Deforestation and Habitat Loss: Human Causes, Consequences and Possible Solutions

Abstract

Deforestation leads to habitat loss while preservation and conservation of the natural forest increase biological diversity. Multiple factors have been reported to be responsible for deforestation and habitat loss, which could either be of human or natural origin.Natural causes of deforestation could be as a result of forest fires, droughts, exotic animals, floods, overpopulation of foreign animals and climate change. That notwithstanding, human activities are among the principal causes of global deforestation and habitat loss with agricultural expansion, cattle breeding, timber extraction, mining,oil extraction, dam construction and infrastructure development as some examples of these human influences. This study identifies agricultural activities and urbanization as the chief causes of human induced deforestation and habitat loss on a large scale. The simple and more practicable approach to curb the already alarming effects of deforestation and habitat loss is through environmental education of everyone still surviving on our planet.Environmental education is the key to reversing continuous and deliberate human actions through the protection of every natural forest and afforestation where necessary.