Biodiversity loss

It is common practice to refer to the disappearance of a species in a particular region or the reduction in the number of individuals or the genetic variability of any region as a loss in biodiversity.

It is possible that a fall in plant output, less tolerance to severe environmental changes, and increased variability in ecosystem processes,

such as plant productivity, water use, 

and disease cycles, will be the results of a loss of biodiversity in a particular location. 

Other consequences of biodiversity loss include the coextinction of species as a result of disruptions in the food chain and food web, 

the destruction of alternative pathways for the ecosystem to endure unfavourable conditions, 

and an immediate threat to humankind’s food security in a specific habitat.

Effects of biodiversity loss

Human actions, such as the inappropriate disposal and release of industrial waste and gases, are one of the primary contributors to the decline in biodiversity, as was just noted above. 

The most important factors contributing to biodiversity loss are discussed in more detail below.

Loss of habitat and fragmentation of existing habitats are two of the primary factors that contribute to the decline in species diversity within an ecosystem. 

The concept of habitat loss can be viewed in straightforward words as the loss of one’s own home. 

The reduction in the amount of land covered by forests is one example of the many factors that contribute to the loss of biodiversity.

• Overexploitation: natural resources that, a thousand years ago, appeared to have a limitless supply today appear to have a very restricted supply due only to the growing population of human beings. Because of excessive hunting and fishing during the past five hundred years, numerous species, like the Steller’s sea cow and the passenger pigeon, have been extinct.
• Invasion of Foreign Species An invasion of foreign species can be described as the introduction of a species into a habitat that it was not initially native to or that has not evolved in over the course of its history in that particular ecosystem. When a non-native species is brought into a certain territory, either purposefully or unknowingly, it runs the risk of becoming invasive and contributing to the loss of biodiversity.
• Co-Extinctions: The loss of biodiversity is caused by human actions that increase the rate of factors that contribute to the loss of biodiversity. These factors include the loss of habitat as a result of overexploitation of the resources and invasion by species that are not native to the area.

The reasons behind the decline in biodiversity

The impact that humans have had on the ecology of the globe is the single most important factor in the decline of the planet’s biodiversity. Humans have had a significant impact on the environment and have significantly changed it.

The following is a list of the most significant factors that threaten the world’s biodiversity:

Alteration and the loss of habitats: The modification of natural regions not only determines the loss of vegetable species, but it also determines a drop in the animal species that are linked with them.

The term “pollution” refers to the influence that human activity has on the natural environment, which in turn produces negative effects, either directly or indirectly, that modify the flow of energy, the chemical and physical composition of the environment, and the abundance of the species.

The warming of the Earth’s surface, for instance, has an effect on biodiversity since it poses a threat to all of the species that have adapted to the cold as a result of the latitude (the polar species) or the altitude (mountain species).

Overexploitation of resources:-

When the activities connected with capturing and harvesting (hunting, fishing, farming) a renewable natural resource in a particular area are excessively intense, the resource itself may become depleted. The repercussions of declining biodiversity

Loss of biodiversity poses a hazard not only to the composition of the ecosystem but also to its healthy operation. Although all ecosystems are able to adapt to the stresses associated with reductions in biodiversity to some degree, the loss of biodiversity reduces the complexity of an ecosystem.

An illustration of the decline in biodiversity

The following are some examples of species that have become extinct or are in risk of extinction as a result of the loss of biodiversity:

1. The Bramble Cay Melomys, as a result of the loss of food and habitat as well as the effects of climate change.
2. The plight of the Yangtze River Dolphin as a result of the destruction of its habitat, excessive fishing, and pollution.
3. The Northern White Rhinoceros, which is threatened by both hunting and the destruction of its natural habitat.
4. The Spix Macaw, which is threatened by the degradation of its habitat and the illegal trade in trapping animals.
5. The Thylacine — Endangered because of excessive hunting by humans
6. The Passenger Pigeon: As a result of human activity in search of food.

Due to excessive hunting, the Pyrenean Ibex has become endangered.

8. The Tecopa Pupfish: As a result of the degradation of their natural habitat.
9. The Javan Tiger: Because of the destruction of its natural habitat.
10. The Pinta Island Tortoise, which has declined in population as a result of habitat destruction and hunting.

Conclusion

The local reduction or loss of species in a certain environment can also contribute to a loss of biological diversity, which is referred to as biodiversity loss. This can occur on a smaller scale than the global extinction of distinct species. 

This latter phenomena can either be temporary or permanent, 

depending on whether or not the environmental deterioration that led to the loss can be reversed through ecological restoration or ecological resilience, 

or whether or not it is essentially permanent (e.g. through land loss). 

The current global extinction, also known as the sixth mass extinction or the extinction of the Anthropocene, has led to a crisis in biodiversity that is being driven by human activities that push beyond the boundaries of the planet.