Biodiversity Loss: The Effects of Habitat Destruction on the World

II. Introduction

Habitat destruction, defined as the eradication or change of the circumstances required for
animals and plants to live, has an influence not just on individual species but also on the health
of the global ecosystem (National Geographic, 2019). Habitat destruction poses arguably one of
the greatest threat to the world’s biodiversity. Our impact on the planet has never been
greater, and human activity has become the dominant influence on our environment and
climate. However, some problem is not entirely caused by humans, such as, natural disasters
including floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and changes in the climate can also cause
habitat destruction. Human activities, the majority of which entail the clearance of land for uses
including agriculture, mining, logging, hydroelectric dams, and urbanization are activities that
directly harm the habitat. This human activities has an influence on the 80 percent of world
species that live in forests. Each year, over 15 billion trees are felled (National Geographic,
2019). According to a research published in Nature on tree density, the amount of trees on the
entire world has dropped by 46% since the beginnings of humankind. Additionally, habitat
destruction, deforestation affects trees' ability to absorb carbon, which helps to reduce the
impacts of climate change. Moreover, During the 1990s, there was a net loss of around 94
million hectares (or 2.4% of all forest land) in the world. Nearly 70% of deforested regions are
thought to have been turned into agricultural land in the 1990s. About half of the world's
original forests have vanished, and they continue to be destroyed at a rate that is ten times
faster than any potential rate of restoration. Since tropical forests are home to at least half of
all species on Earth, the annual clearing of almost 17 million hectares is a major loss (Nichols,
2021).

Challenges

• Agriculture processes

Habitat damage may often be a result of agriculture. Large areas of land are being used in order
to produce a lot of crops or to raise a lot of meat. A lot of farmers always want to increase their
farmland. However, as farming expands, many animals are forced to move and find new homes,
which might result in a decrease in the number of certain animal species. Moreover,  many
plants may perish because they cannot migrate quickly enough.

• Deforestation

Habitat destruction is largely a result of deforestation. The Amazon Rainforest is an example of

this, as farmers intentionally burn away the forest around their plantations to create more area
for farming. Although the individual farmer may benefit financially from this, it implies serious
habitat destruction and harms many different animal and plant species.

• Mining

As technology is developing so quickly, human as a whole is highly dependent on the metals

needed to make computers and cellphones. However, in order to harvest such valuable
resources, massive areas of land must be exploited for mining activities. This implies that many
animal and plant species' habitats are being seriously destroyed.

• Global warming

Many greenhouse gases are released into the environment throughout our industrial activities.
These greenhouse gases then add to the problem of global warming.bIf sea levels rise owing to
global warming, many of our planet's animal and plant species will lose their natural habitats.
Furthermore, rising air temperatures will result in massive habitat loss, while certain locations,
particularly in hot and dry climate zones, would run out of water, and animals and plants will no
longer be able to thrive in such harsh conditions

Solutions

• Mining activities reduction

To avoid habitat damage, we must drastically reduce our worldwide mining activities. We could
protect more habitats and provide adequate natural living circumstances for many animals and
plants by establishing stronger mining laws.

• Greenhouse gas emissions reduction

It is essential that we drastically cut our greenhouse gas emissions since they fuel global
warming, which is a major contributor in the extinction of ecosystems on a massive scale. The
transition from fossil to renewable energy sources, which is already on the list of many
developed countries, is a significant step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Reforestation

One of the most important dangers to the world's forests is deforestation. The occurrence has
an influence not only on the health of the forests themselves, but also on the health of the
environments around them. Each year, logging for the business is one of the top abusers,
destroying miles of natural forest habitat. Reforestation is a method of restoring the world's
forests through little and large-scale worldwide activities. Every tree planted contributes to
global forestry efforts.

• Reduction of the use of fertilizers and pesticides

Farmers should decrease their use of fertilizers and pesticides to conserve natural habitats and
protect our soil and groundwater since excessive use of these substances causes major soil
contamination, which leads to habitat destruction.

Benefits

Mining is important to our society because it is one of our sources for meeting our needs in
building infrastructure and having a job; however, it is also one of the threats to our
environment. Therefore, implementing laws and having more restrictions about mining
activities will lessen the damage to our environment and animal habitats. Shifting from fossil
fuels to renewable energy not only reduce emissions but also contribute to long-term economic
growth, job creation, improved public health, and more equality, particularly for the world's
poor and most vulnerable people. Planting trees also provides long-term environmental
advantages, such as reducing soil erosion. The major factors that destroy bare soil and cause
erosion are rain and wind. Rain has enough strength and motion when it hits the ground to
permeate the earth. Trees break down raindrops, decreasing their strength and minimizing soil
erosion. Tree roots securely bind themselves to the earth, limiting soil loss from rain or storms.

Result

As a result of the solutions provided, our environment will be less harmed. This environmental
solution and protection will help humans and animals survive in a healthy habitat and
environment. Moreover, ecosystems will provide many benefits to us humans and to the
animals, such as clean air and water, food, and fiber. Additionally, we can balance our
possession of resources in our environment by meeting the needs of our society while not
harming our environment and habitats.

III. Conclusion

The destruction of habitats is a severe environmental issue. Large expanses of land are utilized
for agriculture practices, logging, mining and other uses as a result of our excessive
consumption of material items, implying severe damage of habitats for a variety of animal and
plant species. It is consequently critical that everyone of us contributes to the preservation of
our natural habitats. Furthermore, governments all over the world must impose stringent rules
in order to maintain these natural living spaces. Only then would it be possible to maintain
biodiversity while also ensuring global environmental balance.

Reference

National Geographic (2019). The Global Impacts of Habitat Destruction. Retrieved from
https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2019/09/25/the-global-impacts-of-habitat-destruction/

Mapping tree density at a global scale (2015, September 10). Retrieved from
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14967.epdf?

Nichols, M. (2021). Losing their homes because of the growing needs of humans. Retrieved fro
https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/wildlife_practice/problems/
habitat_loss_degradation/