Biodiversity Loss

(by Ayesha Gul, Noor Fatima, Nameera )

What is Biodiversity loss

Biodiversity loss is describes as   the disappearance of various types of life on Earth It happens when plants, animals, and other creature’s lives get hurt or changed by people in different places Biodiversity loss is an important issue that is threatening the delicate balance of ecosystems around the globe Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including the different types of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, as well as the genetic diversity within each species. This diversity is essential for the functioning of ecosystems and the services they provide, such as clean air and water, pollination of crops, and climate regulation

Extinct species

Some of the most threatened species including amphibians, cycads and corals. Since the 16th century, at least 680 vertebrates and almost 600 plant species are reported to have gone extinct Currently, species are disappearing 10 to 1,000 times faster than the previous normal rate of extinction More than 99 percent of all organisms and species that have ever lived on Earth are extinct In the last 50 years our activities have gradually reduced biodiversity across the earth we have extinguish habitats reduced population of wild animals by 60% and even driven whole species extinct The number of lions in Africa has dropped by 65 percent, the number of every individual flying insects in Europe has dropped by 75 percent .biodiversity is dropping rapidly everywhere This is disastrous for nature and therefore for ourselves. We talk about climate change a lot but biodiversity is also important

Species lost on Earth

More than 99 percent of all species that ever lived on Earth, over five billion species, are estimated to have died out. It is estimated that currently there are around 8.7 million species of eukaryote globally and possibly many times more if microorganisms, like bacteria, are included

Number of species that are in danger

More than two million species are at risk of extinction, in new analysis that has found a figure that is double previous UN estimates

90% of biodiversity loss

However, human activities such as deforestation, overfishing, pollution, and climate change have led to an extreme loss of biodiversity. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the overall population of vertebrate species has declined by 68% since 1970. This loss of biodiversity reached consequences for both the natural world and human society. The International Resource Panel estimates that 90% biodiversity loss on Earth can be attributed to the extraction of natural resources which mainly included agriculture and that we are projected to double material extraction by the year 2060

 Largest negative impact of biodiversity loss

The main negative impact of biodiversity loss remains human’s primarily use of land for food production. Over 70 per cent of all ice-free land has already altered due to human activities. In the process of converting the land for agriculture purpose, some animals and plant species can might lose their habitat and face extinction

Cause

Biodiversity loss is mainly caused by cutting down forests (deforestation), turning natural areas into cities (urbanization), using harmful chemicals, and over-hunting animals and plants. The activities like pollution and climate change done by human can also harm the habitats of plants and animals. The introduction of new species can disrupt local ecosystems. These actions are like pieces disappearing from nature’s puzzle, making it difficult for plants and animals to survive

Species we lost every year

Scientists estimate that more than 100 to 10,000 species including microscopic organisms to large plants and animals that extinct each year

Till 2025

According to a research more than 10 percent of all plant and animal species will disappear by 2050, and 27 percent of vertebrate diversity will be vanished by 2100

Effects of Biodiversity loss

One of the most extreme impacts of biodiversity loss is the disturbance in ecosystems. When a species goes extinct, it can cause effects on the rest of the ecosystem that can lead to the imbalances which threaten the survival of other species. For example, the loss of pollinators such as bees and butterflies can have serious impacts on the reproduction of plants, including many crops on which humans rely for food. Biodiversity loss can cause effect direct human health impacts if services of ecosystems are no longer enough to meet social needs. Indirectly, changes in ecosystem services cause effects on livelihoods, income, local migration, and may even cause political conflict