The Main Problem Habitat

There is a serious habitat problem because:

After pollution or destruction, habitats take many years (sometimes hundreds or even thousands) to grow again.

Pollution and destruction change the balance of nature. Each species in a habitat (for example, wood, jungle, marsh or forest) needs and helps the rest. If one animal, bird or insect disappears, all the others suffer, too.

This is what's happening in the rainforests of South America, Africa and Asia. These are some of the world's oldest habitats. Or they were. Man is destroying an area of rainforest as big as Switzerland every year.

But the problem doesn't stop there. Habitats and animals are disappearing in Europe, too. Since 1947 in Britain, for example...

50% of the woods have disappeared.

50% of the marshes have disappeared.

95% of the meadows have disappeared.

And what has taken the place of these green, natural places? Houses, farms, cities, streets, roads, and factories. Because of this (and pollution, too) several British species are dying.

The solution: There is only one way to save wild animals and wild habitats-conservation.

protecting animals in danger by law

opening more national parks

building fewer new roads

planting more new forests

cutting pollution

If this doesn't happen, many wild animals will soon have just one habitat, the zoo.

 

Questions:

 

1. How long does it take to habitat to grow again?
2. How do pollution and destruction impact the environment?
3. What happens if one animal, bird or insect disappears?
4. How fast is man destroying the rainforest?
5. Why have 50% of the woods disappeared in Britain since 1947?
6. What measures should be taken for environmental conservation?

 

Exercise 6. Read the following text “The Hunting Problems” and decide true or false are the statements given below: