Experts Warn for ‘Catastrophic Danger’ of Nature & Wildlife

A significant Living Planet Report, a WWF’s flagship publication released every two years on comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet, reveals a strong and clear warning that our relationship with nature is broken.

The findings of the report suggested that the Biodiversity – the rich diversity of life on Earth – is being lost at an alarming rate. This loss affects our own health and well-being. The catastrophic affect for people and the planet loom closer today than ever.

No further evidence or “science” is required to emphasize the fact that since the industrial revolution, human activities have increasingly destroyed and degraded forests, grasslands, wetlands and other important ecosystems.

The continuous conversion of natural world into agricultural land and other commercial works has been the major cause of the damage of the balance of eco-system for decades, which has come to it its threshold level. The report says, the most significant direct driver of biodiversity loss in terrestrial systems in the last several decades has been food production, primarily the conversion of pristine native habitats into agricultural systems. Globally, climate change is projected to become the most significant driver of biodiversity loss in coming decades. Changing land use for food production is the biggest driver of nature loss. About 50% of the world’s habitable land area is already used for agriculture – for livestock such as cattle and pigs and for crops that feed both people and livestock.

Another crucial aspect is rapid declining of the freshwater biodiversity. Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands provide huge benefits to people around the world – for farming, industry, drinking water and more. And they are a home for around 1 in 10 known animals. The result of the same is 1 in 3 freshwater species are threatened with extinction. Habitat breakdown through pollution and changes made to the flow of rivers and lakes, together with overexploitation and mining are just some of the threats facing freshwater species.

Aparently Rhinos, polar bears and tigers may be the focus of most headlines about species loss, but there are numerous species of insects, plants and microscopic life forms are also facing extinction in this century.

While many remain unknown or misunderstood, they are actually crucial to our existence:

Plants are the foundations of virtually all land-based ecosystems – for forests, grasslands and even deserts
Microorganisms are crucial to making soil fertile; without them, plants wouldn’t be able to grow
Insects help to pollinate plants that provide food for people and wildlife – 3 out of 4 food crops depend, at least in part, on them

When we clear land for growing crops, too often we overload it with it with fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals that strip it of the nutrients and microorganisms needed to sustain soil biodiversity. Without the support of healthy soil, many plants and insects struggle to thrive.

An immediate effort and initiative and adopting new scientific models can only stop this continuous decline of the biodiversity. Building alternate versions of our living planet allows us to plan for a better future for life on Earth. The desired result could be achieved by embracing bolder, more ambitious conservation efforts as well as making transformational changes in the way we produce and consume food, such as making food production and trade more efficient, reducing waste, and favouring healthier and more sustainable diets.

Source: Living Planet Report