Five Key Threats To Biodiversity
1. Land Use
Top of the paper’s list of threats to biodiversity is Man’s trampling across the land and sea as he sees fit. Transportation, extractive industries, pollution, dams, agriculture, fisheries and forestry all feature highly.
Also included is the abandonment of areas of marginal productive value. This makes the point very clearly that it is Man’s activities per se which are causing problems but their intensity, often motivated by economic gain.
The K-T extinction event which wiped out the dinosaurs has been estimated as removing 75% of all species worldwide. The paper estimates that 75% of all species at risk are threatened by land use changes and goes on to note, rather dryly: “the combined impacts of several factors could be disastrous”.
Firstly nice image.
Biodiversity – good idea!! (thumbs up)
An incredibly stunning image that adds impact to your words Chris.
I have yet to visit the area, I hope it will still be as rich and as beautiful when I do.
Sarah
Thanks for the comments coirgreen and Sarah!
That certainly is a beautiful picture .. if you’re on flickr be sure to check out the photographer’s home page and give the photo a “thumbs up” there.
Photo credit on the last page