Displacement of wild species affects every region of the world, as the human population surges and demand for development increases. Whether it is to harness the Earth’s natural resources, create grazing fields for livestock, or construct roads and housing, development of wildlands effectively destroys the habitat many species depend on for survival. The human role in the destruction of wildlife, of course, needs to be addressed!
The eradication of entire ecosystems is not uncommon with land development, consequently wildlife has nowhere to stay. Although it may not seem immediately apparent, humans also rely on these ecosystems for survival:
- Wetlands provide filtration for drinking water
- Rainforests provide filtration for the air we breathe
- Coral reefs protect coastal regions from the destructive forces of ocean storms
- Grasslands are essential for food cultivation
The more these areas are transformed according to unsustainable needs, the harder it will be to simply get by.Environmental conservation is a hotly contested subject in nearly all parts of the world. As the world becomes increasingly modernized, the focus has been shifted away from nature to the expansion of industrialization.
Animal and plant species, lands and seas, even people are the unwitting victims of this global exploitation. When resources run out, a new breed of desperation will certainly emerge for all life on Earth. It may seem like a means to an end, but if the rate of destruction continues at its current rate, as a result of human expansion, that end may come sooner than we think.
For more on the human role in the destruction of wildlife, check out: How Human Activity Pollutes the Natural Environment or Habitat Destruction: A Human Problem!
Featured Image from Maxim Tolchinskiy/Unsplash
