Habitat Destruction

Definition

Habitat destruction is when natural habitats are no longer able to support the species present, resulting in their displacement or extinction. This can be due to direct human actions like deforestation or indirectly through climate change.

Related terms

Fragmentation: The process where a large expanse of habitat is transformed into several smaller patches of smaller total area, isolated from each other by a matrix of habitats unlike the original.

Ecosystem Disruption: A significant change or series of changes in an ecosystem that alters its function, structure, or population makeup.

Invasive Species:

Non-native species introduced into new environments that grow and reproduce rapidly causing major disturbances to the areas they invade.