An exhaustive report by the United Nations mentions millions of species of plants and animals that are on their way to extinction. The report has identified some of them relevant to Britain. These are animals like the hedgehog and wildcat, birds like the skylark, and insects like the bee, and small blue butterfly. Their numbers are plummeting which is a matter of concern. Those who worry about the Environment attempt to work out strategies to arrest the trend. They feel that positive actions are required otherwise these species might be lost forever.

Sky News reports that most of the reasons are man-made because open spaces are at a premium and wildlife needs natural surroundings to move about freely. However, trees are felled to make way for roads and housing in the name of development and the net result is the gradual loss of different species of birds, animals, and insects.

Habitats and modern lifestyles are to blame

The skylark is a bird that falls in this category. They love farmland and their population had reduced by nearly half in the 1990s. It kept declining and by 1996 reached a dangerous level that forced the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to include it in the Red List of threatened species.

The birds survive on insects and seeds and the modified sowing pattern of farmers have had a direct effect. Moreover, extensive use of insecticides and weed killers has cut off the supply of insects.

The bees are next on the list. They are pollinators and vital to maintain the food chain. The decline in their numbers is a global phenomenon.

The general observation is that while some bumblebees and a few species of bees have multiplied in Britain, many are adversely affected. The Royal Horticultural Society says this has happened over the last three decades.

Sky News goes on to talk about hedgehog and wildcats. The drastic drop in numbers of hedgehogs is a matter of concern.

In the 1950s, there were millions of them and in 1995, an estimate put the numbers to around 1.5-million. However, the State of Britain's Hedgehogs report indicates major losses since 2008, which is not sustainable. Reasons are loss of habitat, the decline of food sources and falling prey to badgers and foxes. As far as the wildcat goes, they are Britain's only remaining native cat species and there are hardly 200 of them in the Scottish Highlands. They are on the verge of extinction and on the list of endangered species.

Humans are responsible

According to Independent UK, humanity is under threat by climate change and the loss of biodiversity coupled with man’s activities, connect to issues that bulldozes the pillars of survival.

The UN released a 1,800-page report outlining a series of possible future scenarios and the picture that emerges is frightening. It took three years to compile the report. UN wants governments and other policymakers to realize the bleak future because, in the opinion of experts, millions of species are facing extinction. Man-made activities have destroyed forests, wetlands, and other wild landscapes. Diplomats from 130 countries met in Paris to launch the report.
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