DEFORESTATION
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is destroyed or completely obliterated and is unable to support life reducing biodiversity and affecting wildlife populations by decreasing where they could live.
In the 1990s, it is estimated that 70% of deforested areas were converted to agricultural land, meaning 94 million hectares of forest have been lost. Around half of the original forest has been gone and are still being removed at ten times the rate the trees can grow back.
The picture on the right depicts an oranguatn being tranquilized to move to protected areas. Currently 50% of their population lives outside of protected areas and their habitat are threatened by an increase of palm oil plantations.
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is destroyed or completely obliterated and is unable to support life reducing biodiversity and affecting wildlife populations by decreasing where they could live.
In the 1990s, it is estimated that 70% of deforested areas were converted to agricultural land, meaning 94 million hectares of forest have been lost. Around half of the original forest has been gone and are still being removed at ten times the rate the trees can grow back.
The picture on the right depicts an oranguatn being tranquilized to move to protected areas. Currently 50% of their population lives outside of protected areas and their habitat are threatened by an increase of palm oil plantations.
MARINE HABITAT DESTRUCTION
Logging, coastal development, dredging for oil, marine pollution and draining of wetlands contribute to marine habitat destruction wiping out breeding grounds and nurseries for nearly all marine species.
Wetlands are drained for industrial develepment, with major factories, cities, and farms dumping chemical waste damaging the local reef habitat which sea animals depend on for basic neccessities.
Dams decrease the natural nutrient run off, cut off the route for migratory fish, and change the river's flow increasing the ocean's salinity
Oil tankers damage fragile reef systems with their hull and oil spills kill thousands of fish and birds off balancing the ecosystem