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HIPPCO model

Definition

The HIPPCO model is an acronym used to identify the major causes of biodiversity loss. It stands for Habitat destruction/fragmentation, Invasive species, Pollution (including climate change), Population growth (human), Overharvesting (overexploitation).

Analogy

Imagine you're trying to remember all the factors contributing to biodiversity loss by using your phone's home screen. Each letter in HIPPCO represents one app icon on your screen - habitat destruction/fragmentation is represented by a bulldozer icon destroying trees; invasive species is represented by a cartoon alien invading your phone; pollution is represented by smog coming out of a factory icon; population growth is represented by people multiplying in front of an increasing graph icon; overharvesting is represented by hands grabbing fish from an ocean icon.

Related terms

Biodiversity hotspot: These are regions with exceptionally high levels of biodiversity that are threatened due to human activities.

Keystone species: These are species that have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance. Their removal can cause significant changes in the structure and function of the ecosystem.

Ecological footprint: It is a measure of human demand on Earth's ecosystems, representing the amount of land and resources required to sustainably support a population.