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What is
Biodiversity is the name we give to the variety of all life on earth, made up of
plants, bacteria, fungi, insects, birds, mammals, and all other living things.
Biodiversity loss is happening at a rate faster than ever seen throughout human history
and a study by the Natural History Museum shows that the UK has lost about half of its
biodiversity since around the beginning of the industrial revolution.
The global figure stands at around a 25% loss - take a look at this map which shows the
extent of the problem worldwide.
What are the issues?
Habitat loss
Animals are losing their habitats; humans are taking up an increasing amount of space
on the earth and changing the natural landscape to gather resources and grow crops to
feed our ever-increasing consumer demands.
We’re also taking more land to expand our towns, cities, roads, and other infrastructure
to support our lifestyles.
Creating a space for nature in our communities is a good way to help restore some of
the habitats that have been lost.