Habitat Destruction and Biodiversity Loss

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Recommended: Effects on the environment from loss of biodiversity

"If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us."

-- David Suzuki

Imagine this: bulldozers growl and grind through a local field, while the whine of chainsaws echoes from a nearby grove of trees. The trees crash to the ground, only to be cut up for firewood or sent to a sawmill, and the remaining ground is cleared of stumps and plowed. The tall grasses and brush in the field are demolished, leaving behind churned-up soil. Any birds or other small creatures that lived in the freshly cut trees have long since flown or run away in terror as their homes fell. The moles, mice, and other animals that lived in the field were either killed or forced to abandon the area in search of a new home. Soon to come on this land: a subdivision consisting of huge, two- or three-story houses with pristine front lawns and the occasional small, decorative tree placed by the main door.

The scene painted above is becoming more and more common today; people want more space, more houses, more roads, more big buildings, more cities all over the world. However, what the population does not consider is that construction destroys natural habitat, or “the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). While humans may think nothing of this habitat destruction, it is actually the number one cause of extinction worldwide (Dudley 17) and influences many other species, including humans, that are not endangered or threatened. Habitat loss causes loss of biodiversity, which adversely affects the health and economy of human life. We as humans need to take more ...

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"Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2007.

Dudley, William, ed. Biodiversity. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2003.

“Habitat.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2007.

Heimlich, Joe E., and Mitchell Smith. "Environmental Impact Statements.” FactSheet. Ohio State University. 09 Nov. 2008

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Novacek, Michael J., ed. The Biodiversity Crisis. New York: The New Press, 2001.

Primack, Richard B. Essentials of Conservation Biology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc., 1993.

David Suzuki Quote

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/biodiversity.html#xFwgQLK5MbhLMRjG.99

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