Learn more about the 5 drivers of biodiversity loss from COP15 – the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal. Dr. Lindsay Rosa, our Director of CCI calls for bold action now to help conserve the 1 million species facing extinction.
Video Transcript:
Hi, I’m Dr. Lindsay Rosa, Director of our Center for Conservation Innovation at Defenders of Wildlife.
I’m here in Montreal, Canada, at COP15 Convention on Biological Diversity, where inside there’s a lot of discussion on how to get us back on track for conserving biodiversity worldwide.
There are five main drivers of biodiversity loss – habitat loss being one of the most widespread for species, both globally and in the U.S.
Protected areas and expanding our protected areas network is one important tool for helping us to mitigate the impacts on biodiversity.
The second driver is the introduction of invasive species to new environments.
Nearly all of our ecosystems in the U.S. are impacted by invasive species today. Climate change is another main driver of the biodiversity crisis and is already altering our environments and affecting species distributions through shifts in mean and extreme temperatures and precipitation.
Mitigating climate change ensures habitable climate for biodiversity and healthy natural ecosystems for all.
The fourth main driver of biodiversity loss is overexploitation. When humans harvest a species from the wild at rates faster than populations can recover.
The final main driver of biodiversity loss is pollution – greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural fertilizers, plastic waste and other sources of pollution have strong, negative effects on the soil, freshwaters, oceans, and atmosphere that wildlife and people depend on.
The United States needs a national biodiversity strategy to elevate the biodiversity crisis as a national priority and to make sure that we have a comprehensive plan for addressing all five of these major drivers of the biodiversity crisis.
The science is clear. 1 million species are threatened with extinction and the time for bold action is now.
