Habitat Loss, the Dynamics of Biodiversity, and a Perspective on Conservation

Excerpt

Habitat loss has been, and still is, the greatest threat to biodiversity (Brooks et al. 2002; Hanski 2005; Groom et al. 2006). According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), more than half of several biomes, including the Mediterranean and temperate forests and tropical and sub-tropical dry broadleaf forests, had been converted by 1990; in Western Europe, only 2–3% of original forests remain in natural or natural-like condition (WWF Report 2001). Zooming into more detailed classifications of habitat does not change the picture. As an example, a recent in-depth assessment of changes in the quality and quantity of 368 habitat types in Finland (Raunio et al. 2008) classified the vast majority either as threatened (189 habitat types) or near threatened (105), while only 74 habitat types were considered to be of least concern. The conversion of natural habitats to agricultural land, pastures, plantations, built areas and infrastructure continues, propelled by increasing human population size and by accelerating demand for resources. …