< Previous | Contents | Next >
Loss of biodiversity occurs when either a particular species is destroyed or the habitat essential for its survival is damaged. The latter is more common as habitat destruction is inevitable fallout of development.
The extinction of species takes place when they are exploited for economic gain or hunted as sport or for food. Extinction of species may also occur due to environmental reasons like ecological substitutions, biological factors and pathological causes which can be caused either by nature or man.