Causes of Biodiversity Loss: a Human Ecological Analysis

Important biological causes of the loss of biological diversity include the loss of habitats, the introduction of exotic species, over-harvesting of biodiversity resources, and homogenisation of species in agriculture. The common factor of all these elements is that they are human-driven. This paper analyzes the economic and social root causes behind biodiversity loss. The analysis is based on both theoretical considerations and case studies. It entails five axes: (a) Demographic change: although from a theoretical point of view the relation between population pressure and the impact on biodiversity is almost obvious, no systematic attempt has been made so far to analyze this relationship in a quantitative way. (b) Consumption and production patterns: global increases of energy consumption and the use of natural resources drive habitat conversion world-wide. In this part of the analysis, particular attention is paid to economic growth, poverty and land tenure aspects, as causes of biodiversity loss. (c) Public policies entail three major elements: perverse policies that provide incentives which degrade biodiversity, failure to incorporate the monetary value of biodiversity into decision making and failure to integrate biodiversity concerns as a transversal element into policy. 1 Human Ecology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 – Brussels, Belgium, Tel.:+32-2-477.42.81 Fax:+32-2-477.49.64 E-mail: [email protected] http://meko.vub.ac.be/~gronsse/