3 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY 4 Slides per page

Global Biodiversity: Indicates a rapidly decreasing trend due to human activities.

Species Conservation: Classification can help in conserving biodiversity.

Malawi’s Forest Cover: 36.2% forested area; significant deforestation from 1990-2005 (0.84% to 0.93% annual loss).

Threats to Biodiversity:

• Human actions leading to extinction include:

  • Habitat destruction

  • Invasive species

  • Pollution

  • Overharvesting and hunting

• Current extinction rates are unprecedented (100 species per million species/year).

Indicators of Extinction Risk:

• Factors for conservation status: population size, habitat quality, reproductive potential, and geographic range.

• Published by IUCN in the Red List of Threatened Species.

Ecosystem Dynamics:

• Ecosystems with complex food webs are more resilient

• Succession promotes biodiversity until a stable climax community is achieved

Human Impact on Biodiversity:

• Increased agriculture, pollution, disease spread, and climate change threaten species.

IUCN Categories:

• Extinct (Ex), Endangered (E), Critically Endangered (CR), Vulnerable (V), Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC).

Tropical Biomes:

• Contain high biodiversity, but face exploitation conflicts. Estimated 50% of Earth's species reside here.

• Unsustainable practices lead to loss of ecological services and biodiversity.

Case Studies:

• Discuss one extinct species, one critically endangered, and a third that has benefitted from intervention.

• Evaluate human impact and conservation strategies.