Threats to Biodiversity
- Habitat Destruction: Deforestation, urbanization, and land conversion lead to the loss of natural habitats.
- Overexploitation: Overfishing, hunting, and harvesting reduce populations and disrupt ecosystems.
- Pollution: Chemical pollutants, plastics, and greenhouse gases harm wildlife and ecosystems.
- Climate Change: Altered temperature and precipitation patterns affect species distribution and survival.
- Invasive Species: Non-native species that outcompete native species, disrupting ecosystems.
Invasive Species
- Definition: Species introduced to new areas, often by human activities, that spread rapidly and cause harm to native species and ecosystems.
- Cane Toad (Rhinella marina): Introduced to Australia for pest control but became invasive, outcompeting native species and poisoning predators.
- Asian Carp (Hypophthalmichthys spp.): Disrupts freshwater ecosystems in North America by outcompeting native fish species.
- Impact: Loss of native biodiversity, disruption of food webs, and altered ecosystem functions.
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
IUCN is a global organization that assesses the conservation status of species and advocates for biodiversity conservation. It has created a comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species called the red list. This list is frequently updated.
- Categories:
- Critically Endangered (CR): Species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
- Endangered (EN): Species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
- Vulnerable (VU): Species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
- Giant Panda: Once listed as "Endangered," now "Vulnerable" due to conservation efforts.
- Javan Rhino: Critically endangered, with fewer than 80 individuals remaining in the wild.
Tragedy of the Commons
The tragedy of the commons is a situation where individuals, acting in their own self-interest, overuse and deplete shared resources, leading to a long-term collective loss. Implementing regulations, quotas, or sustainable practices to manage shared resources are some solutions to addressing the tragedy of the commons.
ExampleOverfishing in international waters, where fish stocks are depleted because no single entity takes responsibility for their management.
Threats to tropical biomes
Tropical biomes contain some of the most globally biodiverse areas and their unsustainable exploitation results in massive losses in biodiversity and their ability to perform globally important ecological services. Most tropical biomes occur in less economically developed countries (LEDCs) and therefore there is a conflict between exploitation, sustainable development and conservation.
Some threats to tropical biomes are:
- Deforestation
- Agricultural expansion
- Mining and resource extraction
- Illegal logging and poaching
