Threats to biodiversity

There are many threats to biodiversity. One of the problems is simply the number of people on Earth.

As the Earth's population grows, and people encroach on more and more land, habitats can become fragmented and degraded. Another threat to biodiversity is the issue of climate change. There is world-wide concern over global warming. Pollution of our air and waterways also affects biodiversity. Overharvesting depletes the Earth's stocks of animal and plant resources and the ill-considered introduction of exotic species also has a negative effect on biodiversity.

Many of these threats to biodiversity are the result of human activity. But it is also humans who can make positive changes — adopting attitudes to the Earth's rich resources that will respect and maintain this diversity.

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