Several human activities have affected the depletion of flora and fauna and has led to decline in India’s biodiversity. The main factors responsible for this damage are:
→ Habitat destruction, mainly due to overpopulation leading to expansion of agriculture, mining, industrialisation and urbanisation and consequent wiping out of large forest areas.
→ Hunting and poaching and illegal trade of animal skin, tusk, bones, teeth, horns, etc have lead many speices to the verge of extinction.
→ Environmental pollution, poisoning of water bodies due to discharge of industrial effluents, chemicals, wastes, etc. leading to animal deaths.
→ Forest fires often induced by shifting cultivation wiping out valuable forests and wildlife. → Large scale development projects and destruction of forests.
→ Grazing and fuel wood collection.
→Over-exploitation of forest products Other important causes of environmental destruction are unequal access, inequitable consumption of forest resources and differential sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being.