AlexandraGoins

PhysicalGeography

TheDeclineofBiodiversity
The loss of biodiversity and extinction of certain species are due primarily to human
actions. The Earth has a harder time regenerating in the face of the mass destruction of natural
habitats and waste caused by humans. Despite knowing the negative impact for an extremely
longtime,humanscontinuecurrenttrendsinordertocreatethelargestprofitforthemselves.
The intensifying factors that put the greatest amount of pressure on biodiversity are
habitat loss and degradation, climate change, excessive nutrient load and other forms of
pollution, overexploitation and unsustainable use, and invasive alien species. While climate
change is uncontrollable, these other factors are abetted by human activity and interaction: We
cut down forest to build cities and roads. We produce more waste than the environment can
handle. We have created tools (such as nets) that help us takemore,andsystems (likeindustrial
farming)thatleechtheenvironmentofitsvitality.
The threat of extinction is a worldwide issue, with species becoming endangered in
nearly every world region. It is an issue that affects not just lifeonland,butmarinelife aswell.
Types of plants are growing with less frequency as the soil is stripped,oforoversaturatedwith,
nutrients due to overexploitation. Animal species are then out of ahomesotospeak.Invasive
species also bringcompetitionanddisease tonativespecies,causingmixesandwipeoutsofwhat
once was. Marine biodiversity is falling primarily due to pollution. Whether itsanimalsgetting
caughtinplasticrings,oracoralreefbeingdestroyedbymining.

Conservation International (based in Washington DC) recognizes 34 hotspots for

biodiversity, that are under constant strain from human activity. These hotspot are rich with
species and become priority areas for global conservation efforts. Around half of all plant and
animal species are found within the recognized hotspots. While they used to cover between 15
and16percentoftheEarthssurface,onlyatenthofthatoriginalhabitatremains.
The
Convention on Biological Diversity was created in 1992 at the UN Conference on
Environment and Development and, with 192 countries (and the EU), in 2002 they committed
to significantly reduce biodiversity loss by 2010. They failed tomakeaglobalimpact,butthey
didsuccessfullyintroduceconservationmeasuresthatwerepartiallyorlocallyachieved.
There are other groups and individual working in favor of the conservation of
biodiversity:
(TEEB)
, backed by the UN and some European governments, is trying to compile
data to create a compelling economics case for the conservation of biodiversity. Speakers on
TEDTalks, such as world renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, make well developed
arguments that are availabletothemasses.Manyofthemrealize that thedamagedonecannotbe
reversed,buttheyhopetoslowdowntheprocessmanyresearchersseeasinevitable.
Without control over factors like climate change, invasive species, etc. conservation
methods wont do much to help the global decline of biodiversity.Withallofthefactorsleading
involved, the majoritybeing causedbyhumans,itsnotsurprising thatspeciesaredyingout.Its
extremely sad to think that with all of the available technology we havent figured out a way to
stopharmingtheenvironmentanditslifeforms.

WorksReferenced
"Environmental Issues with Coral Reefs."
Wikipedia
. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d.Web.16Apr.
2016.<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_with_coral_reefs>.

Roach,John."ConservationistsNameNineNew"BiodiversityHotspots""
NationalGeographic
.
NationalGeographicSociety,2Feb.2005.Web.16Apr.2016.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0202_050202_hotspots.html>.
Shah,Anup.LossofBiodiversityandExtinctions.GlobalIssues.19Jan.2014.Web.15Apr.
2016.<
http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/lossofbiodiversityandextinctions
>.