What is the term for the loss of species and their ecosystems due to human activity?

• A. Habitat destruction
• B. Pollution
• C. Biodiversity loss
• D. Overfishing

Answer: (C)

Biodiversity loss is the decline in the variety and abundance of life across species, genes, and ecosystems, driven largely by human activities. When we cut down forests, drain wetlands, pollute habitats, overfish oceans, or alter climates, species disappear and the ecosystems they support are damaged. This term captures both the loss of individual species and the degradation of the ecological communities they form, along with the services those ecosystems provide.

Habitat destruction is a major cause, but the question asks for the overall outcome, which is biodiversity loss. Pollution and overfishing are specific pressures that contribute to biodiversity loss, not the comprehensive term itself.