What is habitat loss?

Ruairi

Habitats are areas in the natural world where plants, animals, and other organisms live, eat, and hang out. These could be trees, bushes, rockpools, coral reefs, or even wildflowers growing in the cracks of pavements.

Biodiversity is the name given to the variety of living things found on planet Earth, such as plants and animals. Scientists believe there may be as many as a staggering 8.7 million species on Earth.

Every year it is estimated that between 10,000 and 100,000 of these species become extinct, often before we've even discovered them. Losing biodiversity causes irreversible damage to our wider environment.

The main cause of habitat loss is from human activity, such as taking more land and sea for activities like intensive farming, large-scale fishing and expanding cities.

The air, land and sea have all become increasingly polluted and rising temperatures are causing ice to melt, contributing to rising sea levels, floods and extreme weather.

These issues may seem far away from you and I, but this problem is right at our doorstep!

Good biodiversity - equals healthy habitats – equals a thriving planet. So when we harm habitats it does have an impact on us too.

For example in the UK and Ireland peatlands are home to lots of rare and unusual plants, birds and insects. Many of these important carbon guzzling habitats have been drained to make them less waterlogged and better for growing crops.

Not only does this put the species living there in danger but when damaged, peat bogs release carbon back into the atmosphere as CO₂.

Habitats like coral reefs, and mangroves act as a barrier to protect our shores.

While the trees in our great forests are helping to slow down global warming and climate change.

Birds, bats and insects like bees and butterflies play a vital role in our food system. I know they're not always cute but we do need them!

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that a global temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius could see virtually all of the coral reefs destroyed. We have already had a global temperature rise of 1.1 degrees.

So what can we do to help?

Of course there’s the big stuff like policy makers committing to protect the environment, conserve more of our land for nature, and use more sustainable farming methods that can cause less harm to the natural environment.

But small actions will also make a big difference. Like planting wildflowers and building bug hotels in our parks, balconies, window boxes or gardens.

Or even just supporting a local community group that’s working to protect nature near you. All these actions help to give back little corners of our concrete jungles to the natural world that protects us.