Loss of biodiversity

Geography glossary

Also called: Causes of wildlife decline · Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Natural Vegetation"; Class 11, Ch 14 "Biodiversity and Conservation"

Meaning

Loss of biodiversity is the decline of species, their genes and their habitats. It speeds up as the population grows and people consume more. The tropics cover about one-quarter of the world's area but hold about three-quarters of its people and half of all species, so the pressure there is high. The causes are:

  • habitat loss, the biggest cause
  • poaching and overfishing
  • pesticides, hydrocarbons and heavy metals
  • invasive alien species
  • lopping trees for fodder and fuel, grazing and sport hunting
  • natural calamities such as floods, fires, droughts and earthquakes

Example

Vulture numbers in India fell by over 95% from the 1990s. Cattle had been given diclofenac, a painkiller, and the vultures died after eating their carcasses. Diclofenac was banned for animal use in 2006.

Don't confuse with

  • Extinction: the final, permanent loss of a species. Loss of biodiversity also includes falling numbers and shrinking habitats before a species disappears.

Related concepts

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