Habitat destruction, defined as elimination or alteration of the conditions necessary for animals and plants survive, not only impacts individual species but the health of the global ecosystem.

Habitat loss is primarily though not always human-caused. The clearing of land  for farming, grazing, mining, drilling and urbanization impact the 80% of global species who called the forest home.

Approximately 15 billion trees are cut down each year. According to a study about tree density published in Nature , the number of trees worldwide has decreased by 46 percent since start of Civilization. In addition to the loss of Habitat, deforestation reduces the ability of us to provide the medical benefit of absorbing carbon which helps to mitigate the effects of climate change. 

The situation is even worse in waterways, coastal areas and the ocean. Coastal estuaries and marshes provide breeding ground for the majority of marine species as they, along with the inland wetlands are dredged and filled, species are less able to birth and support their young. Pollution amd effluents from the land trace easily through streams and rivers to the ocean, where they impact the health of fish, birds,  and green plants. Deforestation far from the Shore can cause erosion that enters the water and deposits slit into the shallow Marine waters, blocking the sunlight that coral reef need to survive. 

Despite the habitat loss that has occurred globally to date, there is still hope. Studies reveal that by protecting 50% of the land and ocean Around the world, plant and animal species could thrive. Today only 15% of the land and 7% of the ocean is protected, leaving us with a challenging yet attainable goal.

The Campaign for Nature calls upon world leaders to take action in helping to protect 30% of the earth's land and ocean by 2030, on the way to 50% of the planet in a natural state by 2050.

 This commitment represents our best opportunity to preserve the ecosystem  necessary for our survival.