HIPPCO Threats to Biodiversity--Habitat Destruction

Overview

The lesson introduces HIPPCO, an acronym for six human-related threats to biodiversity:

• Habitat destruction
• Invasive species
• Pollution
• Population growth
• Climate change
• Overexploitation or overharvesting

The learning objective is to describe the social, economic, and ecological risks and benefits of changing natural ecosystems through human activities.

Habitat Destruction

Habitat destruction is the breaking up or destruction of habitats. The lesson gives three examples linked to human use of land and water:

1. Deforestation: Trees are cut down to make room for farmland and urban development. The speaker estimates that 1.04 billion acres of virgin forest existed in the 1800s and that 96% had since been removed for homes, agriculture, or urban areas.
2. Beach and soil erosion: Coastal development, including the construction of beach houses, can dramatically alter the landscape. One example shows a once-protected river opening up and joining the ocean.
3. Coral bleaching: Coral has a relationship with algae. When coral is stressed by changes in light or temperature, or by being touched by people, it releases the algae and becomes bleached. Bleached coral is vulnerable and may eventually die and turn black.

Follow-Up Assignment

The lesson assigns a video about the impacts of deforestation and asks students to identify three main reasons for deforestation. The reasons are not provided in this excerpt.

Speakers and Sources

• Miss Longley — narrator and instructor.
• Deforestation-impacts video — mentioned as the next video to watch; its speaker or source is not identified in the subtitles.