Britain's Disappearing Habitats - Disappearing Habitats in Britain

A habitat is any area where plants and animals can live undisturbed. The word ‘habitat’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘home’. Even a city is a habitat with wildlife making its home alongside human beings, in and around buildings, but usually we think of wild areas when we speak of habitats.

World-wide there are many wild habitats in danger of disappearing – the tropical rainforest to name just one. If a habitat is destroyed or is changed by humans it can become endangered. Then it follows that the animals and plants living in it become also endangered.

Wild places everywhere are under pressure from human beings. Why is this? Quite simply, there are just too many of us!

There are nearly 7.5 billion people in the world today – about 7 billion more than there were 300 years ago! Here in Britain our population is over 66 million.

An ever-increasing population needs housing, clean water, a supply of food and industry to supply the people’s needs. All this development requires space – and wild habitats are destroyed in the process.