- Land is cleared to make space for agriculture and housing.
Land clearing threatens biodiversity because:
- The fields and residential areas that replace the cleared forests do not have the same diversity of life.
- Agricultural land cannot support the same diversity of animals that forests can.
Conserving Biodiversity Through Wise Land Management
- Governments and international agencies pass laws to protect biodiversity.
- Replanting of native forests is promoted by Coillte, the state-sponsored company that manages Irish forests.
- Creating national parks: creating nature reserves protects areas of significant biodiversity.