Contents

Introduction

Biodiversity:- A definition

Threats of biodiversity:- Causes

 Habitat Loss
 Deforestation
 Draining Wetlands
 Human-wildlife conflict
 Poaching

Case Study:- Human-wildlife conflict and poaching

List of human-wildlife conflict

 Africa
 Asia

List of critically endangered species due to habitat loss

List of endangered species due to habitat loss

List of extinct animals due to habitat loss and poaching

Impact of habitat destruction

Mitigation

Conclusion

Bibliography

Acknowladgement
Introduction:-

For most of modern history, human actions have proceeded without people giving much thought to the
sustainability of ecosystems. Th ese actions often include things that drastically alter the conditions in an
ecosystem, such as draining wetlands, cutting down trees, and damming rivers. Sometimes, these
actions threaten biodiversity within a community or ecosystem and on Earth as a whole. Recall that one
measure of biodiversity is the variety of ecosystems on Earth. If human actions lead to the destruction of
entire ecosystems, such as wetlands or rainforests, biodiversity on Earth could decrease. As scientists
learn more about the effects of human actions on ecosystems, we are paying more attention to
decreasing human impact on ecosystems and restoring ecosystems that have already been altered
What is Biodiversity:-

Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on the Earth and the variations within
species.[1] It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer
to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or speciesvariation (number of species)[1] within an
area, biome, or planet.Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth. It is richest in the tropics. Marine
biodiversity tends to be highest along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is
highest and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans.

"Biodiversity" is most commonly used to replace the more clearly defined and long established
terms, species diversity and species richness. Biologists most often define biodiversity as the "totality of
genes, species, and ecosystems of a region".[41][42] An advantage of this definition is that it seems to
describe most circumstances and presents a unified view of the traditional types of biological variety
previously identified:

 taxonomic diversity (usually measured at the species diversity level)

 ecological diversity often viewed from the perspective of ecosystem diversity
 morphological diversity which stems from genetic diversity
Causes of threats to biodiversity:-

Habitat Loss:-

Habitat lossoccurs when events, due to natural disasters or human activities, alter a terrestrial or
aquatic ecosystem so drastically that many species can no longer survive there. If the organisms cannot
move somewhere else, or if no alternative habitat is available, species may not survive and biodiversity
is threatened. Natural sources of habitat destruction are events such as volcanic eruptions, wildfires,
droughts, and severe storms, such as hurricanes. Human activities that destroy habitats include

Deforestation:-

Deforestation occurs when forests are logged or cleared for human use and never replanted. In some
areas of the world, large sections of forests are cut down for timber or cleared for agricultural use..
Although tropical forests cover only about 7 percent of Earth’s land, it is estimated that they contain
about half of all the species on Earth. Annual deforestation rates in this area from 1966 to 1994 were
almost three times the average rate of deforestation worldwide, with forest cover decreasing by up to
55 percent during that time.

Draining Wetlands:-

Wetlands, areas of land that are covered by water for part or all of the year, are an important ecosystem
for many different species. Th ey cover about 6 percent of Earth’s surface. About 24 percent of the
world’s wetlands are in Canada. Plants, turtles, snakes, mink, and thousands of other organisms live in
wetlands. For juvenile animals, wetlands are a protected environment in which they can grow and
develop. Every spring and fall, migrating birds also use wetlands to feed and rest. Wetlands are often
drained for farming or for building homes and other buildings. Sometimes, they are drained for
mosquito control.

Human-wildlife conflict:-

Human–wildlife conflict refers to the interaction between wild animals and people and the resultant
negative impact on people or their resources, or wild animals or their habitat. It occurs when growing
human populations overlap with established wildlife territory, creating reduction of resources or life to
some people and/or wild animals. The conflict takes many forms ranging from loss of life or injury to
humans, and animals both wild and domesticated, to competition for scarce resources to loss
and degradation of habitat.

Poaching:-

Poaching has traditionally been defined as the illegal hunting, killing, or capturing of wild animals,
usually associated with land use rights.Until the 20th century, mostly impoverished peasants poached
for subsistence purposes, thus supplementing meager diets.By contrast, stealing domestic animals (as
in cattle raiding, for example) classifies as theft, not as poaching.Since the 1980s, the term "poaching"
has also referred to the illegal harvestingof wild plant species.
Case Study:-

Human-wildlife conflict and poaching:-

Background introduction:-

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is fast becoming a critical threat to the survival of many
globallyendangered species, in particular to large and rare mammals such as the Sumatran tiger
(Pantheratigris sumatrae) and the Asian lion (Panthera leo persica), but also to less endangered
species suchas the snow leopard (Uncia uncia) and the Red colobus monkey (Procolocus kirkii). The
numerouscases from countries all over the world demonstrate the severity of human-wildlife
conflict andsuggest that an in depth analysis is essential to understand the problem and support the
conservationprospects of threatened and potentially endangered species.However what is the exact
definition of HWC, when and where does it usually occur? According tothe world consevstion union it
occurs when wildlife’s requirements overlap with those of human populations, creating costs to
residents and wild animals. Directcontact with wildlife occurs in both urban and rural areas, but
it is generally more common insideand around protected areas, where wildlife population density is
higher and animals often stray intoadjacent cultivated fields or grazing areas.

Major causes of human-wildlife conflict:-

i) Human population growth

ii) Land use transformation
iii) Species habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation
iv) Growing interest in ecotourism and increasing access to nature reserves
v) Increasing livestock populations and competitive exclusion of wild herbivores
vi) Abundance and distribution of wild prey
vii) Increasing wildlife population as a result of conservation programmes
viii) Climatic factors
List of human-wildlife conflict:-

Africa:-

Lion and other carnivore conflict in Zimbabwe [Lion (Panthera leo), vulnerable; Leopard (Panthera
pardus), endangered]:-

In Zimbabwe, many areas of traditional agro-pastoralism bordering protected areas suffer

fromlivestock depredation. In particular, in the Gowke communal land, neighbouring the
SengwaWildlife Research Area, rural villagers experience a negative impact from the close proximity to
thereserve, wild carnivores attack domestic livestock and the conflict is severe. It was reported
that,between January 1993 and June 1996 in a study area of 33-km2 , 241 livestocks were killed by
baboons,lions and leopards which contributed respectively to 52%, 34% and 12% of the kill.

Lion and other carnivore conflict in Kenya [Lion (Panthera leo), vulnerable; Cheetah (Acynonyx
jubatus), vulnerable; Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), lower risk: conservationDependent:-

HWC not only affects rural and vulnerable communities, but also commercial cattle ranches. In
thisregard, Patterson et al. (2004) evaluated the level of impact of two pricate cattle ranches that lie
adjacent to the boundary of the Tasvo East National Park in Kenya. In this study area, three carnivores
species were determined to be responsible for attacks: lions and spotted hyenas, which target
large domestic animals such as cows, bulls, steers; and cheetahs, which take only smaller adult
stock and young cattle
Asia:-

Snow leopard conflict in India and Mongolia [Snow leopard (Uncia uncia), endangered;Tibetan
wolf (Canis lupus chanku), vulnerable]:-

In the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, around Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, despite the fact
thatconflict among agro-pastoralists and wildlife is increasing in relation to the growing
livestockpopulation, villagers have not resorted to killing the main source of the problem: the
snow leopard. In 1995 wild carnivores killed 18% of the total livestock holding; This amounted of an
anual loss of 12% for mafilies livestok holding. Almost all death caused by the snow leopard.

Lion and leopard conflict in India [Asian lion (Panthera leo persica) critically endangered;Leopard
(Panthera pardus), endangered]:-

In India, in the state of Gujarat, in the proximity of Gir National Park and Sanctuary, the Asian
lion(Panthera leo persica) and leopard (Panthera pardus) use the extensive plantations of
sugarcaneand mango to find shelter and water and to hunt prey such as buffaloes, cows, pigs
and dogs.Several lions are reported to have strayed outside the park boundary and into
plantations for morethan a week, while leopards have chosen it as permanent habitat and even
breed in cultivated fields bordering the edge of the park (Vijayan and Pati, 2002)

Tiger and Asian elephant conflict in India [Tigers (Panthera tigris), endangered; Asian elephants
(Elephas maximus), endangered]:-

In the Southern Indian state of Karnatake, the Bhadra Tiger Reserve hosts a large number of
mammlian fauna as well as population of 3000 people. Data collection and surveys performed in the
region between 1996 and 1999 provided evidence of resident villagers suffering from a high level of
economic impact due to HWC.
List of critically endangered species due to habitat loss:-

Amur Leopard:-

The Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is a leopard subspecies native to the Primorye region of
southeastern Russia and the Jilin Province of northeastChina. It is classified as Critically
Endangered since 1996 by IUCN. In 2007, only 19–26 wild Amur leopards were estimated to survive.

Asiatic cheetah:-

The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), also known as theIranian cheetah, is a critically
endangered cheetah subspecies surviving today only in Iran. It used to occur in India as well, where it
is locally extinct.[1]

Black rhinoceros:-

The black rhinoceros or hook-lipped rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is a species of rhinoceros, native to
eastern and central Africa including Kenya, Tanzania,Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe,
and Angola. Although the rhinoceros is referred to as black, its colors vary from brown to grey.

Chinese alligator:-
The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)is one of two known living species ofAlligator, a genus in
the family Alligatoridae. Alligator sinensis is endemic toeastern China. The species is listed as critically
endangered by the IUCN.
Chinese giant salamander:-
The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander and largest amphibian in
the world, reaching a length of 180 cm (5.9 ft), although it rarely—if ever—reaches that size today.

Javan rhino:-
The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), also known as the Sunda rhinoceros or lesser one-horned
rhinoceros, is a very rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses.

mountain gorilla:-
The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of theeastern gorilla. There
are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within
three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-westUganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in
the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

red wolf:-
The red wolf (Canis rufus[4]/Canis lupus rufus[5]), also known as the Florida wolf orMississippi Valley
wolf[6] is a canid of unresolved taxonomic identity native to theeastern United States.[7][8] It is
generally, morphologically, an intermediate between the coyote and gray wolf, and is of a reddish,
tawny color.[
blue-throated macaw:-
The blue-throated macaw (Ara glaucogularis; previously Ara caninde), also known as Caninde macaw or
Wagler's macaw,[2] is a macaw endemic to a small area of north-central Bolivia, known as Los Llanos de
Moxos,

Philippine eagle:-
The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), also known as the monkey-eating eagle or great Philippine
eagle, is an eagle of the family Accipitridae endemic to forests in the Philippines.

California condor:-
The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a New World vulture, the largest North American
land bird. This condor became extinct in the wild in 1987 (all remaining wild individuals were captured),
but the species has been reintroduced to northern Arizona

Mediterranean monk seal:-

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is a pinniped belonging to the family Phocidae. As
of 2015, it is estimated that fewer than 700 individuals survive in three or four isolated subpopulations
in the Mediterranean
List ofendangered species due to habitat loss:-

blue whale:-
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to thebaleen
whales (Mysticeti).[9] At 30 metres (98 ft)[10] in length and 180 tonnes (200short tons)[11] or more in
weight, it is the largest extant animal and is the heaviest known to have existed.

giant panda:-
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear[3]native
to south central China.It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over
the ears, and across its round body.

Iberian lynx:-
The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is an endangered species of felid living mainly in the Iberian Peninsula in
southwestern Europe.[2] They are categorized as endangered by many institutions, including the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

wild water buffalo:-

The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo, is a
large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Endangered in the IUCN
Red List since 1986.
List of extinct animals due to habitat loss and poaching:-
Eastern Cougar:-
Western black rhinoceros:-
Macroscincus coctei:
Bermuda saw-whet owl:
Arabian ostrich
Bali Tiger
Barbary Lion
Tasmanian Wolf

Next page

Formosan clouded leopard

Golden toad
Elephant Bird
Dodo
Cape Lion
Quagga
Mauritius blue pigeon
Caspian tiger
Impact of habitat destruction:-
Prominent consequences of habitat destruction may include local or global extinction of species and
thusbiodiversity loss. In a anthropocentric context a major consequence is reduction of ecosystem
services or loss of economic value of the environment to humans. Specific elements of these losses
include: (a) topsoil erosion; (b) reduction in sustainable yields of fisheries, forests and other biotic
resources; (c) loss ofpollinators; (d) reduction in water quality due to sedimentation; (e) loss of carbon
storage; (f) reduction of surface water resources and (g) loss of genetic materials that provide medicinal
value. Reduction of usable water resource is compounded by pollution degradation pollution along with
reduced retention of freshwater resources as natural soils and detritus are replaced with less pervious
soils and even pavement.Without regard to the inestimable value of species lost and aesthetic
degradation, the brute economic toll of habitat destruction is massive. Economic losses to fisheries and
agricultural productivity equates easily to hundred of billions of dollars (US) per annum. More
significantly, the uprooting of food security for hundreds of millions of people is an intrinsic
consequence of the topsoil and pollinator losses. The loss of food security is occurring in the very places
that habitat losses are currently greatest, and where population growth is the highest, implying a near
certainty of increasing famine and warfare in those regions as food and water conflicts exacerbate.
Mitigation:-
There are numerous ways we can reduce our impact on natural habitats and many schemes are already
being implemented.

• Perhaps the most obvious solution is to not build on land that provides natural habitats, often the best
way to do this is to build upwards rather than outwards. Advances in engineering, architecture and
materials means that buildings can now be built taller than ever and safer than ever.This approach is
attractive to authorities where land is already at a premium and many Eastern and Middle Eastern
Countries are adopting this method

• In many parts of the world we’re seeing old buildings being demolished to make way for new ones.
Often the replacements are designed with a growing population in mind and through better planning
and design, shared communal facilities and taller constructions it’s now possible to allocate more space
to each resident whilst the development as a whole has a smaller footprint.
Conclusion:-
It is of utmost importance for us to develop quick and effective ways to protect species from extinction.
If we fail to conserve the species facing extinction now, we are paving the way for easier and faster
depletions in the future. We will live in a domesticated world lacking wild biodiversity, and in the words
of poet and ecologist Gary Snyder, “if the human race…were to survive at the expense of many plant
and animal species, it would be no victory.”
Bibliography:-
[1] Wikipedia- List of endangered animals
[2] Wikipedia-Biodiversity
[3] Wikipedia- Habitat destruction
[4] Human-Wildlife Conflict worldwide:collection of case studies, analysis of management strategies and
good practices.
[5] Save us Magazine
Acknowladgement:-
First and foremost, I wish to acknowledge Eve Crowley (SDAR) for her intellectual contributions as
well as for her support and encouragement. I’m grateful to the support of another FAO staff
member, Williamson Douglas (FORC), who initially suggested the idea of producing an article on
one of the most recently debated issues: the human-wildlife conflict. His vision and expertise
had been a major asset in shaping this report. Lastly, thanks are due to Zarina Douglas, who edited this
final version. Her excellent work made the publication possible.Elisa Distefano