Question

Human impact on biodiversity is...

		a net positive one, based off of intensive conservation efforts.
		slowing in recent decades.
		multifaceted, relating to habitat utilization, as well as biogeochemical effects.
		Isolated to large land masses.

Answer 1

The occurrence of different types of genes, gene pools, species, habitats and ecosystems in a particular place and various parts of earth is called biodiversity. The conservation of biodiversity is important for our economic aspect, ecosystem services that nature provides and ethical aspect. But currently, the loss of biodiversity is related mostly with human impacts that affect biodiversity by their population numbers, use of lands and their lifestyles, causing damage to habitats for species. The total impact that humans are making on the environment is determined when we are aware of the fact that the area of the productive land and water needed to produce the item which is being consumed and the waste generated by human practices must be taken into account.

Human actions either it may be direct or indirect means is causing decrease in biodiversity. These direct or indirect actions are related with human drivers who tend to drive the extent of biodiversity loss either by demographic, economic, sociopolitical, scientific and technological, cultural and religious factors or reducing land cover, species introductions or removals, harvesting, air and water pollution and climate change. Human activity has substantially changed one third to one half of earth's surface. This is due to result of growth in population and overuse of natural resources. The increase in human population is the root cause of decrease in bidiversity as there is need to convert natural habitats to land for human consumption. The conversion of natural habitats to fields where food is grown sustains the growth of humans. But the dangers associated with decrease in amount of natural habitats is that species will no longer be present on earth and this directly affects agriculture because many of the species that are being destroyed may have been used to produce genetically modified crops. Human actions has also influenced the climate change which is a big concern for biodiversity. The change in climate is due to increase in global temperature for the increased incidence of green house gases like CO2, which causes melting of ice caps, rising of sea level, changes in rainfall pattern.The change in climate induce changes in species as it affects the timing of reproduction and migration, the length of growing seasons, species distribution and population sizes and the frequency of pest and disease outbreak.

Besides the human impacts on biodiversity, government actions with the collaborative effects of the international organizations like UN will provide a large scale effect on saving biodiversity. The historic convention on biological diversity (The Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janerio in 1992, called upon all nations to take appropriate measures for conservation of biodiversity and sustainable utilization of its benefits. The Kyoto protocol in 1997, has specified the commitments of different countries to mitigate climate change. This protocol requires countries to take appropriate measures to reduce their overall greenhouse gas emissions to a level.

So, the human impact on biodiversity is multifaceted, relating to habitat utilization, as well as biogeochemical effects.