What happens if biodiversity

The consequences are often harshest on the rural poor, who depend most immediately upon local ecosystem services for their livelihoods, and biodiversity loss poses a significant barrier to meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

To stop ecosystem degradation , the full contribution made by ecosystems to both poverty alleviation efforts and to national economies must be clearly demonstrated.

This summary is free and ad-free, as is all of our content. You can help us remain free and independant as well as to develop new ways to communicate science by becoming a Patron! Skip to main content. You are in Sustainability Biodiversity loss. Share in Twitter. Share in Facebook. Whatsapp Whatsapp. Biodiversity loss, a risk for the environment and for humanity The planet's biodiversity is under threat and the main culprit is the one who, paradoxically, depend on it most: human being.

Carousel of images and videos. Let's take a look at some of the main causes: Climate change Climate change impacts biodiversity at various levels: species distribution, population dynamics, community structure and the functioning of the ecosystem. Pollution When we talk about pollution, we may think of car exhaust fumes billowing into the atmosphere, but biodiversity is not only affected by this type, it is also affected by noise pollution and light pollution.

Destruction of habitats Soil pollution and changes in its uses due to activities such as deforestation have a negative impact on ecosystems and the species that make them up. Invasive alien species Invasive alien species are the second biggest cause of loss of biodiversity in the world, according to the United Nations Development Programme UNDP.

Overexploitation of the natural environment The overexploitation of natural resources , that is, their consumption at a speed greater than that of their natural regeneration, has an obvious impact on the planet's flora and fauna. Others have estimated that as many as , species are lost each year.

But, extinctions—even mass extinction events—are not new. Though the current trend is caused, undeniably, by human action—through poaching, habitat destruction, pollution, and anthropogenic climate change, among others—mass reductions in biodiversity can and have occurred without human interference. The question then, is what does humanity lose when global biodiversity is significantly reduced?

Simply: a lot. Here are six significant human problems caused by reduced biodiversity. Topping the list, of course, is the monetary value of biodiversity around the world. In terms of ecosystem services—functions like pollination, irrigation, soil reclamation, and other things that would have to be paid for if nature couldn't take care of it on its own—the value of global biodiversity has been estimated in the trillions.

Reductions in biodiversity do not only occur during deforestation or through poaching. The introduction of new species is another culprit. In much of the world, this is happening on farms, too, where foreign breeds of cattle are being imported, pushing out natives. This means that the world's livestock population is becoming increasingly narrow and more vulnerable to disease, drought, and changes in climate, leading to an overall reduction in food security.

The loss of biodiversity has two significant impacts on human health and the spread of disease. First, it increases the number of disease-carrying animals in local populations. At the same time, habitat fragmentation brings humans in closer and more frequent contact with these disease-carrying species. If forecasting the weather seems simply a matter of deciding to bring an umbrella or not, ask any farmer or coastal homeowner how they feel.

Furthermore, biodiversity can be maintained by interspecific facilitation, which occurs when species positively influence one another by increasing the availability of limiting resources, or by decreasing the limiting effects of natural enemies or physical stresses. Although previous theoretical and empirical studies have identified numerous processes that can maintain biodiversity, ecologists and conservationists rarely know which of these mechanisms actually maintains biodiversity at any particular time and place.

Thus, further investigation is needed to identify the natural processes that actually maintain biodiversity in intact ecosystems. What Anthropogenic Processes Influence Biodiversity? What are the Consequences of Biodiversity Declines? Figure 1. Synthesizing Biodiversity Research. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. References and Recommended Reading Benayas, J. Vitousek, P. Human domination of Earth's ecosystems.

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