Final answer:
A protection group might oppose the building of a youth center next to a pond due to potential habitat destruction, pollution, and negative impacts on the ecosystem, all of which can have detrimental effects on local wildlife and the services they provide to the environment and to humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
A plant and animal protection group member might argue against building a youth center next to the pond because of several negative environmental impacts that such a development could have. First, the construction and ongoing presence of buildings, sports facilities, and a parking lot could disrupt the habitat of local wildlife, including ducks, fish, aquatic plants, toads, and insects. Second, the increased human activity could cause pollution and litter which would further degrade the habitat and potentially harm the animals that live there. Lastly, the urban development could alter the local ecosystem, for example by changing the water temperature or pH, which could impact the delicate balance needed for aquatic plants like duckweed and animals to thrive.
Using the ecosystem services concept, which posits that populations of plants and animals provide invaluable services, an environmentalist would argue that protecting these species is crucial not only for their own sake but also for the benefits they provide to humans, such as water purification and the support of healthy ecological communities. Incorporating natural features like wetlands and lagoons in urban design is beneficial, but placing a youth center right next to a natural pond without adequate planning and mitigation measures could lead to a variety of negative externalities, such as habitat destruction and decrease in biodiversity.