Human Influence on Biodiversity

The human population is growing exponentially. There are about 7-9 billion people on the planet. The increased growth rate is due to improved life expectancy due to improved healthcare, better hygiene, housing and good infrastructure.The main factors affecting biodiversity are deforestation, agriculture and climate change. In order to feed a growing population, more land has to be cleared. This destroys hedges, woodlands and forests to make way for single crops to be planted(monoculture).Large areas of forests are cleared to make way for roads, building and to use the timber for building.There is strong evidence that the release of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from burning fossil fuels is driving an increase in global temperatures. The rise in global temperatures leads to climate change which affects the survival and distribution of species on the planet.