Question:
Many scientists consider humans as the most invasive species, as humans can greatly change and environment and impact living things that reside there. Are we being stewards of the world? Take a look at an issue in which human intervention has positively or negatively affected the biodiversity of our ecosystems.
Although we may notice it, human actions are changing the world every single day. little by little, we are affecting biodiversity. changes in biodiversity are 50 times more rapid than they were in any other years in human history.
A key topic that should be considered is invasive species. Humans are not the only invasive species on earth, although we may be trafficking species to places where they don't belong. Let me explain:
When we travel by air, or by car, or even when we send packages by boat, we may be trafficking species into another part of the world without even knowing it. The species will then begin to take over the land and might even adapt to the conditions. They might over-power current species by over-populating, and that is just one way that we have been contributing to the infamous cause that is extinction.
Many scientists consider humans as the most invasive species, as humans can greatly change and environment and impact living things that reside there. Are we being stewards of the world? Take a look at an issue in which human intervention has positively or negatively affected the biodiversity of our ecosystems.
Although we may notice it, human actions are changing the world every single day. little by little, we are affecting biodiversity. changes in biodiversity are 50 times more rapid than they were in any other years in human history.
A key topic that should be considered is invasive species. Humans are not the only invasive species on earth, although we may be trafficking species to places where they don't belong. Let me explain:
When we travel by air, or by car, or even when we send packages by boat, we may be trafficking species into another part of the world without even knowing it. The species will then begin to take over the land and might even adapt to the conditions. They might over-power current species by over-populating, and that is just one way that we have been contributing to the infamous cause that is extinction.
English Ivy climbs up trees, weighing down branches, therefore threatening tree health.What else are humans doing to harm the planet? Let's take a look:
Deforestation. For those of you which have forgotten, (hopefully none), Deforestation is the destruction of forests to make land for agriculture. Cutting down trees, which provide oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, is seen as a cause of increased greenhouse effect.
The Amazon forest is one of the largest remaining rainforests in the world. It is home to more than half the species on earth, and deforestation is occuring in it to this day. Humans feel the need to cut down trees for paper, furniture, and other material things which can easily be substituted for. Many plants and animals in the Amazon only live in certain areas, near certain types of trees, and different types of plants are reasons for why they live in a certain area. Deforestation can easily wipe out the biodiversity on earth just by cutting down trees which may be the habitat of many types of species.
Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest
Deforestation. For those of you which have forgotten, (hopefully none), Deforestation is the destruction of forests to make land for agriculture. Cutting down trees, which provide oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, is seen as a cause of increased greenhouse effect.
The Amazon forest is one of the largest remaining rainforests in the world. It is home to more than half the species on earth, and deforestation is occuring in it to this day. Humans feel the need to cut down trees for paper, furniture, and other material things which can easily be substituted for. Many plants and animals in the Amazon only live in certain areas, near certain types of trees, and different types of plants are reasons for why they live in a certain area. Deforestation can easily wipe out the biodiversity on earth just by cutting down trees which may be the habitat of many types of species.
Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest Humans affect biodiversity in many, many ways. Some of which include agriculture, fishing, forestry, urbanization, and manufacturing. For example, through agriculture, soil erosion is caused. This causes natural vegetation to be removed from its natural location and makes it an invasive species! Loss of native habitat in Canada due to farming has been significant: we have lost more than 85% of shortgrass prairie, 80% of mixed-grass prairie, 85% of aspen parkland and almost all our native tallgrass prairie.1
This illustration describes human economic activities and how they affect biodiversity
Now that you understand the consequences of not being responsible as humans, I'd like to present one final image that links people's effects on biodiversity.
It's a never ending cycle, economic growth leads to overconsumption, which requires development... and as we progress as humans, even though we may be inventing new things, or building larger sky scrapers, we need to remember that even though we are accomplishing something as humans, we are affecting the biodiversity of animals on earth. We are basically endangering ourselves.
It's up to you. Start getting involved and try your hardest to make a difference :)
Resources:
http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/3.Conservation/impacts.htm
http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/biodiversity.html
https://www.google.ca/ (for some images)
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