Henderson 1

Jordan Henderson

Burr

English 2010

11 April 2018

Habitat Destruction

Habitat destruction is an issue that many people are unaware of. Hundreds of animals are

becoming extinct due to human activity every year. Humans are causing this issue by harvesting

natural resources from animal habitats for their own consumption, using the land for industrial

development, and by illegally hunting and poaching endangered species. Other causes of habitat

destruction include natural disasters such as fires and floods, although humans have a greater

impact on wildlife and their habitats.

The most common reason for habitat destruction is human expansion and industrial

development. Since the Earth’s population continues to grow, humans are forced to take more

land in order to support themselves and their communities. Examples of industrial development

include the construction of buildings used by the public. Such buildings include houses,

factories, and supermarkets. Other examples include roads and railways, farmland, and many

other services. Industrial development has also had an impact on the increase of pollution,

exposing animals to hazardous material. Not only is land pollution a problem but so is ocean

pollution. Out of the many species affected by

ocean pollution one example is the sea turtle. The

photograph to the right shows a sea turtle that got

tangled up in an abandoned fishing net and washed

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up on shore. Pollution has caused oceanse to become “full of garbage” as said by Elise Andrew

in the article ​Death by Plastic​. Ocean pollution is causing animals like this particular sea turtle to

become unable to survive in the habitat they live in and is becoming a threat towards many

different species.

Habitat destruction causes many

species to become endangered and

possibly even extinct. To the left

is an infographic explaining what

is required for a species to become

endangered and other facts about

the topic.

Another cause of habitat

destruction includes humans

harvesting natural resources from

inhabited areas for their own

consumption. Growth of Earth’s

population has also been a great

influence on this issue as well because the more people who must be fed and kept sheltered, the

higher the demand for food and resources which are found in animal inhabited areas. ​Population

in the world is currently growing at a ​rate​ of around 1.09% per year. (​Worldometers​) Therefore

the population of the world continues to become larger which calls for more area needed for

survival. This may become an issue in the future if the number of people inhabiting earth is
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greater than the area able for human expansion without critically harming the earth and the

creatures who rely on it.

Lastly, the most publicized cause of habitat destruction is illegal poaching and hunting of

endangered species. Many hunters illegally poach endangered animals for their special

characteristics. For example, elephants have become a popular target for poachers because of the

price value of their magnificent tusks. The Asian elephant in particular has been greatly affected

by illegal poaching and have been restricted to a small area in order to survive. (Gray 35) “Illegal

poaching must be stopped at all costs” ​Christopher Torchia, an elephant researcher and expert,

explained in an interview for this particular paper. Torchia is on a path to save the elephants from

extinction and to restore their status to normal.​ ​He also states that there are many ways people

are able to make a difference and help these beautiful creatures by donating to organizations

dedicated to preserving the elephants safety, going on preservation trips to assist the elephants

first hand, and learning about the issue and finding other ways to pursue the desired outcome.

Another issue within illegal poaching is there are native people who have been hunting certain

endangered species for thousands of years and rely on the resources they gain from doing so,

therefore it is difficult to restrict them from living their way of life because of the consequences

that could follow.

Although habitat destruction has become an important issue, it is impossible to eliminate

the problem completely. This is because the Earth’s population will continue to grow larger until

the planet can no longer sustain the mass amount of humans who inhabited it. Human expansion

and industrial development is necessary to a point, but as a consequence it has become a great

issue because many people do not consider the impact their actions will have on the environment
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before a problem happens. Organizations have tried thinking of ways to reduce human pollution

and extreme industrial expansion by creating awareness of the issue, but a large percentage of

people do not care nor realize what the long term consequences could be from their actions.

It may seem difficult for a single person to have an impact on the issue, there are actually

many different ways people are able to help preserve the environment and the animals that

inhabit such areas. There are organizations dedicated to preserving the environment and the

creatures that inhabit the Earth. The Endangered Species Act also has a great impact on helping

save species from becoming extinct. ​The purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to protect and

recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. (Neel 647)

In conclusion, after thorough research, evidence has been found on habitat destruction

and proves the atrocity of the situation. Humans have caused many species to become

endangered because of habitat loss through industrial development, harvesting natural resources

from animal habitats for their own consumption, and by illegally hunting and poaching

endangered species. It has become a great issue and is likely to be analyzed more in order to

create a solution and protect the environment and animals which live upon it. Also there are

already many organizations attempting to reduce the issue in their own ways, including

governmental organizations that have passed the Endangered Species Act. There are many ways

for people to make a difference and help save the Earth.

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Works Cited

Andrew, Elise. “For Ocean Animals, 'Death By Plastic' Could Be Occurring More Frequently.”

IFLScience​, IFLScience, 20 Mar. 2018.

“Current World Population.” ​World Population Clock: 7.6 Billion People (2018) -

Worldometers.

Gray, Thomas N. E., et al. "A Decade of Zero Elephant Poaching in the Cardamom Rainforest

Landscape,Cambodia." Gajah, no. 45, July 2016, pp. 35-38.

Neel, Maile C., et al. "By the Numbers: How Is Recovery Defined by the US Endangered

Species Act?." Bioscience, vol. 62, no. 7, July 2012, pp. 646-657.

Engler, Sarah. “10 Things You Didn't Know About the Endangered Species Act.” ​NRDC​, 8 Aug.

2017.

Henderson, Jordan. Personal Interview, 18 April 2018.

Henderson, Jordan. “Habitat Destruction Facts.” Infographic, 18 April 2018.