What is Habitat Destruction?
When a natural habitat, such as a forest or wetland, is altered so dramatically that it no longer supports the species it originally sustained, habitat destruction has taken place. As a result, plant and animal populations are destroyed or displaced, leading to a loss of biodiversity.
What Causes Habitat Destruction?
- Agriculture: Much of the habitat loss from agriculture was done long ago when settlers converted forests and prairies to cropland. Today, there is increasing pressure to redevelop conservation lands for high-priced food and biofuel crops.
- Land conversion for development: The conversion of lands that once provided wildlife habitat to housing developments, roads, office parks, strip malls, parking lots, and industrial sites continues, even during the current economic crisis.
- Water development: Dams and other water diversions siphon off and disconnect waters, changing hydrology and water chemistry (when nutrients are not able to flow downstream). During the dry season, the Colorado River has little to no water in it by the time it reaches the Sea of Cortez.
- Pollution: Freshwater wildlife is most impacted by pollution. Pollutants such as untreated sewage, mining waste, acid rain, fertilizers, and pesticides concentrate in rivers, lakes, and wetlands and eventually end up in estuaries and the food web.
- Climate change: The emerging driver of habitat loss is climate change. Wildlife that needs the cool temperatures of high elevations, such as the American pika, may soon run out of habitat. Coastal wildlife may find their habitat underwater as sea levels rise.
Effects of Habitat Destruction
- Pollination and seed dispersal: Both wild and agricultural plants depend on pollination for reproduction. Fruits and vegetables, key components of the human diet, depend on bees and other insects to transfer pollen from flower to flower. When habitat destruction reduces the varieties of these pollinators, crop yields drop as well.
- Climate regulation: Biodiversity affects climate mainly through regulation of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Destruction of forest habitats reduces the capacity of forests to absorb carbon dioxide. The growth rate and woodiness of a plant determine the rate of carbon turnover within it.
- Pest and disease control: Pests often target specific types of plants. When habitats are destroyed and plant diversity is reduced, the environment contains more of a particular type of plant. This makes it easier for pests to spread.
What Actions Can We Take To Help Stop This?
- Clean your shoes before going on a hike, especially in a new place. The mud-caked in your sneakers may contain seeds of invasive plants, which can push out native plants that keep the ecosystem healthy.
- Flush only your own waste and toilet paper — no medicine, cleaning wipes, cotton balls, paint, or pet poo. This trash can eventually travel into the water system and affect the animals that live there.
- Wildlife refuges, parks, bird sanctuaries, and nature preserves are more likely to receive funding to stay open when more people visit them.
- It’s fun to look for frogs and slugs under logs — but always put the logs back. Rocks, leaves, and tree limbs are homes for lots of tiny animals, so it’s important not to destroy them.
- Using too much water from lakes and rivers can affect animals’ habitat. Conserve this resource by taking five-minute showers, turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth, and bugging your parents to fix leaky pipes. Plant fertilizer can dump extra nutrients into the water system, which might create wildlife-killing algae blooms in the ocean. Local flowers, though, don’t need as much fertilizer to help them grow.
- People cut down about 15 billion trees every year, some of it to make paper. Save your sheets by using the back, buying recycled paper, and asking your teacher to sometimes switch from printed homework to online assignments.
- Habitats are often disrupted to create more stuff for people. So try your best to use less: Visit the local library instead of buying a DVD, share games and toys with friends, and reuse school supplies.
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