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What is biodiversity? Describe 2 human caused reasons contributing to the loss of biodiversity and explain why this concerning

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Final answer:

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth and is threatened by human-caused factors such as habitat loss and the introduction of exotic species. These threats are concerning because they can lead to the collapse of ecosystems and loss of ecosystem services.

Step-by-step explanation:

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at various levels of organization, including species, genetic diversity, chemical diversity, and ecosystem diversity. There are two human-caused reasons contributing to the loss of biodiversity: habitat loss and introduction of exotic species. Habitat loss occurs through activities like deforestation and urbanization, which destroy the natural habitats of many species.

The introduction of exotic species disrupts the balance of ecosystems and can lead to the extinction of native species. These human-caused reasons are concerning because they can result in the collapse of ecosystems, loss of ecosystem services, and potential impacts on human well-being.

User Gaotter
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The term biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life.

Biodiversity is the most complex feature of our planet and it is the most vital.

Two human actions that contribute to the loss of biodiversity are:

1. Forest clearing

2. Wetland filling

3. Stream channeling and rerouting

4. Road and building construction

These are often part of a systematic effort that produces a substantial change in the ecological trajectory of a landscape or a region. As human populations grow, the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems they use may be transformed by the efforts of human beings to find and produce food, adapt the landscape to human settlement, and create opportunities for trading with other communities for the purposes of building wealth. Biodiversity losses typically accompany these processes.

User Oliver Dixon
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