Major Causes of Biodiversity Loss

Collection of Zoo and Research

Animals and plants are collected throughout the world for zoos and biological laboratories for study and research in science and medicine

Pollution

Release of harmful materials into the environment

Destruction of Habitat

a process of environmental change in which a natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present

Habitat Fragmentation

an "unnatural detaching or separation of expansive tracts of habitats into spatially segregated fragments" that are too limited to maintain their different species for an infinite future one of the most serious causes of erosion of biodiversity

Natural calamities

floods, draught, forest fires, earth-quakes, volcanic eruptions, epidemics etc. sometimes take a heavy toll of plant and animal life

Control of pests and predators

measures, generally kill predators that are a component of balanced ecosystem and may also indiscriminately kill non-target species

Exploitation of Selected Species

overharvesting and the reduction of genetic diversity among the cultivated species and the disappearance of their wild relatives, drastically limit possibilities of creating new cultivar in the future.

Introduction of exotic species

releasing non-native pets into the wild, planting exotic ornamental plants that spread into wild habitats

Hunting

the catching and killing of wildlife for the commercial utilization of their products such as hides and skin, tusk, fur, meat, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, perfumes and decoration purposes

Biodiversity loss

the reduction of organisms occupying a specific habitat which lead to extinction if no representative species remain to reproduce