Habitat Alteration

Habitat alteration includes many different things that can all threaten biodiversity in an area. One way a habitat can be altered is with the addition of buildings or houses. This is reduces the number of species that are able to survive in the surrounding areas. Another issue with the construction of building is that they influence their surroundings in ways that vegetation does not. This includes a greater release of heat and less evaporation of water than vegetation would produce.  The air and land around the buildings are affected, through an increase in temperature. Another type of habitat alteration is seen in farming practices. A big part of this is the land on which farmers allow cattle to graze. Cattle can be very harmful to an area and reduce diversity is species and plants greatly. One factor of this is that they eat the grass or plants in the area where they graze, reducing food available for other species. When there is an aquatic factor to the area, such as a lake or pond, cattle often walk on aquatic vegetation. The loss of the aquatic vegetation causes a more rapid erosion of the bank. This greatly impacts the habitat of amphibians, and if the problem is not corrected it can render the area uninhabitable. There are many other examples of habitat alteration, and many affect the environment in a manner that facilitates the local extinction of species, and decreases the overall species diversity of an area.

Sources:

Baur, Bruno, Anette Baur, and Andreas Erhardt. "Habitat Alterations: A Threat to Biodiversity." Habitat Alterations: A Threat to Biodiversity. Department of Environmental Sciences, n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.

"Habitat Destruction, Alteration and Fragmentation." Habitat Destruction, Alteration and Fragmentation. Amphibiaweb, n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.

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