INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

Detailed explanation-1: -Deforestation is the major cause for degradation of forests. It is done for mining, building dams, expanding agriculture etc. 2. Industrial development has caused degradation of forests through pollution, over-exploitation, encroachments etc.

Detailed explanation-2: -Human activities that drive forest degradation include overgrazing, demand for fuel wood and charcoal, excessive logging and human-induced fires. Natural causes of degradation include insect pests, storm damage and natural fires.

Detailed explanation-3: -Habitat destruction decreases the number of places where wildlife can live in. Habitat fragmentation breaks up a continuous tract of habitat, often dividing large wildlife populations into several smaller ones. Human-caused habitat loss and fragmentation are primary drivers of species declines and extinctions.

Detailed explanation-4: -The fragmentation and destruction of natural habitat leads to reduction of population size and abundance, change of genetic diversity and extinction of wildlife. Due to patches of habitat the food chain length become smaller, which change the species interaction and reduce the specialists and large species of wildlife.