Human Activity, Biodiversity and Sustainability
- World’s population continues to grow, increasing the stress upon resources and environmental systems such as water and land.
- Population and growth and economic development resulted in spiralling demand for natural resources and reduction in natural ecosystems and biodiversity.
- 2005, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment- stated that humans have changed ecosystems extensively, resulting in a substantial loss of the diversity of life on Earth.
- 1/3 of plant species are threatened globally and that climate change could result in the extinction of up to 1 million of the world’s species by 2050.
- United Nations and the World Wide Fund for Nature are working to educate people to protect ecosystems and to support sustainable development.
- 1997 Kyoto conference on the environment resulted in the most industrialised countries agreeing to cut their carbon dioxide emissions by 30% by 2010.
- UK government created the UK biodiversity Action Plan in 1994, setting aims for the next 20 years:
- Protecting the best sites for wildlife-10% of the UK designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s).
- Targeting action on priority species and habitats 2007 UK diversity Partnership published list of 1,149 priority species and 65 habitats.
- Embedding consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem services in all sections of policy
- Encouraging people to change their behaviour, to environmental issues.
Management of Fragile Environments
A fragile environment lacks resilience to a change in conditions, many ecosystems are vulnerable to change such as the introduction of foreign species.