Habitat Loss Development of human society is inevitable. Natural habitats are destroyed for the purpose of settlement, agriculture, mining, industries and construction of highways. As a result species are forced to adapt to the changes in the environment or move to other places. If not, they become victim to predation, starvation, disease and eventually die or results in human animal conflict.
Over population, urbanization, industrialization and agricultural advancements require additional land, water and raw materials every year. This is made possible only through fragmentation or destruction of natural habitats by filling wetlands, ploughing grasslands, cutting down trees, forest, desilting rivers, constructing transport ways, caving mountains, extracting, ores, changing the course of rivers and filling of seashore. The most dramatic example of habitat loss comes from the tropical rainforests % of the earth’s land surface once covered by these tropical forests, is not more than % now. The Amazon rainforest, a vast area, harbouring millions of species, also called “Lungs of the planet”is destroyed and being replaced for agriculture and human settlements.
% of New Zealand’s wetlands have been destroyed and cleared for cultivating soya beans and raising grass for beef cattle. Kodaikanal and Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu have been XII Std Biology-Zoology Chapter- XII Std Biology-Zoology Chapter- Biodiversity and its Conservation destroyed rapidly for human occupancy. Loss of habitat results in annihilation of plants, microorganisms and forcing out animals from their habitats. Where are the Sparrows?
Common Sparrows are going extinct because of mindless urbanization. They are losing not just their natural habitats but also the essential human touch they need and thrive upon. The population of sparrows is dwindling due to the use of packed food, insecticides in farming and changing lifestyles, and match box-styled architecture resulting in an inadequate availability of food and shelter for the birds. Unlike pigeons that can make nests on ledges, sparrows need cavities to build their nests.