. This is when pollution interrupts the

ecosystem so it can no longer have wildlife depending on it (“Habitat Loss”). There are five

main causes of habitat loss according to the National Wildlife Association. The one that has

caused the most damage is agriculture. This began long ago when settlers inhabited the land.
Bratcher 2

Land conversion is when buildings and roads are built ruining habitats. Next is water

development which are things such as dams and other water blocks preventing wildlife from

traveling beyond that point. Pollution is one of the most known reasons for habitat loss. Wildlife

and plant life in the ocean are the most affected by this because sewage and acid rain all collect

into bodies of water. Lastly, is climate change. Climate change is a close second too agriculture

for being the main cause of habitat loss. These causes must be managed in order to protect the

wildlife and plant life of the world (“Habitat Loss”).

Overexploitation is a minor issue when it comes to habitat loss, but has major

repercussions on the species (“Causes of Endangerment”). Endangerment of species occurs from

habitat loss. Overexploitation is when too many fish are being caught or too many deer are being

shot that they cannot reproduce quick enough to manage (“Cause of endangerment”). Compared

to the first article discussed in paragraph two, this author only discusses Overexploitation being

the leading cause to why species are being endangered. He does not discuss how this affects the

wildlife and where they live. The author wants readers to focus on their reproduction rates being

slower than the amount of hunting and fishing occurring each year.

In an interview conducted by William F. Laurence, Bill, a researcher, provides

information on a possible approach to protect habitats. Bill mentions that the main focus of their

research is to determine how humans are affecting tropical rainforests. Tropical rainforests are

homes to a lot, if not most of the wildlife and plant life in the world. It has been discussed in the

news, but our planet has forty million acres destroyed each and every year. Bill states in the

interview that hunters are the main cause of destruction to the tropical forests. This has probably

been the biggest impact on the tropical forests. Bill discusses the Biological Dynamics of Forest

Fragments Project which is a project dedicated to monitoring the central Amazon since this area
Bratcher 3

is a prime location for forest destruction. Forced destruction caused by humans has damaged

many areas of the Amazon. The Amazon project focuses on the fragmentation type of habitat

loss. The scientists study this area to identify which species can live on these patches of land and

determine which species cannot. With this information scientists are able to decide what the next

steps are for the future of tropical biodiversity. Bill says they try to focus on the “hot spots” of

destruction because sustaining these areas will decrease the horrible after affects when land is

destroyed. The project in Africa, focuses on the damage being done by creating roads and

hunting. Poaching tends to be a common practice in Africa Bill claims in his interview. The

development of roads in Africa is preventing animals to survive because they are losing their

places to hide from predators and hunters. Almost half of tropical forests have been destroyed

due to humans ignoring that the land they build on or the animals they hunt is what leads to

harmful changes. Bill concludes his interview suggesting that a lot of dedication and a lot of

resources are needed to save the forests from being completely destroyed (Laurence).

According to National Geographic, if we can protect at least fifty percent of land and

seas, all species could prosper and be the start of stable habitats for the wildlife (“The Global

Impacts of Habitat Destruction”). Habitat destruction has been the biggest threat to species all

around the world based on the National Geographic article. Most researchers believe that habitat

loss is mostly caused by humans as mentioned in many of the articles because humans are

mining, drilling and farming which destroys the homes of eighty percent of species (“The Global

Impacts of Habitat Destruction”). Pollution is the main cause for damaging species in the oceans

and wetlands. The issue currently however, is that only fifteen percent of land and seven percent

of waters are protected according to “The Global Impacts of Habitat Destruction.” In order to
Bratcher 4

reach the goal of protecting fifty percent together, that actions must be made to resolve the issues

and repair the homes of the wildlife and plant life (“The Global Impacts of Habitat Destruction”).

Habitat loss has affected one specific species in particular, the koala. According to an

Australian article in The Guardian written by Lisa Cox, Koalas will be extinct before the year

2050 due to habitat loss. Climate change has had the biggest impact on Koala’s habitat

destruction. Laws were shown inadequate for maintaining and protecting the habitats of the

koalas (Cox). In the article there are suggestions that should be put in place to prevent Koala

habitats from encountering more damage. For example, improve their monitoring of the habitat,

ban opening old-growth forest for lodging, and give more enticements to farmers that protect

land instead of clearing it. Laws need to be adjusted at the state and federal level when it comes

to protecting the habitats of the koala species and many more (Cox). Another species that is

highly discussed is the pandas and their habitat loss. Pandas are currently considered endangered

due to habitat loss so less are reproducing. Chinese government, compared to Australia’s

government, enforces much stricter laws to protect the pandas inhabiting the country (Gritzner

and Lineback). There are reserves put in place to protect the pandas in their natural habitat,

however, still the species continues to grow smaller (Gritzner and Lineback).

Penguins are another species that are a prime example of how intense the habitat loss

problem is. “Penguins represent a taxonomic group that was studied to understand habitat loss

near oceanic regions” (Trathan, p. 31). Penguins struggle more when habitat loss occurs in their

regions because for mating season they do not migrate to a new area they stay where they are.

For example, in the movie Happy Feet when he is born there are many predators and issues with

the ice breaking, showing the difficulty actual penguins deal with when their habitats endure

damage. For Trathan’s study, he claims penguins have the most well-known history, making it
Bratcher 5

easier for them to obtain the data. Penguins are known to be harvested by many to be used for

oil, feathers, and bait according to page 34 of Trathan’s study. He also claimed that the major

threat is habitat degradation because that affects many species of penguins. Many predator

species use this to their advantage to kill and eat the penguins and their eggs. Another large

factor discussed in the study is marine pollution. “Shipwrecks and oil spills are the major

anthropogenic-induced cause of death for penguins worldwide” (Trathan, p.35). Many penguins

use the ocean as their main transport to locations to breed or for their meals considering their

primary diet is fish. A threat that is caused by the penguins themselves is resource competition

(Trathan, p.36). They all have the same diet and tend to resort to going to similar areas. Many

penguins are being wiped out and there is a big need for marine-protected areas solely for

penguins so they can prevent the species from becoming extinct (Trathan, p.39).

“Vegetated coastal habitats form highly productive ecosystems, but their contribution is

overlooked in the representation of the global carbon budget” (Duarte, p. 301). This topic is

important when it comes to habitat loss because the coastal habitats play a large role in the

ecosystem, however, they are not being tended to through the budget provided for marine

habitats. What is unique about the marine habitats is their nature actually corrects based on the

latitude and substrate characteristics of the area (Duarte, p.302). There are four reasons to why

coastal habitats may be destroyed by being excluded from the coastal habitat budget. On page

304 Duarte states that the coastal regions will be consumed by herbivores and detritivores,

remineralized through respiration or decomposition, buried in sediments, or it will be exported

away from the vegetated coastal habitat. The majority of carbon is produced in coastal habitats

which makes them vital to our world (Duarte, p.305). However, it is hard to track because of the

rapid change (Duarte p. 306). Duarte concludes on page 307 that due to the large impact and the
Bratcher 6

constant shifts in coastal ocean habitats should be included in the carbon budget. This continues

to be an important topic to incorporate these regions into the ocean carbon budget so humans,

wildlife, and plant life can continue to prosper.

Species that are overlooked by many but also are in danger due to habitat loss are insects.

There was an act called the Endangered Species Protection Bill that was passed in 1992 to

guarantee the protection of plants and endangered animals (Sands, p. 150). Insect habitats are

constantly being threatened by humans, growth of weeds, land clearings, and removal of trees.

There has been management installed of the areas that are being used to make sure long-term

conservation continues, however, in Australia, the numbers have not been accurate and certain

lands are not being protected (Sands, p. 153). This is an important factor because without

accurate conservation, the laws could be adjusted to how management of these areas are

distributed. When insects become isolated, insect breading can turn into unstable genetic

variations according to Sands on page 155. Sands also claims in his study that approximately 154

grasses have turned into weeds that have continuously been damaging insect homes and replace

the plants they depend on for food. Vines have also been disturbing the plant life and insect life

considering that insects depend on many plants for their food source. Vines are commonly

known for constricting stems which stops the nectar flow, enabling insects from obtaining their

source of food. People have been told that burning vegetation is beneficial for plants, however,

they present a threat for terrestrial invertebrates (Sands, p.160). The fires also reduce regrowth of

plants across the area the fire occurred. The only way to manage fires without destroying the

plant life and animal life would to use micro-mosaic patch burning (Sands, p.162).There is a

counterargument in this article as well for how fires actually help the plant life and animal life.
Bratcher 7

Fires actually have benefits to insect habitats. Invertebrates, however, can usually only

live through the winter and spring fires according to Sands. Most fires that are called ecological

burn focus on plants to find ways to protect biodiversity (Sands p. 162). The plant life actually

can benefit from fires. For example, the fires actually increase plant density and helps grass

adapt to the fire (Sands, p.162). When grasses develop a higher “tolerance,” when fires occur the

species are not damaged and learn how to live through the occurrence.

Climate change has been mentioned in other articles previously mentioned, but Sands

highlights on how climate change affects the insect population. Climate change for insects is

harmful but it is also beneficial. Adaptability plays a huge role when it comes to climate change.

If animals are unable to adapt to a situation, they are more at risk for becoming extinct.

Australian insects specifically have their own climate envelope Sands claims on page 163. In

order to prevent this from occurring, animals sort of take matters into their own hands. For

example, many butterfly species in Australia have expanded their travel patters by going further

south (Sands, p.165). Rain and when it occurs also affects how animals will travel. Droughts

often occur in areas in Australia due to the heat, but animals have developed instincts to know

when they leave or when they stay in an area (Sands p. 165). Climate change encourages insects

to use instinct and weather patterns to determine where they go for the different seasons and how

long they will stay there.

Most discuss the negatives of habitat loss and how it is most likely the greatest issue to

species going endangered and extinct. However, in a study discussed in an article written by

Ruben Moreno-Opo, he discusses marsh land and how habitat loss has allowed for new bird

species to make the marsh a home. Since birds were making the marsh their new home,

reproduction numbers began to rise and the start of habitat regeneration. The warmer
Bratcher 8

temperatures actually helped reproduction rates. With the temperature change and the amount of

food available, the species inhabiting the marsh began declining in numbers (Moreno-Opo, p. 5-

7). However, people that read the article do not see anything about habitat loss being the main

cause of species populations declining. Ruben’s main goal in writing this study was to highlight

that habitat loss is an issue, however, he does not consider it to be the most prominent factor in

why species are becoming endangered and extinct.

Overall, habitat loss is a topic that is constantly overlooked by much of the world. From

species as large as pandas to species as tiny as ants, animals are constantly in a battle for their

home. Even plant life has been negatively impacted by habitat loss. The majority of plant habitat

loss has been caused by humanity. Humanity has a need to continue developments to expand

modernization by building more buildings and roads. On the other hand, habitat loss must occur

so people have places to live, roads to drive on, buildings to work at and the economy can to

continue growing. However, laws need to become stricter and enforced more seriously to

encourage people to focus on where new buildings should be built while still preserving the

animal wildlife and the plant life habitats. Many species already have the battle for life against

predators, they should not be interrupted by humanities idea of what is necessary. More

preserves and conservation areas need to be developed to prevent any more species from being

removed from their home. Humanity cannot control certain areas that are damaged for the

benefits of humans that lead to habitat loss; however, humanity can make a change to do the best

to prevent any more species from becoming endangered or extinct and take a stand to support

preserves and conservation areas to be a part of the solution. Humanity is the cause of climate

change, fragmentation, degradation, oil spills, and pollution. All these raise the habitat loss issue

drastically. It is important to draw attention to this topic so humanity can now say “what can we
Bratcher 9

do to help” versus “we cannot do anything because we are not the problem.” Be a part of the

solution so our planet can be saved.

Bratcher 10

Works Cited

Bill. “The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science.” Interview by

William F. Laurance. Annenberg Learner, 2020. https://www.learner.org/series/the-

habitable-planet-a-systems-approach-to-environmental-science/biodiversity-

decline/interview-with-william-f-laurance/

“Causes of Endangerment.” https://sites.google.com/a/wayland.k12.ma.us/endangered-species-

project/reasons-for-endangerment

Cox, Lisa. “Koalas Will be Driven to Extinction before 2050.” The Guardian, 29 June 2020.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/30/koalas-will-be-driven-to-

extinction-by-2050-in-nsw-major-inquiry-finds

Duarte, Carlos M. “Reviews and Synthesis: Hidden Forests, the Role of Vegetation Coastal

Habitats in the Ocean Carbon Budget.” Volume 14 p. 301-310, Biogeosciences, 2017.

https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=a84e56b7-

ada8-424e-bf12-36a9554052ef%40pdc-v-

sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=121089491&db=eih

Gritzner L. Mandy and Lineback, Neal. “Geography in the News: Declining panda Habitat.”

National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 31 May 2014.

https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2014/05/31/geography-in-the-news-declining-panda-

habitat/

“Habitat Loss.” National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Educational-

Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Habitat-Loss

Moreno-Opo, Ruben. “Individual and Demographic Responses of a Marsh Bird Assemblage to

Habitat Loss and Subsequent Restoration.” Avian Research, 02 Feb. 2020. https://eds-b-
Bratcher 11

ebscohost-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=8deb0c94-5af7-43da-

841c-f90b662161f9%40pdc-v-sessmgr06&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU

%3d#AN=141881170&db=asn

Sands, Don P.A. “Important Issues Facing Insect Conservation in Australia: Now and Into the

Future.” Volume 57 p. 150-172 Austral Entomology, May 2018.

https://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=48058016-8f7e-4be7-b86c-

8df617c9e556%40pdc-v-sessmgr04&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU

%3d#AN=129955732&db=edb

Trathan, Phil N. “Pollution, Habitat Loss, Fishing, and Climate Change as critical Threats to

Penguins.” Volume 29 p. 31-41, Conservation Biology, Feb. 2015.

https://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=dcd20aee-cee6-4366-aefe-

e6a9fbc42ef6%40pdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU

%3d#AN=100488101&db=8gh

“The Global Impacts of Habitat Destruction.” National Geographic. National Geographic

Society, 25 September 2019. https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2019/09/25/the-global-impacts-

of-habitat-destruction/