Human impacts on Biodiversity

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Background Information

Biodiversity is the variety of life in an ecosystem or biome. The more species there are in an ecosystem, the more biodiverse it is. Biodiversity is a great indicator of the health of an ecosystem and its resiliency to disturbances, natural or human-caused. The survival of many species in a biome often depends on the presence of one or more keystone species.

What is a Keystone Species?

Keystone species are often animals or plants that play a major role in an ecosystem: without them, the ecosystem could collapse. In the temperate forest biome, where Massachusetts is located, the white-tailed deer, black bear, and gopher tortoise are all keystone species that play a vital role in their ecosystem. When populations of these and other keystone species are threatened, the effects spread throughout the entire food web. If the keystone species is gone, the biome may collapse. Removing the keystone species is not the only cause for a biome to collapse. Removing or impacting too many populations of any species in a biome can also create a significant risk to its survival.

Human Impacts

Human activities like development, mining, oil drilling, and the introduction of invasive species can contribute to climate change, pollution, and habitat loss. This can cause animal populations to decline. Biodiversity helps ecosystems and biomes survive and adapt to environmental changes as they come. Some ways humans can support biodiversity in our local biomes are planting local vegetation, keeping trash out of ecosystems, and creating safe backyard spaces for local creatures.