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Claire Lockman A.P. Environmental Mr. Lebaron Global Change: Loss of Biodiversity In order to conserve we must first identify the causes of habitat loss: • The growing lumber industry in places such as the boreal forest. • The immense need of housing for the exponential growth of the earth’s population. • Urbanization that occurs in once natural areas. • The large commercial industries that advocate products and make people materialistic who need large urban areas to purchase their goods. • Mechanical agriculture that uses massive amounts of land for a single use and large amounts of water for irrigational purposes. • The global market has put all countries in constant competition for money. In order to increase GNP they must create jobs and raise the per capita income. In order to do that they must build large corporations in urban cities for people to work in. • Pollution • Introduced species • Overuse All these things and others create a large amount of habitat loss in a world that was once over taken by thick jungle and forest as well as an immense variety of organisms that has slowly dwindled over time due to intense competition from the human race. When people get an idea in there head it is hard to stop. The increased competition that we create for the natural environment due to our need to urbanize and centralize all facets of our lives has a very harsh affect on plants, animals, and other organisms in the environment. The main causes of habitat loss are pollution, overuse of the land, and introduced species that lead to endangered or extinct species. Pollution: Pesticides; Such as DDT create a harmful toxic long-term affect on the organisms who live in areas it was used. It was outlawed by the U.S. because of its negative affect but is still being used in certain malaria infested parts of Africa. Prescription Drugs: Prescription drugs, caffeine, and other medications can pass through both the human body and sewage treatment facilities, and are now present in many waterways which can harm many aquatic species. Heavy Metals; Metals such as lead are put into the food chain by hunters and other human processes and then you have bioaccumulation up through the consumer levels. Water Acidification; Acid rain and snow is produced from the burning of high-sulfur coals in electrical power plants. Acid mine run-off is caused by the reaction of rainwater with mine tailings. Acidification can sterilize water bodies, killing off all aquatic flora and fauna. When wildfowl and other wildlife ingest this water, they can be poisoned by heavy metals. Oil Spills; Oil spills have immediate devastating effects – marine mammals and waterfowl coated with oil drown, are poisoned, or die of hypothermia. Balls of oil that sink to the seafloor can smother organisms Noise Pollution; Chronic noise pollution from low-flying aircraft, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and traffic can cause wildlife to abandon habitats, lose reproductive function, and become more vulnerable to predation due to loss of hearing. Light Pollution; Light pollution at night disorients bats, insects, and migratory birds. Overuse of Land: • • • The land looses its ability to regenerate as fast as we use it up. The land which is often home to many species is used up and those species loose their habitat. Many disease outbreaks occur because the original defenses the land gave are gone. Many disease carrying insects are gone or extinct and the disease looks for a new host. Introduced Species: When a new species is introduced they are called an invasive species. Invasive species, if they are to be successful, have no natural predators, are very good generalists, and can adapt almost anywhere. Invasive species are usually introduced to control a native species that is a pest or has populated out of control. Invasive species rarely work though because they create a chain reaction and usually overpopulate themselves. • Invasive species can cause harm to species that were not the intended harmed species. • The often overpopulate and the natives are left with an even bigger problem • Overpopulation of invasive species out-competes the native species for food and water sources and can lead to endangered or extinct species. Are there any ways to fight loss of biodiversity? Biodiversity is a huge problem in our world. These species provide our planet with everything it needs. The world can sustain without a lot of things but not its biodiversity. • Putting a limit on globalization so that it stays within the confines of environmental sustainability would create a decline in the loss of biodiversity. • Making government officials listen to the professionals in the subjects of environmental protection and conservation. • Putting less of an emphasis on economics and more of an emphasis on the environment. • The creation of an International Panel on Biological Diversity that oversees that rolling tide of biodiversity loss and gain. • Engage biodiversity-related treaties in an international effort to reverse this habitat loss. Relevant Laws and Treaties: Treaties; • • • • • • • • World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) Biodiversity Conservation Information System (BCIS) Convention on Biological Diversity Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(1975) International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (2004) Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971) World Heritage Convention (1972) Laws; • • • • • • State Wetlands Conservation Plan Swift Fox Interstate Conservation Plan Texas Law to Protect Plants and Animals Wetland Acquistion Fund Texas Agricultural Code : to control the introduction of foreign species Predator Management Program