The Biggest Threats to Biodiversity on Earth

Agriculture and aquaculture are the largest single threat to key biodiversity areas around the world, according to data from the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. The categories for the major threats shown on this chart reflect classifications by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which are considered as top-level threats to biodiversity and ecosystems.

As this chart shows, several of the leading threats to biodiversity areas are human-made. For example, the group Human Intrusions and Disturbance encompasses a range of actions from recreational activities to war, civil unrest and military exercises, as well as work activities. Biological resource use includes among other things, hunting as well as logging and wood harvesting. Meanwhile, Natural System Modifications covers activities such as building dams and Pollution spans across threats such as sewage, oil spills, acid rain and noise pollution. The categories of Energy Production and Mining and Transportation and Service Corridors rank in eighth and tenth place, respectively, but have been included in this chart under Other.

The UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 talks are resuming at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome between February 25-27. The negotiations will pick up where experts left off in Cali, Colombia last October, with the respective parties looking to finalize decisions including on mobilizing resources for biodiversity, deciding on a monitoring framework and choosing a financial mechanism.