Environment vocabulary

Threats to Biodiversity

The core threat to biodiversity on the planet, and therefore a threat to human welfare, is the combination of human population growth and resource exploitation. The human population requires resources to survive and grow, and those resources are being removed unsustainably from the environment. The three greatest threats to biodiversity are habitat loss, over-harvesting, and the introduction of exotic species. The first two of these are a direct result of human population growth and resource use. The third results from increased mobility and trade. A fourth major cause of extinction, anthropogenic (i.e. human-caused) climate change, has not yet had a large impact, but it is predicted to become significant during this century. Global climate change is also a consequence of human activity, which releases carbon dioxide and methane, two of the most important greenhouse gases, via two mechanisms, namely the burning of fossil fuels, such as petrol, coal and natural gas, as well as via deforestation, cement manufacture, animal agriculture, the clearing of land, and the burning of forests. Environmental issues, such as toxic pollution, have specific targeted effects on species, but are not generally seen as threats at the magnitude of the others.

Adapted from: 47.3 Threats to Biodiversity and 44.5 Climate and the Effects of Global Climate Change from Biology 2e, an OpenStax text book by Rice University. Download for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e.