Biodiversity?

Question

whats the greatest threat to biodiversity

1)global warming
2)intro of exotic species
3)habitat destruction
4)overexploitation of populations for food
5)rapid-extinction events

Answer 1

The topic of biodiversity is very compicated and somewhat controvercial. Depending on how you look at it, all of the choices above could be considered the greatest threat to biodiversity. The major discussions in science today are lead by global warming and overexploitation (major example being marine fisheries). They are all over the news and they are things that we think we might be able to have some control over.

My interests and research focus on invasive species and habitat destruction. Both of which change species composition and richness (diversity) primarily by human actions.

It might be reasonable tosay that Humans are the greatest threat to biodiversity. We have contributed to all of the choices above since man started strategizing for his survival. But there are also natural processes occuring that also threaten and enhance biodiversity.

There are numerous ways of defining biodiversity and ecological threats. The field of biodiversity is always changing.