What are the threats to biodiversity?
- habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation due to over farming deforestation, extracting natural resources which all isolate plant or animal communities into smaller areas
- natural disasters - hurricanes, volcanic eruptions
- pollution of water, soil, air
- invasive non-native species, pests and disease
- climate change - global temperature changes meaning environments are no longer habitable for species. Irregular temperatures and weather patterns affect lifecycles of plants and animals.
- human actions - population growth and urban expansion, new roads and transport networks, traffic and congestion and over fishing
- use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides
- death of birds and animals due to them eating or getting caught up in our litter.
These threats to biodiversity have many links to other issues such as climate change, air quality and waste.