Why is overexploitation a problem? Overexploitation is one of the main threats to global biodiversity. Other threats include pollution, introduced and invasive species, habitat fragmentation, habitat destruction, uncontrolled hybridization, global warming, ocean acidification and the driver behind many of these, human overpopulation.
Full Answer
What are the effects of overexploitation?
Feb 22, 2020 · Why is overexploitation a problem? Overexploitation is one of the main threats to global biodiversity. Other threats include pollution, introduced and invasive species, habitat fragmentation, habitat destruction, uncontrolled hybridization, global warming, ocean acidification and the driver behind many of these, human overpopulation.
What is overexploitation of Natural Resources?
Jun 22, 2021 · Some of the consequences of overexploitation of aquifers are: Less availability of water resources (depletion of the most accessible fresh water sources). Quality effects due to contamination of aquifers and other water bodies. Loss of storage capacity of aquifers due to the redistribution of materials and pores that characterize aquifers.
What are the causes of over-exploitation of animals?
Jun 20, 2021 · Overexploitation of soils. Large-scale mining. The indiscriminate felling of trees that produces deforestation. Overfishing or excessive fishing that devastates the seabed and destroys habitats and species. The extraction of vast …
What is the difference between overfishing and overexploitation?
Mar 29, 2022 · Overexploitation of natural sources – overhunting, overfishing and forest logging – threatens the largest number of species. Agriculture – the expansion of land for crops, livestock, timber and aquaculture – is another leading threat. This is driven by habitat loss, livestock competition and agricultural pollution.
How does overexploitation affect us?
The exploitation of ecosystems by humans has long-lasting consequences for the future provision of natural resources and ecosystem services1,2. This may negatively affect the provision of food, increase health hazards and risks of natural disasters, and more.Mar 29, 2019
How does overexploitation cause extinction?
conservation and extinction issues Overharvesting, or overfishing in the case of fish and marine invertebrates, depletes some species to very low numbers and drives others to extinction. In practical terms, it reduces valuable living resources to such low levels that their exploitation is no longer sustainable.
What are the problems of over exploitation of resources?
Over exploiting of resources has led to global crises such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation. 4. This has also resulted in the imbalance in nature due to which the weather system is disturbed completely and tsunamis and cyclones are happening frequently.Jan 31, 2019
What is the main cause of overexploitation?
Often overexploitation occurs when natural populations are harvested for food. A classic example was the persecution of the passenger pigeon, which once was the most abundant bird in North America.
How does overexploitation affect wildlife conservation?
As one species becomes overexploited, fishing pressure has simply shifted to other species—overharvested top predators are replaced with target species farther down the food web.Feb 2, 2022
What are the effects of overexploitation of natural resources?
While natural ecosystems are essential for plant and animal growth, overexploitation can lead to severe issues like global warming, food insecurity, climate change, and mineral depletion.Apr 20, 2021
What are the two main causes of overexploitation of natural resources?
What are the two main causes of over-exploitation of natural resources? Answer: Growing population and industrialisation.Oct 2, 2019
What are examples of overexploitation?
Terrestrial animals may be overexploited as sources of food, garments, jewelry, medicine, or pets. For example, the poaching of elephants for their valuable ivory and rhinos for their horns, which are used in traditional medicine, is a major threat to these species.Jun 13, 2021
What problems have been created by over exploitation of resources class 10?
(iii) Global ecological crisis : Over utilisation of resources has led to the global ecological crisis such as global warming, depletion of ozone layer, pollution and land degradation.Jul 25, 2017
What animal is affected by overexploitation?
Overexploitation is the most prevalent threat for marine mammals and marine fishes (affecting 88% and 94%, respectively) and is also an impor- tant threat for reptiles and terrestrial mammals (affecting 65% and 47%, respectively).
What is water overexploitation and examples
The indiscriminate extraction of water resources , above the recharge levels of the aquifers is what we know as overexploitation of fresh water . Why do we say fresh water? Because the water reserves that we exploit are underground and these, as explained in our article on What are groundwater , are freshwater.
Causes of water overexploitation
What causes the overexploitation of water? Here we summarize some of the causes of freshwater overexploitation :
Consequences of overexploitation of water
After knowing what the abuse of the extraction of water resources is and some of its main causes, more questions arise, such as: what consequences does the overexploitation of groundwater generate? Or, how does overexploitation of water affect us?
Solutions for water overexploitation
Finally, we want to indicate some aspects on how to avoid overexploitation of water . The best solution is to establish responsible and sustainable consumption practices for water resources. Among the actions to reduce the overexploitation of water and put an end to this problem, the following stand out:
What is overexploitation of natural resources
Humans have spent our entire lives altering ecological communities and ecosystems by taking advantage of what nature offers us, although in the past it was much more measured or reduced than today, since we were less human and with fewer tools.
Causes of overexploitation of natural resources
What causes the overexploitation of resources? It is important to know this, since knowing what the overexploitation of natural resources is but not taking into account the reasons why it happens implies that we will not find a good solution. Thus, now we explain what are the main causes of overexploitation of natural resources :
Consequences of overexploitation of natural resources
Now that we know what this global problem is about and what its causes are, all of them related to our activities, we will talk about the consequences and effects on the planet and our species. What are the consequences of overexploitation of natural resources? We can list the following as the main consequences, but there are many more.
Possible solutions for overexploitation of natural resources
Fortunately, of course, there are several actions that we can take to curb and reduce this problem. Thus, these are some of the possible solutions for the overexploitation of natural resources :
What is overexploitation of Atlantic cod?
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource.
What is the peak water curve?
Overexploitation of groundwater from an aquifer can result in a peak water curve. Water resources, such as lakes and aquifers, are usually renewable resources which naturally recharge (the term fossil water is sometimes used to describe aquifers which do not recharge).
What bird was overexploited?
When the giant flightless birds called moa were overexploited to the point of extinction, the giant Haast's eagle that preyed on them also became extinct. Concern about overexploitation is relatively recent, though overexploitation itself is not a new phenomenon. It has been observed for millennia.
What are the only parrots that are native to the eastern United States?
Carolina parakeet – The only parrot species native to the eastern United States, was hunted for crop protection and its feathers. Other species affected by overexploitation include: The international trade in fur: chinchilla, vicuña, giant otter and numerous cat species. Insect collectors: butterflies.
What are the threats to biodiversity?
Other threats include pollution, introduced and invasive species, habitat fragmentation, habitat destruction, uncontrolled hybridization, climate change, ocean acidification and the driver behind many of these, human overpopulation.
What are the threats to coral reefs?
Many coral reefs are overexploited; threats include coral mining, cyanide and blast fishing, and overfishing in general. Overexploitation is one of the main threats to global biodiversity.
What is the second wave of extinction?
A second wave of extinctions occurred later with European settlement. In more recent times, overexploitation has resulted in the gradual emergence of the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development, which has built on other concepts, such as sustainable yield, eco-development, and deep ecology.
What fish are in decline?
Prized fish, such as swordfish, cod and tuna, have undergone dramatic declines. In the Great Lakes, overfishing has caused whitefish, walleye, and sturgeon populations to decline. Beyond their role in the food supply, freshwater and marine fish are also trapped for the aquarium trade and fished for sport. Birds: Certain species of birds are ...
Why did the Carolina Parakeet go extinct?
The Carolina parakeet was once the only species of parrot in the U.S., but it was hunted to extinction early in the last century for food, to protect crops and for its feathers (which adorned ladies’ hats). Mammals: People have always hunted mammal species—for fur, food, sport, and for their horns or antlers.
What animals are threatened by illegal hunting?
Today illegal hunting still threatens many species, especially large mammals such as tigers, rhinoceros, bears, and primates, whose body parts are highly valued in some parts of the world for traditional medicine.
Why are shells collected?
Shells and corals are collected for ornaments and jewelry. Plants: The Earth's plants are vital to our survival and are the foundation of most ecosystems. People harvest plants for food, medicine, building materials, and raw materials to make other products. But we are taking too many plants from the wild.
How has the fishing industry become more efficient?
Fish and other aquatic species: As fishing gear and boats have improved, the fishing industry has become very efficient at harvesting fish and shellfish . The industrialization of the fishing industry and the increasing global demand for seafood have people taking more fish from oceans, lakes and rivers than is sustainable.
Is the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle endangered?
Overharvesting of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle ’s eggs nearly led to its extinction, and today it is still an endangered species. In the U.S., box turtles are being collected at unsustainable levels for the overseas pet trade.
Is orchid endangered?
Some plants, such as orchids, are so prized by collectors that they are now endangered and legally protected from poaching by international law. Some medicinal plants, such as American ginseng, have also been so enthusiastically collected that it is now very hard to find them in the wild.
OVEREXPLOITATION: THE END OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Would you like someone to tell you about it? Listen to this article. For those who want to change the world.
WHAT ARE NATURAL RESOURCES
There are two types of natural resources: renewable and non-renewable. The former are inexhaustible, like solar radiation, or their renewal is relatively rapid, as is the case with biomass.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE OVEREXPLOITATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
The uncontrolled consumption of natural resources has significant effects:
SOLUTIONS TO THE OVEREXPLOITATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
The future, as stated in the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, poses a double challenge to human beings: conserving the many forms and functions of nature and creating an equitable home for people on a finite planet. If we want to reverse this situation, we need, among other things, to:
Summary
Cascade effects
Overexploitation of species can result in knock-on or cascade effects. This can particularly apply if, through overexploitation, a habitat loses its apex predator. Because of the loss of the top predator, a dramatic increase in their prey species can occur. In turn, the unchecked prey can then overexploit their own food resources until population numbers dwindle, possibly to the point of extinction.
History
Concern about overexploitation is relatively recent, though overexploitation itself is not a new phenomenon. It has been observed for millennia. For example, ceremonial cloaks worn by the Hawaiian kings were made from the mamo bird; a single cloak used the feathers of 70,000 birds of this now-extinct species. The dodo, a flightless bird from Mauritius, is another well-known example of overex…
Overview
Overexploitation does not necessarily lead to the destruction of the resource, nor is it necessarily unsustainable. However, depleting the numbers or amount of the resource can change its quality. For example, footstool palm is a wild palm tree found in Southeast Asia. Its leaves are used for thatching and food wrapping, and overharvesting has resulted in its leaf size becoming smaller.
Tragedy of the commons
In 1968, the journal Science published an article by Garrett Hardin entitled "The Tragedy of the Commons". It was based on a parable that William Forster Lloyd published in 1833 to explain how individuals innocently acting in their own self interest can overexploit, and destroy, a resource that they all share. Lloyd described a simplified hypothetical situation based on medieval land tenurein …
Fisheries
In wild fisheries, overexploitation or overfishing occurs when a fish stock has been fished down "below the size that, on average, would support the long-term maximum sustainable yield of the fishery". However, overexploitation can be sustainable.
When a fishery starts harvesting fish from a previously unexploited stock, the b…
Water resources
Water resources, such as lakes and aquifers, are usually renewable resources which naturally recharge (the term fossil water is sometimes used to describe aquifers which do not recharge). Overexploitation occurs if a water resource, such as the Ogallala Aquifer, is mined or extracted at a rate that exceeds the recharge rate, that is, at a rate that exceeds the practical sustained yield. Rech…
Forest resources
Forests are overexploited when they are logged at a rate faster than reforestationtakes place. Reforestation competes with other land uses such as food production, livestock grazing, and living space for further economic growth. Historically utilization of forest products, including timber and fuel wood, have played a key role in human societies, comparable to the roles of water and cult…