Habitat loss is the primary driver of biodiversity loss globally. Forests are lost mainly due to agricultural expansion, timber harvesting, and grazing. During the 1990s, 94 million hectares of forest were lost, with 70% converted to agriculture. Coastal areas are also degraded by population growth, urbanization, and tourism. Solutions include establishing marine protected areas and regulating land use and development through integrated zoning plans.

1. EFFECT OF HABITAT
LOSS ON BIODIVERSITY

2. Biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the variety
of different types of life
found on the Earth and
the variations within
species. It is a measure of
the variety of organisms
present in different
ecosystems. This can
refer to genetic variation,
ecosystem variation, or
species variation within an
area, or planet.

3. Reason For Habitat Loss
• To make more land available for
housing and urbanization
• To harvest timber to create
commercial items such as paper,
furniture and homes
• To create ingredients that are highly
prized consumer items, such as the
oil from palm trees
• To create room for cattle ranching

6. Why is happening?
Forest loss and degradation is mostly
caused by the expansion of agricultural
land, intensive harvesting of timber,
wood for fuel and other forest products,
as well as overgrazing.

7. High land conversion rates
The net loss in global forest area during
the 1990s was about 94 million ha
(equivalent to 2.4% of total forests). It is
estimated that in the 1990s, almost 70%
of deforested areas were converted to
agricultural land.
Around half of the world's original
forests have disappeared, and they are
still being removed at a rate 10x higher
than any possible level of regrowth.

8. Coastal and marine areas
Human impact on terrestrial and marine
natural resources results in marine
and coastal degradation. Population
growth, urbanization, industrialization
and tourism are all factors.

10. Why is happening?
There are 3 main reasons for the
diminishing area available to
elephants and other wildlife: 1)
Deforestation, 2) Overgrazing and 3)
Over Hunting.

11. Deforestation
Farming and development
has lead to vast areas of
natural forest being burned,
chopped down, or
otherwise destroyed.
Because the soil is not
ideal for crops, farmers are
often successful only for a
few years, after which time,
farmers need to move on
and destroy another area
for their produce.

12. CONTINUE
The lack of viable forest areas means less
oxygen production and massive soil
erosion (as tree roots play a major part
n anchoring soil). Elephants need vast
areas of fertile land and forests in which
to graze. As they tear and push down
trees, they now begin to exacerbate the
man-made problem as there are
insufficient resources.

13. Overgrazing
In third-world continents, such as Africa
and Asia, overgrazing is a growing
epidemic. Grazing livestock has
completely destroyed the land and its
nutrients, rendering it completely
barren. As this problem spreads over
increased farming areas, the space
available to wildlife decreases
exponentially. With elephants requiring
as much vegetation as they do, these
areas are completely useless to them.

15. SOLUTIONS FOR HABITAT LOSS
• Marine Protected Areas
: marine sites such as
sanctuaries, fisheries
management areas, state
conservation areas, and
wildlife refuges
established to protect
habitats, endangered
species, and to restore
the health of marine
ecosystems in areas
jeopardized by habitat
and species loss.

16. CONTINUE
• Land use and development
regulation: An integrated approach to
land use and management based on
scientific knowledge is needed to
protect coastal areas. Policy makers
need to be informed on the impact
coastal development is having on
marine habitats through accessible
and evidence-based information.

17. CONTINUE
• Zoning: to integrated land use and
development management, zoning coastal
areas into MPAs, with varying levels of use
has the potential to slow some of the habitat
degradation caused by development.
Through cooperation among local, state,
and national governments, this approach
may provide a viable solution to all
stakeholders from tourists, to the fishing
industry, to conservation efforts, etc.