Why is biodiversity under threat?
- The major threats to biodiversity include-
1) Climate change- Rapid changes in the climate due to manmade activities pose a threat to the biodiversity. Climate changes include global warming, El Nino effect etc.
2) Deforestation- Forests are the habitat for the wide range of species. Deforestation leads to extinction of species due to the deprivation of its natural habitat.
3) Over-exploitation- Hunting and poaching of wild animals for profit leads to extinction of species.
4) Pollution- Releasing of harmful chemicals to the environment disrupts the earth's ecosystem.
5) Natural disasters- Disasters like earthquake, landslides, floods etc, negatively affect the biodiversity of wetlands, forests and coastal systems. It causes the spread of invasive species, mass species mortality and loss of habitat.