Habitat Destruction
All over the world, people are changing the face of the Earth. Wild areas are cleared for farming and to build roads and expand cities. Our factories, cars and power stations poison the environment with polluting gases and chemical waste . As well as transforming the environment, we are destroying habitats, the homes of both plants and animals.
Living things have evolved over millions of years. Many animals and plants can only survive in certain environments. When such areas are destroyed, wildlife cannot always adapt to the new conditions and some species may die out . Thousands of species of plants and animals face extinction because of human activities.
People can also suffer from habitat destruction. When forests are cut down earth is washed away. This causes crop failure and starvation. There is the future to consider, too; plants provide essential food and can also be used in medicines. If species become extinct, their potential value will never be known.
The scale of destruction is enormous. Swamps, forests, grasslands and jungles are being cleared at an increasing rate . Half of the world's tropical rainforests have already been destroyed. Coral reefs, called the rainforests of the ocean because they are so rich in life, are threatened around the world. We must limit the damage to habitats now so that they remain a valuable resource for the future.
