Final answer:
The growing human population in Madagascar leads to habitat destruction, unsustainable resource use, and biodiversity loss, endangering endemic species such as the Indri lemur and harming the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The increasing human population of Madagascar has caused significant environmental challenges and has had a profound impact on the island's unique biodiversity. Human activities, such as logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, mining, and demands for firewood, have led to a sharp decline in forested areas, which is detrimental to endemic species like the Indri lemur. Among other issues, habitat destruction, unsustainable resource use, and biodiversity loss are direct outcomes of the escalating human population on this distinct landmass.
Agriculture, being the main economic activity for about 80 percent of Madagascar's population, intensifies the pressure on the environment as more land is needed to feed the growing number of people. Despite having some protected areas, the lack of funding and high resource demand have obstructed proper conservation efforts. Moreover, although biodiversity typically increases over time through natural evolution, rapid human population growth has led to a decline in the rate of new species formation due to the aforementioned pressures.