A Few Case Studies of

Biodiversity Degradation

Rudi Rahmadi 3415161726

Case Study 1: Oil Spill, Exxon Valdez & Deepwater
Horizon
 The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in the
Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March
23, 1989.
 The vessel spilled about 40 million litres
of crude oil into the sea, and the oil
eventually covered 3,400 km2 of ocean.
 Thousands of animals died immediately;
the best estimates include 250,000 to as
many as 500,000 seabirds, at least
1,000 sea otters, approximately 12
river otters, 300 harbor seals, 250
bald eagles, and 22 orcas, as well as
the destruction of billions of salmon and
herring eggs.
 On April 20, 2010, the pressure in
a well in the Gulf of Mexico blew its
top
 At least 84,000 barrels equivalent
of oil were spewing into the water
daily.
Case Study 2: Mining in New Caledonia
 New Caledonia, a French island located in
the Southern Pacific, is classified as one of
the worlds 18 biodiversity hotspots.
 The destruction: Since the past few
decades, large mining companies are
exploiting the island for its rich soils in
Nickel and other minerals.
 The impacts: The direct impact is the total
destruction of habitats and the likely
disappearance of thousands of unknown
species
 In addition to the terrestrial destruction,
tremendous quantities of contaminants and
soil are dumped into the world’s largest
lagoon impacting coral reef ecosystems.
Case Study 3: Acid Rains
 Acid rain is rain or any other form of
precipitation that is unusually acidic,
i.e. elevated levels of hydrogen ions
(low pH)
 Acid rain is caused by emissions of
compounds of ammonium, carbon,
nitrogen, and sulfur which react with
the water molecules in the atmosphere
to produce acids
 Acid rains have a negative impact on
biodiversity over large surface areas by
disturbing the pH of sensitive
environments such as forest soil
 It can have harmful effects on plants,
aquatic animals, and infrastructure.
Case Study 4: Chernobyl
 The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear
accident that occurred on 26 April 1986
at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in
the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
 After the disaster, four square
kilometers of pine forest in the
immediate vicinity of the reactor
turned brown and died, earning the
name of the "Red Forest“
 Some animals in the worst-hit areas
also died or stopped reproducing.
 Some cattle on the same island died
and those that survived were stunted
because of thyroid damage.
Case Study 5: Introduction of Rabbits in Australia
 Rabbits were first introduced in
Australia in 1859. Rabbits are one
of the most significant factors in
species loss in this country.
 Rabbits often kill young trees in the
wild by eating the roots. As such,
they are responsible for the loss of
numerous plant species.
 They are also responsible for
serious erosion problems as they
eat native plants leaving the soil
exposed.
Introduction of Invasive Species. Case Study: the Red
Fire Ant
 The red fire ant (Solenopsis Invicta)
originates from South America. It can
however now be commonly found in places
such as the United States, Australia, Taiwan
and south of China.
 These ants were accidentally introduced in
these countries by plane or shipping.
 Red fire ants are excellent natural predators
and responsible for serious damage to
cultures such as sugar canes, various fruits.
They feed on small insects and small
mammals, reptiles and birds.
 They are known to be highly aggressive and
competitive with other species. These ants
cause million of dollars of damage and are
driving many native species to extinction.