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133-480: Habitat destruction decreases the number of places where wildlife can live in. Habitat fragmentation breaks up a continuous tract of habitat, often dividing large wildlife populations into several smaller ones. Human-caused habitat loss and fragmentation are primary drivers of species declines and extinctions. Key examples of human-induced habitat loss include deforestation, agricultural expansion , and urbanization . Habitat destruction and fragmentation can increase

266-425: A "knee-jerk reaction" and says, "sharks are top order predators that play an important role in the functioning of marine ecosystems. We need them for healthy oceans." Shark author and diver Hugh Edwards said, "We're the intruders in the ocean and the sharks have got a perfect right to be there." Jane Williamson, an associate professor in marine ecology at Macquarie University, says "There is no scientific support for

399-623: A "knee-jerk reaction". The New South Wales government prohibits people from rescuing entangled animals—this prohibition has been called "heartless and cruel". Following 11 shark attacks along the New South Wales north coast between 2014 and 2016, including two fatalities, shark nets and "smart" drum lines were deployed in December 2016 to cover five additional beaches along the New South Wales North Coast in

532-607: A 2014 poll indicated that 80% of Australians did not approve of shark culling in Australia. The shark-killing program in Queensland has been criticized by environmentalists, conservationists, and animal welfare advocates—they say Queensland's shark-killing program is unethical and harms the marine ecosystem. Queensland's shark-killing program has been called "outdated, cruel and ineffective". The Australian Marine Conservation Society said, "the ecological cost of drum lines

665-872: A 30-year period, more than 33,000 sharks have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal's shark-killing program. During the same 30-year period, 2,211 turtles, 8,448 rays, and 2,310 dolphins were killed. Although shark species such as the great white shark are protected in South Africa, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board is allowed to kill these sharks (an exception was made for them). Shark nets are currently installed in Marine Protected Areas, and kill animals there. The current shark cull in KwaZulu-Natal has been criticized by environmentalists, and has been called "archaic" and "disastrous to

798-884: A Ph.D. scholar at the University of Sydney notes, "Internationally, shark nets have been labeled a 'key threatening process' for killing endangered species." He adds:" ... killing endangered species to boost public confidence or to show government action is not workable. It is a disservice to the public." A drum line is an unmanned aquatic trap used to lure and capture large sharks using baited hooks—some (such as those in Queensland) are designed to kill sharks. Drum lines have been criticized for being environmentally destructive and speciesist , and have sparked public demonstrations and vocal opposition, particularly from environmentalists, animal welfare advocates and ocean activists. Conservationists say killing sharks on drum lines harms

931-669: A contractor who is employed by the Queensland Government." Afd.org.au stated the following in 2015: "[Data] reveals the ecological carnage of [Queensland's] shark control regime. In total, more than 8,000 marine species with some level of protection status have been caught by the Queensland Shark Control Program, including 719 loggerhead turtles , 442 manta rays and 33 critically endangered hawksbill turtles . More than 84,000 marine animals have been ensnared by drum-lines and shark nets since

1064-459: A cull. Environmental groups criticized the cull; Shark Conservation Australia called the killings a "disgusting knee-jerk reaction" and said it was "a very shameful day here in Australia". The cull was also called a "farce". Jonathan Clark of the Sea Shepherd group said culling sharks would not make swimmers safer. National Geographic cameraman Andy Casagrande said the following about

1197-503: A cute and fun side of owning exotic pets, therefore indirectly encouraging illegal wildlife trade. On March 30, 2021, TikTik joined the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online. They, along with other big social media companies work to protect species from illegal, harmful trade online. Research has shown that machine learning can filter through social media posts to identify indications of illegal wildlife trade. This filtration system

1330-480: A decline in marine habitats over the last 60 years. The rising sea levels and temperatures have caused soil erosion , coastal flooding , and loss of quality in the UK marine ecosystem . About one-fifth (20%) of marine coastal areas have been highly modified by humans. One-fifth of coral reefs have also been destroyed, and another fifth has been severely degraded by overfishing , pollution, and invasive species ; 90% of

1463-502: A given area or country. This concept, along with many other results of tropical deforestation from the Geist and Lambin study, can easily be applied to habitat destruction in general. Shoreline erosion: Coastal erosion is a natural process as storms, waves, tides and other water level changes occur. Shoreline stabilization can be done by barriers between land and water such as seawalls and bulkheads. Living shorelines are gaining attention as

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1596-498: A growth in wood (logging) and food markets. Growth in these markets, in turn, progresses the commercialization of agriculture and logging industries. When these industries become commercialized, they must become more efficient by utilizing larger or more modern machinery that often has a worse effect on the habitat than traditional farming and logging methods. Either way, more land is cleared more rapidly for commercial markets. This common feedback example manifests just how closely related

1729-409: A habitat for many of coral's diverse inhabitants. Research (conducted through methods such as coral fossils and ancient ice core carbon analysis) suggests ocean acidification has occurred in the geological past (more likely at a slower pace), and correlate with past extinction events. Culling is the deliberate and selective killing of wildlife by governments for various purposes. An example of this

1862-694: A hard shell, and is endangered. It is found throughout the central Pacific and Atlantic Oceans but several of its populations are in decline across the globe (though not all). The leatherback sea turtle faces numerous threats including being caught as bycatch , harvest of its eggs, loss of nesting habitats, and marine pollution . In the US where the leatherback is listed under the Endangered Species Act , measures to protect it include reducing bycatch captures through fishing gear modifications, monitoring and protecting its habitat (both nesting beaches and in

1995-431: A hostile environment/matrix. This process is generally due to pure habitat loss as well as fragmentation effects. Pure habitat loss refers to changes occurring in the composition of the landscape that causes a decrease in individuals. Fragmentation effects refer to an addition of effects occurring due to the habitat changes. Habitat loss can result in negative effects on the dynamic of species richness. The order Hymenoptera

2128-424: A lesser extent. Only 10–20% of the world's drylands , which include temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands , scrub , and deciduous forests , have been somewhat degraded. But included in that 10–20% of land is the approximately 9 million square kilometers of seasonally dry-lands that humans have converted to deserts through the process of desertification . The tallgrass prairies of North America, on

2261-594: A major source of habitat destruction. Commercial farmers are going to become desperate to produce more food from the same amount of land, so they will use more fertilizers and show less concern for the environment to meet the market demand. Others will seek out new land or will convert other land-uses to agriculture. Agricultural intensification will become widespread at the cost of the environment and its inhabitants. Species will be pushed out of their habitat either directly by habitat destruction or indirectly by fragmentation, degradation , or pollution . Any efforts to protect

2394-539: A majority of its funding through appropriations from the federal budget, annual federal and state grants, and financial efforts from programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program , Wetlands Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program . A substantial amount of funding comes from the sale of hunting/fishing licenses, game tags, stamps, and excise taxes from the purchase of hunting equipment and ammunition. The Endangered Species Act

2527-463: A more complete picture of population viability. When designing a wildlife monitoring strategy, it is important to minimize harm to the animal and implement the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). In wildlife research, this can be done through the use of non-invasive methods, sharing samples and data with other research groups, or optimizing traps to prevent injuries. Distributing vaccinations to wildlife who are particularly vulnerable

2660-404: A new stabilization method. These can reduce damage and erosion while simultaneously providing ecosystem services such as food production, nutrient and sediment removal, and water quality improvement to society Preventing an area from losing its specialist species to generalist invasive species depends on the extent of the habitat destruction that has already taken place. In areas where the habitat

2793-623: A park or reserve, it can still be monitored and maintained. The red-cockaded woodpecker ( Picoides borealis) is an endangered bird in the southeastern US. It only lives in longleaf pine savannas which are maintained by wildfires in mature pine forests. Today, it is a rare habitat (as fires have become rare and many pine forests have been cut down for agriculture) and is commonly found on land occupied by US military bases, where pine forests are kept for military training purposes and occasional bombings (also for training) set fires that maintain pine savannas. Woodpeckers live in tree cavities they excavate in

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2926-618: A popular method is to use camera traps for population estimation along with mark-recapture techniques. This method has been used successfully with tigers, black bears and numerous other species. Trail cameras can be triggered remotely and automatically via sound, infrared sensors, etc. Computer vision -based animal individual re-identification methods have been developed to automate such sight-resight calculations. Mark-recapture methods are also used with genetic data from non-invasive hair or fecal samples. Such information can be analyzed independently or in conjunction with photographic methods to get

3059-448: A population to extinction without human intervention. Methods of vaccination varies depending on both the extent and efficiency of limiting the transmission of disease, and can be applied orally , topically , intranasally (IN), or injected either subcutaneously (SC) or intramuscularly (IM). Conservation efforts regarding vaccinations often only serve the purpose of preventing disease related extinction. Rather than completely cleansing

3192-513: A prime example of the direct negative effect climate change has on wildlife and ecosystems. Meanwhile, a warming climate, fluctuating precipitation, and changing weather patterns will impact species ranges. Overall, the effects of climate change increase stress on ecosystems, and species unable to cope with the rapidly changing conditions will go extinct. While modern climate change is caused by humans, past climate change events occurred naturally and have led to extinctions. The illegal wildlife trade

3325-644: A program in Recife, Brazil , sharks were captured and moved 8 kilometers away from local beaches (though, the program did result in the deaths of about 23% of animals caught on the drum lines, including 114 sharks between 2007 and 2011). The Sea Shepherd group says, "private investors are trialing various programs such as electronic deterrents, drones, the Eco Shark Barrier at a local beach in Perth , and smart phone applications which use social media to advise

3458-601: A reason for change to more sustainable practices. Education about the necessity of family planning to slow population growth is important as greater population leads to greater human caused habitat destruction. Habitat restoration can also take place through the following processes; extending habitats or repairing habitats. Extending habitats aims to counteract habitat loss and fragmentation whereas repairing habitats counteracts degradation. The preservation and creation of habitat corridors can link isolated populations and increase pollination. Corridors are also known to reduce

3591-540: A result of habitat destruction include watershed management , nitrogen fixation , oxygen production, pollination (see pollinator decline ), waste treatment (i.e., the breaking down and immobilization of toxic pollutants), and nutrient recycling of sewage or agricultural runoff . The loss of trees from tropical rainforests alone represents a substantial diminishing of Earth's ability to produce oxygen and to use up carbon dioxide. These services are becoming even more important as increasing carbon dioxide levels

3724-471: A result of the 28 kilometers of shark nets installed by KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB)." The prevalence of shark attacks at Réunion Island—there were 19 attacks between 2011 and 2016, including seven which were fatal—prompted Réunion island's government to carry out a range of systematic long term activities utilising "smart" drumlines and longlines. In 2013, 24 sharks were killed in Réunion. In

3857-415: A result, people have started utilizing green spaces more frequently, which were previously habitats for wildlife. Unfortunately, this increased human activity has caused destruction to the natural habitat of various species. Deforestation is the clearing and cutting down forests on purpose. Deforestation is a cause of human-induced habitat action destruction, by cutting down habitats of different species in

3990-401: A select species are often prioritized on several factors which include significant economic and ecological value, as well as desirability or attractiveness. Yet, because resources are limited, sometimes it is not possible to give all species that need conservation due consideration. The leatherback sea turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea ) is the largest turtle in the world, is the only turtle without

4123-652: A six-month trial. Five nets were deployed off Seven Mile Beach off Lennox Head; Sharpes, Shelly and Lighthouse beaches off Ballina; and Main Beach at Evans Head. No shark attacks occurred at the netted beaches during the trial, and the trial was continued for the 2017-18 summer. In August 2018, it was announced that the nets in northern New South Wales would be removed, but that the nets in Sydney , Newcastle and Wollongong would stay. The New South Wales Green party said they wanted all lethal nets to be removed. From 1962 to

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4256-439: A total of 10,480 sharks were killed on lethal drum lines in Queensland. From 1962 to 2018, roughly 50,000 sharks were killed by Queensland authorities. The following was said about Queensland's use of lethal drum lines: "Lethal drum lines in Queensland are used to catch and kill sharks. They are set with baited hooks to ensnare these sharks, leaving them to die in agony. Those who don't die immediately on these lines are shot by

4389-676: A total of 27 fatal attacks between 1919 and 1961. "From 1900 to 1937, 13 people were killed off New South Wales surf beaches by sharks; over the next 72 years, the death rate fell to eight, only one of which was at a meshed beach." "Similarly, between 1943 and 1951 the South African city of Durban experienced seven fatal attacks but there have been none since nets were introduced in 1952." A more recent analysis highlighted that there were three shark attacks, none fatal, at KwaZulu-Natal's "controlled" beaches between 1990 and 2011, while at unprotected beaches nearby there were 20 fatal attacks in

4522-429: A universal policy for controlling tropical deforestation would not be able to address the unique combination of proximate and underlying causes of deforestation in each country. Before any local, national, or international deforestation policies are written and enforced, governmental leaders must acquire a detailed understanding of the complex combination of proximate causes and underlying driving forces of deforestation in

4655-883: Is shark culling , in which "shark control" programs in Queensland and New South Wales (in Australia ) have killed thousands of sharks , as well as turtles , dolphins , whales , and other marine life. The Queensland "shark control" program alone has killed about 50,000 sharks — it has also killed more than 84,000 marine animals. There are also examples of population culling in the United States, such as bison in Montana and swans, geese, and deer in New York and other places. A wide range of pollutants negatively impact wildlife health. For some pollutants, simple exposure

4788-564: Is a "retro-type move reminiscent of what people would have done in the 1940s and 50s, back when we didn't have an ecological conscience and before we knew the consequences of our actions." Burgess also said shark culling will not make surfers safer. Michael Levenson of the Boston Globe said the following about shark culls: "Traditionally, shark hunts, or culls, have been the first and perhaps most primal response to shark attacks worldwide. But scientists argue that while such hunts may quench

4921-588: Is a continuously updated list that remains up-to-date on species that are endangered or threatened. Along with the update of the list, the Endangered Species Act also seeks to implement actions to protect the species within its list. Furthermore, the Endangered Species Act also lists the species that the act has recovered. It is estimated that the act has prevented the extinction of about 291 species, like bald eagles and humpback whales , since its implementation through its different recovery plans and

5054-605: Is a diverse group of plant pollinators who are highly susceptible to the negative effects of habitat loss, this could result in a domino effect between the plant-pollinator interactions leading to major conservation implications within this group. It is observed from the worlds longest running fragmentation experiment over 35 years that habitat fragmentation has caused a decrease in biodiversity from 13% to 75%. Habitat destruction can vastly increase an area's vulnerability to natural disasters like flood and drought , crop failure , spread of disease , and water contamination . On

5187-488: Is a main concern in the tropical forests of the world. Tropical forests, like the Amazon , are home to the most biodiversity out of any other biome, making deforestation there an even more prevalent issue, especially in populated areas, as in these areas deforestation leads to habitat destruction and the endangerment of many species in one area. Some policies have been enacted to attempt to stop deforestation in different parts of

5320-836: Is able to search for keywords, pictures, and phrases that indicate illegal wildlife trade, and report it. It is estimated that, because of human activities, current species extinction rates are about 1000 times greater than the background extinction rate (the 'normal' extinction rate that occurs without additional influence). According to the IUCN , out of all species assessed, over 42,100 are at risk of extinction and should be under conservation . Of these, 25% are mammals, 14% are birds, and 40% are amphibians. However, because not all species have been assessed, these numbers could be even higher. A 2019 UN report assessing global biodiversity extrapolated IUCN data to all species and estimated that 1 million species worldwide could face extinction. Conservation of

5453-488: Is becoming better understood is climate regulation . On a local scale, trees provide windbreaks and shade; on a regional scale, plant transpiration recycles rainwater and maintains constant annual rainfall; on a global scale, plants (especially trees in tropical rainforests) around the world counter the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by sequestering carbon dioxide through photosynthesis . Other ecosystem services that are diminished or lost altogether as

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5586-1177: Is directly correlated to the poverty status of the local people, most of whom lacking an education and family planning. According to the Geist and Lambin (2002) study, the underlying driving forces were prioritized as follows (with the percent of the 152 cases the factor played a significant role in): economic factors (81%), institutional or policy factors (78%), technological factors (70%), cultural or socio-political factors (66%), and demographic factors (61%). The main economic factors included commercialization and growth of timber markets (68%), which are driven by national and international demands; urban industrial growth (38%); low domestic costs for land, labor, fuel, and timber (32%); and increases in product prices mainly for cash crops (25%). Institutional and policy factors included formal pro- deforestation policies on land development (40%), economic growth including colonization and infrastructure improvement (34%), and subsidies for land-based activities (26%); property rights and land-tenure insecurity (44%); and policy failures such as corruption , lawlessness, or mismanagement (42%). The main technological factor

5719-668: Is enough to do damage (e.g. pesticides). For others, its through inhaling (e.g. air pollutants) or ingesting it (e.g. toxic metals). Pollutants affect different species in different ways so a pollutant that is bad for one might not affect another. Humans are responsible for present-day climate change currently changing Earth's environmental conditions. It is related to some of the aforementioned threats to wildlife like habitat destruction and pollution. Rising temperatures, melting ice sheets, changes in precipitation patterns, severe droughts , more frequent heat waves , storm intensification, ocean acidification , and rising sea levels are some of

5852-535: Is high, with 97% of sharks caught since 2001 considered to be at some level of conservation risk." In September 2018, the government of Queensland began culling sharks with drum lines in Cid Harbour in the Whitsunday Islands in response to two non-fatal shark attacks—six sharks (including five tiger sharks) were shot and killed, and their bodies were dumped at sea. The killings have been called

5985-665: Is in fact the leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction worldwide. Humans contribute to habitat destruction through the use of natural resources , agriculture, industrial production and urbanization ( urban sprawl ). Other activities include mining , logging and trawling . Environmental factors can contribute to habitat destruction more indirectly. Geological processes, climate change , introduction of invasive species , ecosystem nutrient depletion , water and noise pollution are some examples. Loss of habitat can be preceded by an initial habitat fragmentation . Fragmentation and loss of habitat have become one of

6118-711: Is lost, a catastrophic event such as an earthquake, flood, or volcanic eruption could cause an ecosystem to crash, and humans would obviously suffer from that. Loss of biodiversity also means that humans are losing animals that could have served as biological-control agents and plants that could potentially provide higher-yielding crop varieties, pharmaceutical drugs to cure existing or future diseases (such as cancer), and new resistant crop-varieties for agricultural species susceptible to pesticide-resistant insects or virulent strains of fungi , viruses , and bacteria . The negative effects of habitat destruction usually impact rural populations more directly than urban populations. Across

6251-479: Is often true of species living in biodiversity hotspots , which are areas of the world with an exceptionally high concentration of endemic species (species found nowhere else in the world). Many of these hotspots are in the tropics, mainly tropical forests like the Amazon. Habitat conservation is usually carried out by setting aside protected areas like national parks or nature reserves. Even when an area isn't made into

6384-488: Is one of the main contributors to global climate change . The loss of biodiversity may not directly affect humans, but the indirect effects of losing many species as well as the diversity of ecosystems in general are enormous. When biodiversity is lost, the environment loses many species that perform valuable and unique roles in the ecosystem. The environment and all its inhabitants rely on biodiversity to recover from extreme environmental conditions. When too much biodiversity

6517-543: Is one such example, with irreversible reclamation proceeding prior to environmental impact assessments and approvals. Other such areas include the eastern coasts of Asia and Africa, northern coasts of South America , and the Caribbean Sea and its associated islands . Regions of un sustainable agriculture or unstable governments, which may go hand-in-hand, typically experience high rates of habitat destruction. South Asia , Central America , Sub-Saharan Africa , and

6650-401: Is relatively undisturbed, halting further habitat destruction may be enough. In areas where habitat destruction is more extreme ( fragmentation or patch loss), restoration ecology may be needed. Education of the general public is possibly the best way to prevent further human habitat destruction. Changing the dull creep of environmental impacts from being viewed as acceptable to being seen

6783-501: Is simply a measure to keep the slaughter of sharks and marine wildlife hidden from public view. This is not about public safety, rather it's a blatant tactic to reduce public scrutiny by a government under increased public pressure to end its archaic culling program." Shark nets and drum lines are utilised to kill sharks in a "shark control" program in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa which has been occurring in KwaZulu-Natal since

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6916-564: Is that shifting cultivation is not the primary cause of deforestation in all world regions, while transport extension (including the construction of new roads ) is the largest single proximate factor responsible for deforestation. Habitat size and numbers of species are systematically related. Physically larger species and those living at lower latitudes or in forests or oceans are more sensitive to reduction in habitat area. Conversion to "trivial" standardized ecosystems (e.g., monoculture following deforestation) effectively destroys habitat for

7049-592: Is that if too many of a species offspring are taken, then the species may not recover. For example, overfishing of top marine predatory fish like tuna and salmon over the past century has led to a decline in fish sizes as well as fish numbers. Poaching for illegal wildlife trading is a major threat to certain species, particularly endangered ones whose status makes them economically valuable. Such species include many large mammals like African elephants, tigers, and rhinoceros (traded for their tusks , skins, and horns respectively). Less well-known targets of poaching include

7182-687: Is the illegal trading of plants and wildlife. This illegal trading is worth an estimate of 7-23 billion and an annual trade of around 100 million plants and animals. In 2021 it was found that this trade has caused a 60% decline in species abundance, and 80% for endangered species. This trade can be devastating to both humans and animals. It has the capacity to spread zoonotic diseases to humans, as well as contribute to local extinction. The pathogens to humans may be spread through small animal vectors like ticks, or through ingestion of food and water. Extinction can be caused due to non-native species being introduced that become invasive. An example of how this may happen

7315-603: Is through by-catch.These new species will outcompete the native species and take over, therefore causing the local or global extinction of a species. Due to the fittest animals in the species being hunted or poached, the less fit organisms will mate, causing less fitness in the generations to come. In addition to species fitness being lowered and therefore endangering species, the illegal wildlife trade has ecological costs. Sex-ratio balances may be tipped or reproduction rates are slowed, which can be detrimental to vulnerable species. The recovery of these populations may take longer due to

7448-434: Is typically a high priority as well. High genetic diversity increases survival because it means greater capacity to adapt to future environmental changes. Meanwhile, effects associated with low genetic diversity, such as inbreeding depression and loss of diversity from genetic drift , often decrease species survival by reducing the species' capacity to adapt or by increasing the frequency of genetic problems. Though not always

7581-455: Is useful in conservation to prevent or decelerate extreme population declination in a species from disease and also decrease the risk of a zoonotic spillover to humans. A pathogen that has never once been exposed to a specific species' evolutionary pathway can have detrimental impacts on the population. In most cases, these risks escalate in conjunction to other anthropogenic stressors, such as climate change or habitat loss, that ultimately lead

7714-597: The Amazonian tropical rainforest areas of South America are the main regions with unsustainable agricultural practices and/or government mismanagement. Areas of high agricultural output tend to have the highest extent of habitat destruction. In the U.S., less than 25% of native vegetation remains in many parts of the East and Midwest . Only 15% of land area remains unmodified by human activities in all of Europe. Currently, changes occurring in different environments around

7847-581: The Australian Marine Conservation Society , Shark Conservation Australia, Sea Life Trust, the Australian Greens Party , and the current government of Western Australia . The Sea Shepherd group said, "Politicians responsible for the shark cull policy have displayed an unwillingness to explore other shark mitigation strategies". Jessica Morris of Humane Society International calls shark culling

7980-585: The Philippines , and Japan . South and East Asia—especially China , India , Malaysia , Indonesia , and Japan—and many areas in West Africa have extremely dense human populations that allow little room for natural habitat. Marine areas close to highly populated coastal cities also face degradation of their coral reefs or other marine habitat. Forest City , a township in southern Malaysia built on Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Rank 1 wetland

8113-718: The Queensland State Government , NSW State Government , Surfing Australia, Surfing NSW, Surf Life Saving Queensland, several politicians within the Liberal National Party of Queensland , the French Overseas Department of Réunion , and the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board . In Queensland, in 54 years of operation, only one fatal shark attack has been recorded at a controlled beach, compared to

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8246-473: The expanding human population ; rate of population increase over time; spatial distribution of people in a given area ( urban versus rural), ecosystem type, and country; and the combined effects of poverty, age, family planning, gender, and education status of people in certain areas. Most of the exponential human population growth worldwide is occurring in or close to biodiversity hotspots . This may explain why human population density accounts for 87.9% of

8379-642: The marine ecosystem and is unethical. Government officials often cite public safety (attempting to reduce the risk of shark attacks) as a reason for culling. The impact of culling is also minor compared to bycatch with 50 million sharks caught each year by the commercial fishing industry. Shark culling mainly occurs in four locations: New South Wales , Queensland , KwaZulu-Natal and Réunion . Shark nets such as those used in New South Wales are designed to entangle and kill sharks and other animals that pass near them. Christopher Neff ,

8512-540: The 1950s. The region's shark attack statistics primarily reflect the effectiveness of netting, as drum lines were only introduced recently, following their successful use for over 40 years in Queensland, Australia. The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) says, "Both types of equipment function by reducing shark numbers in the vicinity of protected beaches, thereby lowering the probability of encounters between sharks and people at those beaches." The KZNSB also states that there were seven fatal attacks at Durban from 1943 until

8645-467: The 1961 Foreign Assistance Act. Many NGOs exist to actively promote, or be involved with, wildlife conservation: Habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction ) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved to elsewhere or are dead, leading to a decrease in biodiversity and species numbers . Habitat destruction

8778-559: The Florida panther population had tripled and offspring between Florida and Texas individuals had higher fertility and less genetic problems. In 2015, the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there were 230 adult Florida panthers and in 2017, there were signs that the population's range was expanding within Florida. Monitoring of wildlife populations is an important part of conservation because it allows managers to gather information about

8911-674: The Great Barrier Reef is "vastly inconsistent with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's main objective, 'to provide for the long-term protection and conservation of the environment.'" In October 2018, the Queensland state government proposed a policy which would ban the photography of shark culling in Queensland; Lawrence Chlebeck of Humane Society International said the following about this proposal: "The Queensland Government's plan to put exclusion zones around shark control equipment

9044-561: The Philippines' coral reefs alone have been destroyed. Finally, over 35% of the mangrove ecosystems worldwide have been destroyed. Habitat destruction through natural processes such as volcanism, fire , and climate change is well documented in the fossil record. One study shows that habitat fragmentation of tropical rainforests in Euramerica 300 million years ago led to a great loss of amphibian diversity, but simultaneously

9177-583: The Western Australia government announced a plan to re-introduce drum lines (though, this time the drum lines are "SMART" drumlines ). In November 2018, more than 7,000 Western Australians signed a petition demanding that the planned "SMART" drum line trial be abandoned. In January 2019 the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia determined that the "SMART" drumline trial would have minimal impact on

9310-475: The animals, whereas indirect methods rely on "signs" that indicate the animals are present. For terrestrial vertebrates, common direct monitoring methods include direct observation, mark-recapture , transects , and variable plot surveys. Indirect methods include track stations, fecal counts, food removal, open or closed burrow-opening counts, burrow counts, runaway counts, knockdown cards, snow tracks, or responses to audio calls. For large, terrestrial vertebrates,

9443-407: The atmosphere, where it can be sequestered in the deep ocean and sea floor; this is a process called the biological pump . Increased carbon dioxide emissions and increased stratification (which slows the biological pump) decrease the ocean pH, making it more acidic. Calcifying organisms such as coral are especially susceptible to decreased pH, resulting in mass bleaching events, inevitably destroying

9576-1187: The attention concerning the destruction of habitat. From the approximately 16 million square kilometers of tropical rainforest habitat that originally existed worldwide, less than 9 million square kilometers remain today. The current rate of deforestation is 160,000 square kilometers per year, which equates to a loss of approximately 1% of original forest habitat each year. Other forest ecosystems have suffered as much or more destruction as tropical rainforests . Deforestation for farming and logging have severely disturbed at least 94% of temperate broadleaf forests ; many old growth forest stands have lost more than 98% of their previous area because of human activities. Tropical deciduous dry forests are easier to clear and burn and are more suitable for agriculture and cattle ranching than tropical rainforests; consequently, less than 0.1% of dry forests in Central America's Pacific Coast and less than 8% in Madagascar remain from their original extents. Plains and desert areas have been degraded to

9709-515: The balance of species keeping up with the extinction threshold leading to a higher likelihood of extinction. Habitat loss is one of the main environmental causes of the decline of biodiversity on local, regional, and global scales. Many believe that habitat fragmentation is also a threat to biodiversity however some believe that it is secondary to habitat loss. The reduction of the amount of habitat available results in specific landscapes that are made of isolated patches of suitable habitat throughout

9842-405: The case, certain species are under threat because they have very low genetic diversity. As such, the best conservation action would be to restore their genetic diversity. The Florida panther is a subspecies of cougar (specifically Puma concolor coryi) that resides in the state of Florida and is currently endangered. Historically, the Florida panther's range covered the entire southeastern US. In

9975-782: The community of where sharks are spotted". A non-lethal Shark Spotters program in Cape Town, South Africa has been in use since 2006. The impact of shark culling is minor compared to bycatch from commercial fishing. On average, 15 great white sharks are caught by the NSW and Queensland shark control programme each year, compared to 186 caught in Australia from other activities. Australia's commercial shark fishing industry catches over 1200 tonnes of shark each year, 130 of which being great white sharks. The NSW prawn trawling industry alone results in 64 tonnes of shark as bycatch each year, with two thirds dying. Tuna and swordfish longline fishing off

10108-556: The complexity of the natural world and express concern at the loss of natural habitats and of animal or plant species worldwide. Probably the most profound impact that habitat destruction has on people is the loss of many valuable ecosystem services . Habitat destruction has altered nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and carbon cycles , which has increased the frequency and severity of acid rain , algal blooms , and fish kills in rivers and oceans and contributed tremendously to global climate change . One ecosystem service whose significance

10241-563: The concept that culling sharks in a particular area will lead to a decrease in shark attacks and increase ocean safety." Kelly Wang of One Green Planet said, "Australia's attitude towards its sharks is truly horrific. Their practices show no respect for these beautiful animals at all. Sharks are [viewed as] either a commodity or a pest, instead of a respected fellow species on this planet." In 2017, "Humane Society International applied for lethal shark control programs in New South Wales and Queensland to be listed as “key threatening processes” under

10374-538: The conservation and recovery of species, a limited amount of management plans are taking the spatial effects of habitat restoration and conservation into consideration. Shark culling Shark culling is the deliberate killing of sharks by government authorities, usually in response to one or more shark attacks . The term "shark control" is often used by governments when referring to culls. Shark culling has been criticized by environmentalists, conservationists and animal welfare advocates—they say killing sharks harms

10507-430: The country, as a result of widespread deforestation in the 20th century. As habitat destruction of an area occurs, the species diversity offsets from a combination of habitat generalists and specialists to a population primarily consisting of generalist species . Invasive species are frequently generalists that are able to survive in much more diverse habitats. Habitat destruction leading to climate change offsets

10640-531: The cull: "When will basic intelligence and respect for the planet be a requirement for highly paid supposedly educated government officials?" Most Whitsunday locals resisted the cull. The government of Queensland currently kills sharks in the Great Barrier Reef using 173 lethal drum lines; in 2018, Humane Society International filed a lawsuit (court challenge) requesting that the drum lines be removed there. It has been argued that killing sharks in

10773-538: The destruction of the surrounding landscape. Over the past 50 years, the destruction of habitat surrounding agricultural land has degraded approximately 40% of agricultural land worldwide via erosion , salinization , compaction , nutrient depletion , pollution , and urbanization . Humans also lose direct uses of natural habitat when habitat is destroyed. Aesthetic uses such as birdwatching , recreational uses like hunting and fishing , and ecotourism usually rely upon relatively undisturbed habitat. Many people value

10906-898: The drier climate spurred on a burst of diversity among reptiles. Habitat destruction caused by humans includes land conversion from forests, etc. to arable land , urban sprawl , infrastructure development , and other anthropogenic changes to the characteristics of land. Habitat degradation, fragmentation, and pollution are aspects of habitat destruction caused by humans that do not necessarily involve over destruction of habitat, yet result in habitat collapse. Desertification , deforestation , and coral reef degradation are specific types of habitat destruction for those areas ( deserts , forests , coral reefs ). The forces that cause humans to destroy habitat are known as drivers of habitat destruction. Demographic , economic, sociopolitical, scientific and technological, and cultural drivers all contribute to habitat destruction. Demographic drivers include

11039-439: The early 1990s, only a single population with 20-25 individuals were left. The population had very low genetic diversity, was highly inbred, and suffered from several genetic issues including kinked tails, cardiac defects, and low fertility. In 1995, eight female Texas cougars were introduced to the Florida population. The goal was to increase genetic diversity by introducing genes from a different, unrelated puma population. By 2007,

11172-431: The ecosystem". Shark Angels states, "It is hard to believe with all we know about sharks, including their dwindling numbers, their critical role in our oceans, and the small risk they actually pose to us, that the archaic process of killing these animals for bather “protection” still exists. But in KwaZulu-Natal, hundreds of harmless sharks - as well as turtles, dolphins and rays - still meet an untimely death every year as

11305-490: The effects of climate change. Phenomena like droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, intense storms, ocean acidification , and rising sea levels , directly lead to habitat destruction. For example, longer dry seasons, warmer springs, and dry soil has been observed to increase the length of wildfire season in forests, shrublands and grasslands. Increased severity and longevity of wildfires can completely wipe out entire ecosystems, causing them to take decades to fully recover. Wildfires are

11438-537: The environment. Long term shark control programs using shark nets and/or drum lines have been very successful at reducing the incidence of shark attacks at the beaches where they are installed. The Queensland Government states that the purpose of the program is to "reduce the possibility of shark attacks on humans in coastal waters of the state adjacent to popular coastal beaches used for bathing" and "is committed to maintaining this important safety initiative". Organisations that support shark control programmes include

11571-614: The environment—700 non-target species were killed. From 1959 to 1976, a government-funded program killed 4,668 sharks in Hawaii. The program did not change the rate of shark attacks in the waters of Hawaii. Some Native Hawaiians are against shark culling because of the significance of sharks in Hawaiian culture (sharks are viewed as aumakua , or personal-family gods). In 2014, a shark cull in Western Australia killed dozens of sharks (mostly tiger sharks) using drum lines, until it

11704-526: The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act [of Australia]. That list can include any act that further endangers already threatened species, or adversely affects two or more listed threatened species." George H. Burgess , the former director of the International Shark Attack File , "describes [shark] culling as a form of revenge, satisfying a public demand for blood and little else"; he said shark culling

11837-413: The first factor—in those areas (25%). Geist and Lambin (2002) assessed 152 case studies of net losses of tropical forest cover to determine any patterns in the proximate and underlying causes of tropical deforestation. Their results, yielded as percentages of the case studies in which each parameter was a significant factor, provide a quantitative prioritization of which proximate and underlying causes were

11970-474: The five years to August 2016, more than 170 sharks were killed as part of the cull. George H. Burgess called the killings "an archaic, knee-jerk reaction that seems more borne of vengeance than of science." Réunion authorities currently kill about 100 sharks per year. Shark nets were installed in Dunedin, New Zealand for roughly 40 years, and were removed in 2011. The nets were found to be detrimental to

12103-463: The globe, poor people suffer the most when natural habitat is destroyed, because less natural habitat means fewer natural resources per capita , yet wealthier people and countries can simply pay more to continue to receive more than their per capita share of natural resources. Another way to view the negative effects of habitat destruction is to look at the opportunity cost of destroying a given habitat. In other words, what do people lose out on with

12236-406: The harvest of protected plants and animals for souvenirs, food, skins, pets, and more. Poaching causes already small populations to decline even further as hunters tend to target threatened and endangered species because of their rarity and large profits. As carbon dioxide levels increase concentration in the atmosphere, they increase in the ocean as well. Typically, the ocean will absorb carbon from

12369-503: The installation of shark nets in 1952, and that no fatalities or incidents resulting in serious injury have occurred since nets were installed. According to the KZNSB, "from 1940 until most of those beaches were first netted in the 1960s, there were 16 fatal attacks and 11 resulting in serious injury. In the three decades since nets were installed, there have been no fatal attacks at those beaches and only four resulting in serious injury." In

12502-642: The marine ecosystem. In addition, Western Australia Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly said "there is currently no scientific evidence to show that drumlines reduce the risk of a [shark] attack". Shark experts and conservationists also say there is no evidence that drum lines prevent shark attacks. The government of New South Wales has a program that deliberately kills sharks using shark nets. They were first installed in 1935. The current net program in New South Wales has been described as being "extremely destructive" to marine life, including sharks. Between September 2017 and April 2018, more than 403 animals were killed in

12635-524: The more diverse species. Even the simplest forms of agriculture affect diversity – through clearing or draining the land, discouraging weeds and pests , and encouraging just a limited set of domesticated plant and animal species. There are also feedbacks and interactions among the proximate and underlying causes of deforestation that can amplify the process. Road construction has the largest feedback effect, because it interacts with—and leads to—the establishment of new settlements and more people, which causes

12768-597: The most important topics of research in ecology as they are major threats to the survival of endangered species . Biodiversity hotspots are chiefly tropical regions that feature high concentrations of endemic species and, when all hotspots are combined, may contain over half of the world's terrestrial species. These hotspots are suffering from habitat loss and destruction. Most of the natural habitat on islands and in areas of high human population density has already been destroyed (WRI, 2003). Islands suffering extreme habitat destruction include New Zealand , Madagascar ,

12901-678: The most significant. The proximate causes were clustered into broad categories of agricultural expansion (96%), infrastructure expansion (72%), and wood extraction (67%). Therefore, according to this study, forest conversion to agriculture is the main land use change responsible for tropical deforestation. The specific categories reveal further insight into the specific causes of tropical deforestation: transport extension (64%), commercial wood extraction (52%), permanent cultivation (48%), cattle ranching (46%), shifting ( slash and burn ) cultivation (41%), subsistence agriculture (40%), and fuel wood extraction for domestic use (28%). One result

13034-438: The negative impacts of habitat destruction. The biggest potential to solving the issue of habitat destruction comes from solving the political, economical and social problems that go along with it such as, individual and commercial material consumption, sustainable extraction of resources, conservation areas , restoration of degraded land and addressing climate change. Governmental leaders need to take action by addressing

13167-474: The nets in New South Wales, including 10 critically endangered grey nurse sharks , seven dolphins , seven green sea turtles and 14 great white sharks . Between 1950 and 2008, 352 tiger sharks and 577 great white sharks were killed in the nets in New South Wales. Also during this period, a total of 15,135 marine animals were killed in the nets, including whales , turtles , rays , dolphins , and dugongs . More than 5,000 marine turtles have been caught on

13300-400: The nets. Sixty-five percent of shark attacks in New South Wales occurred at netted beaches. The current net program in New South Wales has been called "outdated and ineffective", and has been criticized by environmentalists, who say nets harm the marine ecosystem. They say there is no science showing that nets make the ocean safer for people. Humane Society International calls the nets

13433-451: The ocean), and reducing damage from marine pollution. There is currently an international effort to protect the leatherback sea turtle. Habitat conservation is the practice of protecting a habitat in order to protect the species within it. This is sometimes preferable to focusing on a single species especially if the species in question has very specific habitat requirements or lives in a habitat with many other endangered species. The latter

13566-482: The other hand, a healthy ecosystem with good management practices can reduce the chance of these events happening, or will at least mitigate adverse impacts. Eliminating swamps—the habitat of pests such as mosquitoes —has contributed to the prevention of diseases such as malaria . Completely depriving an infectious agent (such as a virus) of its habitat—by vaccination , for example—can result in eradicating that infectious agent. Agricultural land can suffer from

13699-517: The other hand, have less than 3% of natural habitat remaining that has not been converted to farmland. Wetlands and marine areas have endured high levels of habitat destruction. More than 50% of wetlands in the U.S. have been destroyed in just the last 200 years. Between 60% and 70% of European wetlands have been completely destroyed. In the United Kingdom, there has been an increase in demand for coastal housing and tourism which has caused

13832-550: The policy was implemented there has only been one recorded death, at Amity Point in January 2006. 21-year-old Sarah Kate Whiley was attacked by as many as three sharks in Rainbow Channel. The attack occurred in an unpatrolled area. Queensland Fisheries Minister John McVeigh has described the longevity of the netting and drum line program as being "a good indicator that it had the support of most Queenslanders". However,

13965-494: The political and economic impact of USAID funds dispersed for preserving the environment and its natural resources. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the start of former President Bush's War on Terror , maintaining and improving the quality of the environment and its natural resources became a “priority” to “prevent international tensions” according to the Legislation on Foreign Relations Through 2002 and section 117 of

14098-415: The population of the pathogen, infection rates are limited to a smaller percentage of the population. Case study: Ethiopian Wolf The Ethiopian Wolf ( Canis simensis ), a canid native to Ethiopia , is an endangered species with less than 440 wolves remaining in the wild. These wolves are primarily exposed to the rabies virus by domestic dogs and are facing extreme population declines, especially in

14231-943: The present, the government of Queensland has targeted and killed sharks in large numbers by using drum lines and shark nets, under a "shark control" program—this program has also killed large numbers of other animals such as dolphins; it has also killed endangered hammerhead sharks . Queensland currently operates the largest shark culling program in Australia. In the first 11 months of 2013, 633 sharks were captured in Queensland—more than 95% of those sharks were killed. From 2013 to 2014, 667 sharks were killed on Queensland's drum lines and in shark nets, including great white sharks and critically endangered grey nurse sharks . From 2014 to 2015, 621 sharks were killed in Queensland. From 2017 to 2018, 218 sharks were killed, including 75 tiger sharks and 41 bull sharks ; at least 64 sharks were shot and killed during this period. From 2001 to 2018,

14364-458: The process of removing trees. Deforestation is often done for several reasons, often for either agricultural purposes or for logging , which is the obtainment of timber and wood for use in construction or fuel. Deforestation causes many threats to wildlife as it not only causes habitat destruction for the many animals that survive in forests, as more than 80% of the world's species live in forests but also leads to further climate change. Deforestation

14497-507: The program began in 1962 [...] Nearly 27,000 marine mammals have been snared. The state's shark control policy has captured over 5,000 turtles , 1,014 dolphins , nearly 700 dugongs and 120 whales , all of which are federally protected marine species." About 360 baited drum lines have been placed off the coast of Queensland, including 78 along the Sunshine Coast , 54 near Townsville , 27 near Mackay and 38 near Cairns . Since

14630-670: The protection that it provides for these threatened species. In the late 1980s, as the public became dissatisfied with government environmental conservation efforts, people began supporting private sector conservation efforts which included several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) . Seeing this rise in support for NGOs, the U.S. Congress made amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act in 1979 and 1986 “earmarking U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds for [biodiversity]”. From 1990 till now, environmental conservation NGOs have become increasingly more focused on

14763-814: The proximate and underlying causes are to each other. Climate change contributes to destruction of some habitats, endangering various species. For example: When a habitat is destroyed, the carrying capacity for indigenous plants, animals, and other organisms is reduced so that populations decline , sometimes up to the level of extinction . Habitat loss is perhaps the greatest threat to organisms and biodiversity. Temple (1986) found that 82% of endangered bird species were significantly threatened by habitat loss. Most amphibian species are also threatened by native habitat loss, and some species are now only breeding in modified habitat. Endemic organisms with limited ranges are most affected by habitat destruction, mainly because these organisms are not found anywhere else in

14896-441: The public's desire for vengeance after a [shark] attack, they do little to reduce the likelihood of another one." Animal rights activists note the suffering and cruelty inflicted upon animals caught in nets and drum lines: this suffering includes lacerations, stress, pain, disease, and death. There are also reports of shark attack survivors being harassed and abused on social media, presumably by extreme environmentalists. In

15029-404: The reduction of genetic diversity and perhaps the production of infertile youths, as these organisms would have a higher possibility of mating with related organisms within their population, or different species. One of the most famous examples is the impact upon China's giant panda , once found in many areas of Sichuan . Now it is only found in fragmented and isolated regions in the southwest of

15162-492: The removal of a given habitat? A country may increase its food supply by converting forest land to row-crop agriculture, but the value of the same land may be much larger when it can supply natural resources or services such as clean water, timber, ecotourism, or flood regulation and drought control. The rapid expansion of the global human population is increasing the world's food requirement substantially. Simple logic dictates that more people will require more food. In fact, as

15295-509: The reproduction rates being slower. The wildlife trade also causes issues for natural resources that people use in their everyday lives. Ecotourism is how some people bring in money to their homes, and with depleting the wildlife, this may be a factor in taking away jobs. Illegal wildlife trade has also become normalized through various social media outlets. There are TikTok accounts that have gone viral for their depiction of exotic pets, such as various monkey and bird species. These accounts show

15428-539: The risk of shark attack". Environmentalists, conservationists, scientists, animal rights activists and shark experts oppose shark culling. They say sharks are important to the marine ecosystem and that killing them harms the marine ecosystem. They also say that shark culling is "outdated, cruel and ineffective". Organizations that oppose shark culling include the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society , Humane Society International ,

15561-480: The same period. In Recife, Brazil, the number of shark attacks was reduced by 97% when long lines and drum lines were deployed—in the Recife program, some of the sharks were caught on drum lines and then moved away from the shoreline. In 2017 the Queensland Government stated that "Current evidence indicates traditional capture methods (ie Shark nets and Drum lines ) remain the most effective measures to reduce

15694-695: The same year, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) was passed as part of an international agreement to prevent the global trade of endangered wildlife. In 1980, the World Conservation Strategy was developed by the IUCN with help from the UN Environmental Programme, World Wildlife Fund, UN Food and Agricultural Organization, and UNESCO. Its purpose

15827-527: The southern Ethiopia region of the Bale Mountains . To counter this, oral vaccinations are administered to these wolves within favorable bait that is widely distributed around their territories. The wolves consume the bait and with it ingest the vaccine, developing an immunity to rabies as antibodies are produced at significant levels. Wolves within these packs who did not ingest the vaccine will be protected by herd immunity as fewer wolves are exposed to

15960-476: The status of threatened species and to measure the effectiveness of management strategies. Monitoring can be local, regional, or range-wide, and can include one or many distinct populations. Metrics commonly gathered during monitoring include population numbers, geographic distribution, and genetic diversity, although many other metrics may be used. Monitoring methods can be categorized as either "direct" or "indirect". Direct methods rely on directly seeing or hearing

16093-488: The trunk. In an effort to increase woodpecker numbers, artificial cavities (essentially birdhouses planted within tree trunks) were installed to give woodpeckers a place to live. An active effort is made by the US military and workers to maintain this rare habitat used by red-cockaded woodpeckers. Conservation genetics studies genetic phenomena that impact the conservation of a species. Most conservation efforts focus on managing population size, but conserving genetic diversity

16226-413: The underlying driving forces, rather than merely regulating the proximate causes. In a broader sense, governmental bodies at a local, national, and international scale need to emphasize: It is argued that the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation can be counteracted by including spatial processes in potential restoration management plans. However, even though spatial dynamics are incredibly important in

16359-416: The variation in numbers of threatened species across 114 countries, providing indisputable evidence that people play the largest role in decreasing biodiversity . The boom in human population and migration of people into such species-rich regions are making conservation efforts not only more urgent but also more likely to conflict with local human interests. The high local population density in such areas

16492-414: The virus. With continued periodic vaccinations, conservationists will be able to spend more resources on further proactive efforts to help prevent their extinction. In the US, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was passed to protect US species deemed in danger of extinction. The concern at the time was that the country was losing species that were scientifically, culturally, and educationally important. In

16625-456: The vulnerability of wildlife populations by reducing the space and resources available to them and by increasing the likelihood of conflict with humans. Moreover, destruction and fragmentation create smaller habitats. Smaller habitats support smaller populations, and smaller populations are more likely to go extinct. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant shift in human behavior, resulting in mandatory and voluntary limitations on movement. As

16758-436: The world are changing the specific geographical habitats that are suitable for plants to grow. Therefore, the ability for plants to migrate to suitable environment areas will have a strong impact on the distribution of plant diversity. However, at the moment, the rates of plant migration that are influenced by habitat loss and fragmentation are not as well understood as they could be. Tropical rainforests have received most of

16891-449: The world's population increases dramatically, agricultural output will need to increase by at least 50%, over the next 30 years. In the past, continually moving to new land and soils provided a boost in food production to meet the global food demand. That easy fix will no longer be available, however, as more than 98% of all land suitable for agriculture is already in use or degraded beyond repair. The impending global food crisis will be

17024-817: The world's remaining natural habitat and biodiversity will compete directly with humans' growing demand for natural resources, especially new agricultural lands. Attempts to address habitat destruction are in international policy commitments embodied by Sustainable Development Goal 15 "Life on Land" and Sustainable Development Goal 14 "Life Below Water". However, the United Nations Environment Programme report on "Making Peace with Nature" released in 2021 found that most of these efforts had failed to meet their internationally agreed upon goals. Tropical deforestation: In most cases of tropical deforestation , three to four underlying causes are driving two to three proximate causes. This means that

17157-423: The world, and thus have less chance of recovering. Many endemic organisms have very specific requirements for their survival that can only be found within a certain ecosystem, resulting in their extinction. Extinction may also take place very long after the destruction of habitat, a phenomenon known as extinction debt . Habitat destruction can also decrease the range of certain organism populations. This can result in

17290-466: The world, like the Wilderness Act of 1964 which designated specific areas wilderness to be protected. Overexploitation is the harvesting of animals and plants at a rate that's faster than the species' ability to recover. While often associated with Overfishing , overexploitation can apply to many groups including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and plants. The danger of overexploitation

17423-536: Was canceled after public protests and a decision by the Western Australia EPA; from 2014 to 2017, there was an "imminent threat" policy in Western Australia in which sharks that "threatened" humans in the ocean were shot and killed. This "imminent threat" policy was criticized by Senator Rachel Siewert for killing endangered sharks. The "imminent threat" policy was canceled in March 2017. In August 2018,

17556-519: Was the poor application of technology in the wood industry (45%), which leads to wasteful logging practices. Within the broad category of cultural and sociopolitical factors are public attitudes and values (63%), individual/household behavior (53%), public unconcern toward forest environments (43%), missing basic values (36%), and unconcern by individuals (32%). Demographic factors were the in-migration of colonizing settlers into sparsely populated forest areas (38%) and growing population density—a result of

17689-726: Was to promote the conservation of living resources important to humans. In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was agreed on at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (often called the Rio Earth Summit) as an international accord to protect the Earth's biological resources and diversity. According to the National Wildlife Federation, wildlife conservation in the US gets

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