Animal Populations

Factors Affecting Animal Populations

Populations of animals are subject to changes because of reasons like predation, illness, food accessibility, and birth rates . But through human activities these natural dynamics have been more and more disturbed. The destruction of habitat by urban and agricultural settlement means that living space is lost and fragmented to many species. 

Habitat alteration and food chains which are caused by pollution, climate changes and the influx of invasive species also pose a threat to the native animal populations. To illustrate, use of pesticides has contributed to the decline of the pollinating insects such as bees, something that has impacted the overall health of the ecosystem. It is important to be aware of these factors as they provide adequate information on what trends exist in the population and how those can be prevented..

 

Key Drivers:

• Natural controls: predation, disease, reproduction.
•  Human pressures: land use change, pollution, invasive species.
• Global shifts: climate and ecosystem transformation.

 

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