Question

in your own words, answer the following questions related to biodiversity:
a) what is the biodiversity crisis? 1 mark
use the editor to format your answer
question 22
b) provide 3 reasons discussed in class for why is the biodiversity crisis happening, and explain each one in a few sentences. 3 marks
use the editor to format your answer

Explanation:

Part (a)

The Biodiversity Crisis refers to the rapid and widespread loss of Earth's biological diversity, including species extinction, reduction in genetic variation within species, and degradation of ecosystems, occurring at an accelerated rate due to human activities and environmental changes.

1. Habitat Loss: Human activities like deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture destroy natural habitats. For example, cutting down rainforests for farmland removes homes for countless species, disrupting food chains and reducing species' ability to survive.
2. Climate Change: Rising temperatures, altered precipitation, and extreme weather events (e.g., droughts, floods) shift ecosystems. Coral reefs bleach as oceans warm, and species may not adapt or migrate fast enough to new climate conditions, leading to population declines.
3. Overexploitation: Overfishing, overhunting, and unsustainable harvesting (e.g., of timber or medicinal plants) deplete species. For instance, overfishing reduces fish populations, affecting marine food webs and the livelihoods of communities dependent on them.

Answer:

The Biodiversity Crisis is the rapid, widespread loss of Earth's biological diversity (species, genetic variation, ecosystems) at an accelerated rate, driven by human and environmental factors.

Part (b)