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[1] [2] Habitat destruction is in fact the leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction worldwide. [3] Humans contribute to habitat destruction through the use of natural resources, agriculture, industrial production and urbanization (urban sprawl). Other activities include mining, logging and trawling. Environmental factors can ...
The main drivers of marine species extinction are habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, and overexploitation. [105] [106] Greater pressure is placed on marine ecosystems near coastal areas because of the human settlements in those areas. [107] Overexploitation has resulted in the extinction of over 25 marine species.
Ecological extinction is "the reduction of a species to such low abundance that, although it is still present in the community, it no longer interacts significantly with other species". [ 1 ] Ecological extinction stands out because it is the interaction ecology of a species that is important for conservation work.
An example of how this may happen is through by-catch.These new species will outcompete the native species and take over, therefore causing the local or global extinction of a species. [32] Due to the fittest animals in the species being hunted or poached, the less fit organisms will mate, causing less fitness in the generations to come.
Coextinction refers to the loss of a species due to the extinction of another; for example, the extinction of parasitic insects following the loss of their hosts. Coextinction can also occur when a species loses its pollinator, or to predators in a food chain who lose their prey. "Species coextinction is a manifestation of one of the ...
When the giant flightless birds called moa were overexploited to the point of extinction, [5] the giant Haast's eagle that preyed on them also became extinct. [6]The concern about overexploitation, while relatively recent in the annals of modern environmental awareness, traces back to ancient practices embedded in human history.
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, invasive species, and climate change. [1]
A diagram of the typical drivers of ecosystem collapse. [1]While collapse events can occur naturally with disturbances to an ecosystem—through fires, landslides, flooding, severe weather events, disease, or species invasion—there has been a noticeable increase in human-caused disturbances over the past fifty years.