What is biodiversity

Threats to biodiversity

Now that we know what biodiversity is and why it is important, let's explore some of the main threats facing our planet's biodiversity today.

Climate change

This probably comes as no surprise but climate change is one of, if not the biggest threat to our planet today. Human activity has led to increases in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, leading to rapidly warming global temperatures.

These rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events also associated with climate change pose significant risks to biodiversity. Many species may struggle to adapt or migrate to suitable habitats as their current ranges become unsuitable.

Animals are adapted to their specific environments and ways of life, so by altering our ecosystems so drastically, humans are putting many animal species at risk of extinction.

Pollution

Along with greenhouse gas emissions, human activities also release considerable amounts of pollutants into the environment. Pollution from various sources, including industrial runoff, agricultural pesticides, and plastic waste, contaminates ecosystems and harms wildlife. Chemical pollutants can disrupt hormone systems, impair reproduction, and weaken immune defences in animals.

And it's not only animals that are at risk from pollution. The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately 6.7 million premature deaths annually are a direct result of ambient and household air pollution.

Habitat destruction and fragmentation

Habitat destruction and fragmentation is a pressing conservation concern the world over. The conversion of natural habitats for agriculture, urbanisation, and infrastructure development is a leading cause of biodiversity loss. Animals are forced to extinction by human encroachment as they no longer have suitable habitats in which to live and access to the resources they need to survive.

Fragmentation disrupts ecosystems, isolates populations, and reduces genetic diversity. In turn, this leaves populations vulnerable and less resilient to threats such as disease and poor weather conditions. It also increases the chances of human-wildlife conflict by placing humans and animals in closer proximity.

Invasive species

Invasive species are a leading cause of species extinctions and ecosystem degradation worldwide. Non-native species introduced to new environments can outcompete native species, disrupt food webs, and alter ecosystem dynamics.

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) reports that human activities like travel, shipping, and trade have been responsible for the introduction of more than 37,000 animals, plants, and other organisms to environments where they don't naturally belong.

These alien species disrupt natural ecosystems and have contributed to 60% of recorded global extinctions. As a result, invasive species are recognised as one of the five major direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally.

Animal exploitation

Unsustainable hunting, fishing, and harvesting of wildlife for food, medicine, and commercial trade can deplete populations and drive species to extinction. The illegal wildlife trade, in particular, poses a grave threat to many endangered species.

How animals can help protect biodiversity

Biodiversity is no accident. It is a key cornerstone in the survival of the planet. In this way, many animals play crucial roles in their local ecosystems, helping to protect biodiversity and safeguard the environment. Read on to discover some of how animals protect biodiversity.

Ecosystem engineers

Many animals serve as ecosystem engineers. In other words, through their natural behaviours, they modify their ecosystems to promote biodiversity and keep the environment functioning as it should.

Elephants, for example, play many roles in changing and protecting their environment. They disperse seeds as they travel, fertilise the soil with their dung, and tear down trees and other shrubbery in their paths, creating new ways for animals to travel and mine resources from the mud.

Whales also play an important role in the health of our oceans. These mammals help to distribute nutrients across the ocean through their natural behaviours, supporting life across the food chain.

Predators

Although it may seem counterintuitive, predators play a key role in maintaining biodiversity by hunting prey populations. The natural relationship between predator and prey species keeps ecosystems in balance and stops one species from becoming dominant.

Without sharks, coral reefs would be unable to survive. Reef sharks keep populations of grouper and snapper fish under control through their natural hunting of these species. Without the sharks to keep populations in check, their numbers would be unsustainable. This, in turn, would lead to these species consuming more of their natural prey-algae-eating fish. Then, with fewer of these algae-eating fish present, algae would be free to consume coral reefs, leading to their destruction.

Keystone species

Another example of the predator-prey relationship maintaining biodiversity is in the action of wolves. Wolves are what is known as a keystone species, one that, if removed from their ecosystem, could lead to that ecosystem's collapse.

This was seen when wolves were removed from Yellowstone National Park. The removal of the wolves led to an overabundance of deer, free to flourish once their main predator was removed. These deer overgrazed, destroying the habitats of other animals-such as birds and beavers-and forcing them out of their natural ecosystems.

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