Spotlight on Threats to the Environment & Biodiversity

 

When I first tackled Threats to the Environment, I realized every ecosystem has its villains: deforestation, pollution, invasive species, over-exploitation, and climate change. To make it concrete, I mapped my local watershed, tested water pH at three points, then compared fish counts against pollution sources. Seeing species disappear from downstream sites brought home how chemical run-off and siltation damage aquatic biodiversity.

I also walked a nearby forest trail with a notepad, recording tree stumps and understory loss. Linking habitat fragmentation to declining bird calls helped me connect habitat loss with falling species richness. By overlaying land-use maps and species lists, I grasped how multiple threats interact, undermining both environmental sustainability and biodiversity.

Sample SPM Question
“List four threats to biodiversity and explain how one of them leads to loss of species diversity.”

Outline my answer:

1. Deforestation
2. Water pollution
3. Invasive species
4. Over-exploitation
   Explain: “Invasive species outcompete native flora, reducing habitat niches and causing local extinctions.”