What are the Causes of biodiversity loss

The four major causes of biodiversity loss are often referred to as "The Evil Quartet."

1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: This is the most significant cause. When natural habitats like forests are cleared for agriculture, cities, or dams, the species living there lose their homes.Fragmentation occurs when a large habitat is broken into smaller, isolated patches, which can't support large populations.Example: Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest to create cattle ranches.
2. Overexploitation: This means harvesting natural resources (like plants and animals) at a rate faster than they can replenish themselves.Example: Overfishing has led to a drastic decline in many fish populations, like the Atlantic cod.Poaching of tigers, elephants, and rhinos for their body parts is another example.
3. Alien Species Invasions: When a species is introduced into a new habitat (either accidentally or intentionally), it can become invasive. These species often have no natural predators in the new environment and can outcompete or kill native species. Example: The introduction of water hyacinth in India's lakes and rivers has clogged water bodies, killing native aquatic plants and animals.
4. Co-extinctions: When one species goes extinct, other species that depended on it may also face extinction.Example: If a specific species of pollinator bee dies out, the plant species that it exclusively pollinated will also go extinct.