What Causes Biodiversity Loss? The 5 Major Drivers Threatening Species Worldwide
Biodiversity loss is driven by five interconnected threats: habitat destruction (the largest driver, affecting 88% of imperilled species), overexploitation through hunting and fishing, invasive species, pollution of air and water, and climate change. According to the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment, these drivers work together to accelerate species decline, with habitat loss from agriculture, deforestation, and urban development causing the most immediate damage to ecosystems worldwide.
From the UK's threatened red squirrels to the Amazon's jaguars, species across the globe face unprecedented pressure. Wildlife populations have declined by 73% since 1970, according to the 2024 Living Planet Index. In Britain alone, 1,500 species are now at risk of being lost entirely. Understanding what drives biodiversity loss is essential for protecting the natural world that sustains us all—from the food we eat to the air we breathe. At Pixcellence, we believe education is the foundation of conservation, which is why we've created this comprehensive guide to help you understand the science behind species decline.
Understanding Biodiversity Loss: Definitions and Scale
Biodiversity loss refers to the decline in the variety and abundance of life on Earth, encompassing the disappearance of species, the degradation of ecosystems, and the reduction of genetic diversity within populations. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) defines it as the reduction in biological diversity at all levels, from genes to ecosystems, and the threat this poses to the natural world's ability to function and provide services humans depend upon.
The current scale of the crisis is staggering. Wildlife populations have plummeted 73% since 1970, with current extinction rates running 100 to 1,000 times faster than natural background rates before human activity accelerated. At least one million species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades. Around 25% of all assessed species face extinction in the coming decades if current trends continue unchecked.
This matters profoundly because biodiversity underpins the ecosystem services humanity depends upon—clean water, pollination of crops, climate regulation, disease control, and food security. The variety of species in an ecosystem contributes directly to its stability and resilience, meaning that as we lose biodiversity, entire ecosystems become more vulnerable to collapse, threatening both wildlife and human wellbeing.
The Five Major Drivers of Biodiversity Loss
The 2019 IPBES Global Assessment identified five direct drivers of biodiversity loss that scientific consensus recognises as the primary threats to nature worldwide. These drivers don't operate in isolation—they interact and amplify each other's effects, creating cumulative impacts that accelerate species decline. Understanding all five is essential because addressing only one or two leaves species vulnerable to the remaining threats.
The relative impact of each driver varies, with some affecting far more species than others. However, all five contribute significantly to the global biodiversity crisis, and all require urgent action to slow the rate of extinction and ecosystem degradation.
| Driver | % Species Affected | Primary Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat Loss | 88.3% | Agriculture, urbanisation, infrastructure |
| Overexploitation | 26.6% | Overfishing, hunting, logging |
| Invasive Species | 25% | Global trade, transport |
| Pollution | 18.2% | Nitrogen, plastics, chemicals |
| Climate Change | 16.8% | Fossil fuel emissions |
As the table demonstrates, habitat destruction dwarfs the other drivers in immediate impact, affecting nearly nine out of ten imperilled species. However, climate change—currently affecting "only" 16.8% of species—is accelerating rapidly and projected to become the primary driver of extinction by mid-century if emissions continue unchecked. The interconnected nature of these threats means that species facing multiple drivers simultaneously have significantly lower survival odds than those facing a single threat. Explore the full scope of human-driven threats to biodiversity to understand their interconnections.
Driver 1: Habitat Destruction—The Largest Threat
Habitat destruction means the permanent conversion or degradation of natural habitats to the point where they can no longer support the species that evolved to live there. This includes outright clearing of forests, draining of wetlands, ploughing of grasslands, and urbanisation of wild areas. Unlike temporary disturbance, habitat destruction fundamentally alters the landscape, making it unsuitable for native species to survive and reproduce.
The scale of habitat destruction in 2025 remains alarming despite some progress. According to the FAO Forest Resources Assessment 2025, global deforestation has slowed to 10.9 million hectares per year (2015-2025 period), yet this still represents an area roughly the size of Iceland disappearing annually. In 2024 alone, the tropics lost 6.7 million hectares of primary rainforest—the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth—equivalent to 18 football fields per minute, according to the World Resources Institute's Global Forest Review.
Agriculture drives approximately 80% of global deforestation, as forests are cleared for cropland and livestock grazing. Urban development and infrastructure projects—roads, dams, mines—fragment remaining habitats, isolating populations and making it difficult for species to find mates, food, or suitable territory. This fragmentation effect compounds the direct loss, as species in small, isolated patches face higher extinction risk even when some habitat remains.
The impact on species is devastating. Orangutans in Southeast Asian rainforests have lost vast swathes of their habitat to palm oil plantations, with populations declining critically. In the Amazon, human activities driving habitat destruction threaten jaguars, macaws, poison dart frogs, and thousands of other species. Closer to home in the UK, woodland butterfly populations have declined 47% since 1990, according to the State of UK's Woods 2025 report, largely due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Habitat destruction affects 88.3% of imperilled species worldwide, making it by far the single largest driver of biodiversity loss. The permanence of this threat—once habitat is converted, recovery can take decades or centuries—makes it particularly urgent to address through protected areas, sustainable land use planning, and restoration of degraded ecosystems.
Driver 2: Overexploitation of Wild Species
Overexploitation occurs when humans harvest wild species—through hunting, fishing, logging, or collection—faster than populations can naturally recover through reproduction. This unsustainable extraction depletes populations to dangerously low levels, and in severe cases, drives species to extinction. Unlike sustainable harvesting, which maintains populations at healthy levels, overexploitation treats nature as an infinite resource rather than recognising biological limits.
The forms of overexploitation are diverse. Commercial fishing has depleted approximately 90% of large ocean fish populations, with trawlers and industrial operations taking far more than marine ecosystems can sustainably provide. Bushmeat hunting in African and Asian forests threatens primates, pangolins, and numerous other mammals. The illegal wildlife trade—worth an estimated £15-20 billion annually—drives rhinos, elephants, tigers, and countless other species toward extinction for their horns, ivory, skins, and body parts. Unsustainable logging, whilst providing timber and clearing land, removes old-growth forests that hundreds of specialist species depend upon.
Overexploitation affects 26.6% of imperilled species, making it the second-largest driver of biodiversity loss after habitat destruction. The problem is particularly acute in marine environments, where the vast scale of industrial fishing operations and the difficulty of monitoring catches make sustainable management extraordinarily challenging. When fish populations collapse below critical thresholds, they often cannot recover even when fishing pressure is reduced, as the remaining population is too small to rebound.
The interaction between overexploitation and other drivers amplifies the damage. Logging roads open previously inaccessible forests to hunters, combining habitat fragmentation with direct hunting pressure. Climate change stresses fish populations, making them more vulnerable to overfishing. As habitats shrink, remaining populations become more concentrated and easier to hunt or harvest, accelerating decline.
Historical examples demonstrate the scale of overexploitation's impact. Whales were hunted to near-extinction in the 20th century, with some populations still struggling to recover decades after commercial whaling ceased. Sharks have declined by over 90% in many ocean regions due to overfishing and bycatch. Even in the UK, overfishing of cod and other commercial species has fundamentally altered the North Sea ecosystem, reducing both fish populations and the seabirds that depend upon them.
Driver 3: Invasive Alien Species
Invasive alien species are organisms introduced—deliberately or accidentally—to regions outside their natural range, where they cause harm to native biodiversity, ecosystems, or human interests. These non-native species lack the natural predators, diseases, and competitors that keep their populations in check in their home ranges, allowing them to proliferate unchecked and outcompete native species for resources.
Invasive species arrive through multiple pathways. Global trade transports species in shipping containers, ballast water, and packaging materials. The horticultural trade deliberately introduces ornamental plants that later escape cultivation and spread aggressively. Aquarium and pet owners release exotic species into the wild when they become unwanted. Even seemingly harmless actions—moving firewood, cleaning boat hulls inadequately—can spread invasive organisms from one region to another.
The mechanisms by which invasive species cause biodiversity loss are varied and devastating. Some directly prey upon native species that evolved without defences against these novel predators—the brown tree snake's introduction to Guam eliminated 10 of 12 native forest bird species. Others outcompete natives for food, nesting sites, or territory, gradually displacing them. Invasive species can introduce diseases that decimate native populations with no immunity. Some even alter fundamental ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling or fire regimes, transforming entire landscapes and making them unsuitable for native species.
Invasive alien species have contributed to 40% of animal extinctions since 1600 where the cause is known, according to IPBES data. Currently, invasive species affect 25% of imperilled species worldwide. The UK provides a stark example: American grey squirrels, introduced in the Victorian era, have displaced native red squirrels across most of England and Wales by outcompeting them for food and carrying a pox virus lethal to reds but harmless to greys. Red squirrels now survive mainly in Scotland and a few isolated English populations.
Other notable examples include Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades, which have decimated populations of native mammals; cane toads in Australia, toxic to most predators that attempt to eat them; and invasive plants like Japanese knotweed in the UK, which forms dense stands that exclude all other vegetation whilst damaging buildings and infrastructure. The economic costs of invasive species run into billions of pounds annually in control efforts and lost ecosystem services.
Driver 4: Pollution
Pollution encompasses the introduction of harmful substances or energy into the environment at levels that damage ecosystems, poison wildlife, or degrade habitats. Multiple forms of pollution threaten biodiversity: agricultural runoff carrying nitrogen and phosphorus; industrial chemicals and heavy metals; plastic waste choking waterways and oceans; pesticides and herbicides; and air pollution from vehicles and industry. Each type harms wildlife through different mechanisms, but all reduce the ability of ecosystems to support diverse life.
Nitrogen pollution from agricultural fertilisers represents one of the most serious global threats to biodiversity. When excess nitrogen washes into waterways, it causes eutrophication—explosive algae growth that depletes oxygen, creating dead zones where fish and invertebrates suffocate. On land, nitrogen deposition alters soil chemistry, favouring a few aggressive plant species whilst eliminating the diverse wildflower communities that support insects, birds, and other wildlife. The UK's agricultural intensification has caused significant losses in soil biodiversity as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides kill not just target pests but also beneficial organisms essential for healthy ecosystems.
Plastic pollution has emerged as a visible symbol of humanity's impact on nature. Over 700 marine species are now affected by plastic pollution, ingesting microplastics or becoming entangled in larger debris. Seabirds mistake plastic fragments for food, filling their stomachs with indigestible material and starving. Marine mammals become entangled in discarded fishing gear. Microplastics have been found in organisms from plankton to whales, with unknown long-term consequences for marine food webs.
Chemical pollution causes direct toxicity, killing wildlife outright or causing sublethal effects that reduce reproduction and survival. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals interfere with hormone systems, causing reproductive failures in fish, amphibians, and other species. Heavy metals accumulate in food chains through bioaccumulation—predators at the top of the food chain receive concentrated doses from all the contaminated prey they consume. Even pollutants banned decades ago, like DDT, persist in the environment and continue affecting wildlife.
Pollution affects 18.2% of imperilled species worldwide, with particularly devastating impacts on freshwater ecosystems—the most threatened ecosystem type globally. Rivers, lakes, and wetlands receive runoff from surrounding landscapes, concentrating pollutants and making these habitats especially vulnerable. The combination of pollution with habitat loss and overexploitation creates a "triple threat" for freshwater species, many of which face extinction rates far exceeding terrestrial species.
Driver 5: Climate Change
Climate change—the long-term alteration of temperature and weather patterns driven primarily by human burning of fossil fuels—threatens biodiversity through multiple interconnected mechanisms. Rising temperatures force species to shift their ranges toward cooler regions or higher elevations. Phenological mismatches disrupt the precise timing that many species depend upon, such as when migrating birds arrive too late for peak insect abundance needed to feed their chicks. Extreme weather events—droughts, floods, heatwaves, storms—increasingly exceed the tolerance limits of species adapted to historical climate patterns. In oceans, warming waters and acidification from absorbed CO2 fundamentally alter marine ecosystems.
The current scale of climate change impacts on biodiversity has reached alarming levels. According to IUCN, climate change now threatens at least 15,801 species on the Red List of Threatened Species—species whose extinction risk has increased specifically due to changing climate conditions. A 2025 analysis found that more than 3,500 species, or approximately 5% of all assessed wild animal species, face direct climate change-related threats, with this percentage rising steadily as warming accelerates.
Climate change affects biodiversity more severely at higher warming levels. Scientific research projects that with global temperature increase of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, plant species would experience approximately 8% suitable habitat loss and vertebrate species 4% loss. If temperatures rise to 2°C—increasingly likely under current emissions trajectories—the losses escalate to 16% for plants and 8% for vertebrates. Under current international emissions commitments leading to approximately 2.7°C warming, one in twenty species worldwide would face extinction risk by 2100.
Certain groups face disproportionate climate vulnerability. Amphibians, already the most threatened vertebrate class, suffer particularly from climate change due to their moisture-dependent physiology and limited dispersal abilities. Mountain species have "nowhere colder to go" as temperatures warm—they're already at the peaks. Island species face similar constraints, unable to migrate to more suitable climates across ocean barriers. Polar species like polar bears depend on sea ice that is rapidly disappearing, fundamentally altering Arctic ecosystems.
Coral reefs exemplify climate change's devastating potential. Ocean warming triggers coral bleaching events—the expulsion of symbiotic algae that corals depend upon for nutrients—causing mass mortality. Ocean acidification, caused by absorbed CO2, makes it harder for corals and other marine organisms to build their calcium carbonate skeletons and shells. With warming of just 1.5-2°C, scientists project that 70-99% of tropical coral reefs will be lost, along with the extraordinary biodiversity they support and the hundreds of millions of people who depend upon them for food and coastal protection.
In the UK, climate change is already reshaping native biodiversity. Bird migration patterns are shifting, with some species arriving earlier in spring or staying later in autumn. Some southern species are expanding northward, whilst cold-adapted species retreat. Phenological changes—earlier flowering of plants, earlier emergence of insects—create timing mismatches that disrupt ecological relationships evolved over millennia.
Climate change currently affects 16.8% of imperilled species—lower than habitat loss or overexploitation—but this percentage is accelerating rapidly. By mid-century, climate change is projected to become the primary driver of biodiversity loss if emissions continue unchecked. The irreversibility of many climate impacts makes immediate action essential: species pushed beyond their thermal tolerance limits or whose habitats disappear entirely cannot recover even if climate stabilises later.
How These Threats Work Together: The Interconnection
Understanding biodiversity loss requires recognising that these five drivers don't operate independently—they interact, amplify each other's effects, and create feedback loops that accelerate decline. A species facing multiple simultaneous threats has far lower survival odds than one facing a single driver, because the combined stresses overwhelm organisms' ability to adapt or recover.
The most significant feedback loop connects deforestation, carbon emissions, and climate change. When forests are cleared, the carbon stored in trees is released into the atmosphere as CO2, accelerating global warming. Climate change then makes surviving forest patches more vulnerable through increased drought, wildfires, and pest outbreaks, causing further tree mortality and carbon release. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where habitat loss drives climate change, which drives more habitat loss.
Climate change amplifies nearly every other driver. As temperatures rise and precipitation patterns shift, surviving habitat patches become less suitable for the species that depend upon them, effectively causing habitat loss even where forests remain standing. Extreme weather events—hurricanes, droughts, floods—can destroy habitat in hours that took centuries to develop. Climate stress makes wildlife more vulnerable to diseases, parasites, and pollution, reducing their resilience. Species already stressed by habitat fragmentation and overexploitation have less capacity to adapt to changing climate conditions.
Habitat fragmentation facilitates invasive species spread by creating disturbed edge habitat where aggressive invaders thrive whilst forest-interior specialists decline. Roads built for logging or mining provide access for hunters and poachers, combining habitat loss with overexploitation. Small, isolated habitat patches are more vulnerable to pollution from surrounding agricultural or urban landscapes, as they have less buffering capacity.
Agricultural intensification in the UK demonstrates these interconnections clearly. Converting diverse landscapes to intensive cropland causes direct habitat loss. The pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers used pollute surrounding areas, killing insects and contaminating waterways. Simplified agricultural landscapes provide corridors for invasive species whilst eliminating habitat for native specialists. This land use change also contributes to climate change through soil degradation, fertiliser production, and loss of carbon-storing vegetation.
The cumulative nature of these threats explains why conservation efforts must address multiple drivers simultaneously. Protecting habitat whilst ignoring climate change leaves species vulnerable to shifting conditions. Reducing pollution whilst allowing continued overexploitation merely shifts which threat causes extinction first. Comprehensive conservation strategies—like those explored at the UK's biodiversity crisis page—must tackle the interconnected web of threats, not individual drivers in isolation.
The UK's Biodiversity Crisis: A Local Perspective
Whilst the global drivers of biodiversity loss operate worldwide, their impacts are particularly severe in the UK, which has become one of the most nature-depleted countries globally. These international threats manifest locally through habitat conversion, agricultural intensification, invasive species introduction, pollution from industry and farming, and the early stages of climate-driven ecosystem change. Understanding the UK context makes the abstract statistics of global biodiversity loss tangible and demonstrates why conservation action is urgently needed at home.
According to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's UK Biodiversity Indicators 2025, approximately 1,500 species are at risk of being lost from Britain—representing 16% (one in six) of the roughly 10,000 species assessed. The Wildlife Trusts' 2025 landmark report revealed that the UK now has less than half of its biodiversity remaining compared to pre-industrial levels. The RSPB's State of Nature report documents a 19% average decline in UK species abundance since 1970, with some groups faring far worse.
Each of the five global drivers operates powerfully in the UK context. Habitat loss from agricultural intensification has eliminated 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1930s, removing essential habitat for pollinators and other insects. Woodland birds have declined 37% in 50 years as ancient woodlands are fragmented and degraded. Wetlands, once covering vast areas, have been drained for agriculture, causing catastrophic declines in wading birds and wetland plants.
Agricultural intensification—whilst increasing food production—has caused woodland butterfly populations to crash by 47% since 1990, according to the State of UK's Woods 2025 report. The widespread use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers has devastated insect populations, with knock-on effects for the birds, bats, and other species that depend upon insects for food. Hedgerow removal to create larger fields has eliminated wildlife corridors and nesting habitat.
Invasive species threaten native UK biodiversity across taxa. Grey squirrels continue displacing red squirrels, now confined to Scotland and isolated English refuges. Japanese knotweed forms impenetrable stands along riverbanks, excluding native riparian vegetation. Signal crayfish, introduced from North America, carry a plague lethal to native white-clawed crayfish whilst outcompeting them for food and shelter. Rhododendron ponticum smothers native woodland flora in acidic soils.
Pollution from agricultural runoff degrades rivers and streams, with elevated nitrogen and phosphorus levels causing algal blooms and fish kills. Agricultural chemicals have reduced soil biodiversity—the invisible foundation of terrestrial ecosystems—with cascading effects on plant communities and the food webs they support. Air pollution from vehicles and industry contributes to lichen decline and affects sensitive plant species.
Climate change is already reshaping UK nature. Spring is arriving earlier, causing phenological mismatches between plants, insects, and migrating birds. Some butterfly species are shifting their ranges northward, whilst cold-adapted upland species retreat to higher elevations with nowhere left to go. Extreme weather events—like the 2022 heatwave that caused unprecedented wildlife mortality—are becoming more frequent and severe. Rising sea levels threaten coastal habitats and the internationally important bird populations they support.
The UK's status as one of the world's most nature-depleted countries reflects centuries of intensive land use, industrial development, and population pressure. Reversing these declines requires addressing all five drivers simultaneously through habitat restoration, sustainable farming practices, invasive species control, pollution reduction, and climate action. The scale of loss makes the UK both a cautionary tale and an opportunity to demonstrate that recovery is possible with sustained commitment and investment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Biodiversity Loss Causes
How fast are we losing species?
Current extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times faster than natural background rates before human activity accelerated. Wildlife populations have declined 73% since 1970 according to the 2024 Living Planet Index. At least one million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades. The pace is unprecedented in human history and represents what scientists call the sixth mass extinction event—the first caused by a single species: us.
Which cause of biodiversity loss is worst?
Habitat destruction is by far the largest driver, affecting 88.3% of imperilled species. Agriculture alone accounts for 80% of global deforestation, making land conversion for food production the single most damaging human activity for biodiversity. However, all five drivers are interconnected—climate change, whilst currently affecting "only" 16.8% of species, is accelerating rapidly and projected to become the primary driver by mid-century if emissions continue unchecked.
Can climate change really cause species extinctions?
Yes—15,801 species on the IUCN Red List are already threatened by climate change, with 3,500+ species (5% of those assessed) facing direct climate-related threats. Research projects that one in twenty species worldwide will be at extinction risk if temperatures rise 2.7°C above pre-industrial levels. Climate change causes extinctions through habitat loss as conditions shift beyond species' tolerance, phenological mismatches that disrupt breeding and feeding, and extreme weather events that exceed organisms' ability to survive and adapt.
What is overexploitation of species?
Overexploitation means harvesting wild species—fish, game, timber, or plants—faster than populations can recover through natural reproduction. It's the second-largest driver of biodiversity loss, affecting 26.6% of imperilled species. Examples include overfishing that has depleted 90% of large ocean fish populations, bushmeat hunting threatening African primates, illegal wildlife trade pushing rhinos and tigers toward extinction, and unsustainable logging removing old-growth forests. When populations drop below critical thresholds, they often cannot recover even if harvesting stops.
How do invasive species cause biodiversity loss?
Invasive alien species—non-native organisms introduced by human activity—have contributed to 40% of animal extinctions since the 1600s where the cause is known. They cause biodiversity loss by outcompeting native species for food and territory, introducing diseases that native populations have no immunity against, preying on species that evolved without defences against these novel predators, and altering fundamental ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling or fire regimes. Current invasive species affect 25% of imperilled species globally, with particularly severe impacts on islands and freshwater ecosystems.
Is pollution really that serious for wildlife?
Yes—pollution affects 18.2% of imperilled species, with particularly devastating impacts on freshwater ecosystems. Nitrogen pollution from agriculture is one of the most serious global threats to biodiversity, causing eutrophication that creates aquatic dead zones and favouring aggressive plant species over diverse wildflower communities. Pesticides and herbicides have caused significant losses in soil life and insect populations. Plastic pollution affects over 700 marine species through ingestion and entanglement. Chemical pollution also causes endocrine disruption, bioaccumulation in food chains, and direct toxicity.
Are all five causes equally important?
No—they have dramatically different scales of current impact. Habitat loss affects 88.3% of imperilled species, making it by far the largest driver, whilst climate change currently affects 16.8%. However, all five drivers are interconnected and often act together, creating cumulative impacts. A species facing multiple threats simultaneously has far lower survival odds than one facing a single driver. Additionally, climate change is accelerating rapidly and projected to become the primary driver by 2050, meaning relative importance is shifting over time. Addressing biodiversity loss requires tackling all five drivers together, not prioritising one at the expense of others.
What can individuals do about biodiversity loss?
Individual actions include supporting habitat conservation through organisations like the Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, and WWF; reducing meat consumption (livestock farming drives agricultural expansion); avoiding products linked to deforestation like palm oil from cleared rainforest; controlling invasive species in gardens; reducing pesticide use; advocating for stronger environmental policies; and voting for representatives who prioritise biodiversity. However, systemic change is essential—biodiversity loss requires coordinated action at government and international levels, not just individual lifestyle changes. Discover practical ways to protect biodiversity in your community and beyond.
Conclusion: The Urgent Need to Address All Five Drivers
Biodiversity loss stems from five interconnected drivers—habitat destruction, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, and climate change—that work together to accelerate species decline and ecosystem degradation. These are not isolated problems requiring separate solutions, but rather an interconnected web of threats that amplify each other's effects and create feedback loops that drive further loss. Understanding this interconnection is essential for developing effective conservation strategies that address root causes rather than symptoms.
The scale and urgency of action required cannot be overstated. Biodiversity underpins the ecosystem services humanity depends upon for survival—food production, clean water, climate regulation, disease control, and countless other benefits. The economic case for conservation has never been stronger: the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, approved in December 2024, found that addressing the biodiversity crisis could unlock £10 trillion in economic opportunities and support 395 million jobs by 2030. Yet currently only £135 billion per year is spent on conservation globally, leaving a funding gap of £598-824 billion annually.
Time is critically short. Many extinctions will be irreversible within decades if current trends continue. Wildlife populations have already declined 73% since 1970. The UK has lost over half its biodiversity, with 1,500 species at risk. Once species are extinct and ecosystems collapse, recovery becomes extraordinarily difficult or impossible, removing options for future generations and diminishing the natural world permanently.
Yet there are reasons for hope. Deforestation rates, whilst still devastating, have slowed compared to previous decades. Growing awareness of biodiversity's importance is translating into stronger policy commitments. Local conservation success stories—from reintroduced beavers restoring wetland ecosystems to recovering red kite populations—demonstrate that recovery is possible with sustained effort and investment. The economic case for conservation is increasingly recognised by businesses and governments alike.
Addressing biodiversity loss requires coordinated action across all five drivers simultaneously. Protecting and restoring habitat provides species with the space they need to survive. Ending overexploitation through sustainable management allows populations to recover. Controlling invasive species protects native biodiversity from displacement. Reducing pollution improves ecosystem health and resilience. Tackling climate change—through rapid emissions reductions and support for adaptation—addresses the fastest-growing threat whilst delivering co-benefits for all other conservation efforts.
The interconnected nature of these threats means that solutions must be similarly interconnected. Conservation strategies that address habitat loss whilst ignoring climate change will ultimately fail as conditions shift beyond species' tolerance. Pollution reduction without habitat protection leaves species with nowhere to thrive. Comprehensive approaches—integrating land use planning, sustainable agriculture, protected area networks, invasive species management, pollution control, and climate action—offer the best hope for reversing biodiversity declines and securing a thriving natural world for future generations.
Understanding the causes of biodiversity loss is the essential first step toward addressing them. At Pixcellence, we're committed to making conservation science accessible through educational resources, wildlife photography, and community engagement. Explore practical ways to protect biodiversity and join our community in celebrating and conserving the natural world. Subscribe to our newsletter for monthly conservation updates, species spotlights, and actionable ways to make a difference for wildlife both locally in the UK and globally.
References and Citations
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- FAO. (2025). Forest Resources Assessment 2025. Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/global-deforestation-slows--but-forests-remain-under-pressure--fao-report-shows/en
- World Resources Institute. (2025). Global Forest Review 2025. Retrieved from https://gfr.wri.org/latest-analysis-deforestation-trends
- Forest Declaration. (2025). Forest Declaration Assessment 2025. Retrieved from https://forestdeclaration.org/resources/forest-declaration-assessment-2025/
- IUCN. (2025). Species and Climate Change Issues Brief. Retrieved from https://iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/species-and-climate-change
- Mongabay. (2025). Climate change now threatens thousands of species on Earth. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/climate-change-now-threatens-thousands-of-species-on-earth/
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- Joint Nature Conservation Committee. (2025). UK Biodiversity Indicators 2025. Retrieved from https://jncc.gov.uk/news/uk-biodiversity-indicators-2025/
- The Wildlife Trusts. (2025). Landmark report shows UK wildlife's devastating decline. Retrieved from https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/landmark-report-shows-uk-wildlifes-devastating-decline
- RSPB. (2025). State of Nature Report 2025. Retrieved from https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/state-of-nature-report
- European Commission. (2024). IPBES reports reveal huge opportunities for biodiversity action. Retrieved from https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/ipbes-reports-reveal-huge-opportunities-biodiversity-action-2024-12-18_en
- Woodland Trust. (2025). State of UK's Woods and Trees 2025. Data on woodland butterfly and bird declines.
- Earth.Org. (2024). Biodiversity Loss Statistics. Retrieved from https://earth.org/biodiversity-loss-statistics/
- Mongabay. (2022). Brazil's Pantanal is at risk of collapse, scientists say. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/brazils-pantanal-is-at-risk-of-collapse-scientists-say/
