The destruction of natural habitats due to land clearing activities is a major threat to the well-being of terrestrial animals and plants. Eighty percent of Earth's species live in forests, and deforestation can have devastating effects on species such as the orangutan, the Sumatran tiger, and many species of birds. Removing trees and other vegetation reduces available food, shelter, and breeding habitat, leading to fragmentation of wildlife habitats. This can cause competition for resources between animals that are forced to leave their natural and breeding habitats.
In addition, the loss of animals due to land clearing can cause negative ecological effects, such as the interruption of natural food chains. Deforestation has a lot to answer for, and its effects can be seen and felt on the world's land and oceans. The earliest evidence of large scale logging of wildlife habitat dates back to between 3100 and 2900 BC. C.When habitat loss and fragmentation are likely to occur (for example, land clearing proposals), legislative and policy reforms are needed to ensure that the risk of harm to animals is properly assessed and that effective precautionary measures are implemented.
Intelligent land management practices must exist to ensure that viable forest resources remain in the future, and land management techniques, such as the creation of wildlife corridors, can help connect wildlife populations in a fragmented landscape. The poor in these countries also use land for agriculture and livelihood, and these pressures continue to increase as population levels increase. Despite warnings from scientists around the world, deforestation continues unabated, as the growing human population continues to demand more land. The RSPCA Australia recognizes the critical need to prevent these negative impacts. In conclusion, land clearing activities have a significant impact on wildlife populations. To protect wildlife from these negative impacts, legislative and policy reforms must be implemented to ensure that the risk of harm is properly assessed.
