Loss of biodiversity in Argentina: causes and consequences

You may have heard the term biodiversity loss repeatedly , but do you really know what this concept entails? The loss of biodiversity occurs when the populations of native species of a region, in this particular case we speak of Argentina, are drastically reduced mainly due to anthropogenic causes, that is, related to the development of human activities. As a result, species are at high risk of extinction and, if the situation is not reversed, they become extinct.

For more information on What is biodiversity or biological diversity and What is biodiversity loss, its causes and consequences , we recommend these other summaries.

As we mentioned in the previous section, the loss of biodiversity is related to the development of human activities. Therefore, here we tell you what are the main causes of the loss of biodiversity in Argentina .

Destruction and degradation of habitat

The destruction and degradation of the habitat is mainly caused by the advance of the agricultural-livestock frontier and urban growth. Both purposes have something in common: deforestation and clearing of ecosystems.

Undoubtedly, habitat destruction and degradation is the main cause of biodiversity loss in Argentina . We must not forget that a large part of the country’s economic activity comes from agriculture and livestock and, in an effort to increase their productivity, many pristine ecosystems are transformed into monoculture fields.

To better understand the relationship between deforestation and the loss of biodiversity in Argentina, we recommend you read this other article about Deforestation in Argentina: causes and consequences .

Introduction of exotic species

There is a long record of species that have been introduced into ecosystems far from their original range. Despite this, today it is known that this practice brings more negative consequences than benefits, particularly for indigenous biodiversity. Among its effects we can mention: competition with native species, transmission of diseases and pests to native species and profound changes in the functioning of ecosystems.

Learn more about Introducing Alien Species: Causes and Consequences with this overview.

Poaching and illegal species trafficking

This cause is curious because many times we associate poaching and illegal trafficking of species only with vertebrate animals. However, many populations of invertebrate animal and plant species are also severely diminished by the illegal trafficking of their specimens. But here is something we can do to reverse the situation: if as a society we stop buying wild and exotic plants and animals, the illegal trade will cease to exist!

Here you can learn more about the Causes and consequences of poaching animals and How to avoid illegal animal trafficking .

Environmental pollution

It is widely known that our daily activities produce multiple polluting products, such as plastics, chemical waste from industries or others, which mainly culminate in the atmosphere, soil and also in bodies of water such as rivers and oceans. In the latter case, as a consequence, aquatic biodiversity is increasingly exposed to particles that directly and indirectly contaminate them. For example, these animals often confuse these pollutants with food and by ingesting them they can suffer different degrees of consequences, even cause death.

For more information we advise you to read these other posts about What is environmental pollution and the causes and consequences of water pollution .

Climate change

Climate change implies a sudden and rapid modification of climatic variations. Given this, the functioning of ecosystems also changes drastically and those species that fail to adapt end up becoming extinct.

In this link you will learn more about the Effects of climate change .

If we wanted to know specifically where there is loss of biodiversity in Argentina it would be difficult to decipher, since it is an extremely large country. However, there are some regions that, due to their characteristics, are more exploited than others. Let’s see here two examples of regions of Argentina with loss of biodiversity .

Examples of biodiversity loss in the Chaco Region

Particularly the Chaco Region, today it is the Argentine region with the greatest loss of biodiversity. Its ecosystems are extremely degraded, mainly due to the advance of the agricultural frontier and, as a result, biodiversity suffers a high risk of extinction. Such is the case of the jaguar or jaguar ( Panthera onca ) and the anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla ) , whose populations are diminished not only by the loss of habitat itself, but also because their exposure to hunters and possible run over on routes and roads.

Examples of biodiversity loss in the Pampean Region

Another example is the Pampean Region, which has always been used for agriculture and, in the past, its natural pastures were almost entirely razed to turn ecosystems into farmland. As a balance, the agriculturalization of the Pampas, added to the indiscriminate hunting of their specimens, led to the regional extinction of the pampas deer ( Ozotoceros bezoarticus ) .

After knowing the reasons for the loss of biodiversity in Argentina and some examples, it remains to comment on the consequences of this problem. As if the problem itself were not enough, the consequences of the loss of biodiversity in Argentina go beyond the extinction of species.

Let’s dig a little deeper: when a species becomes extinct, the ecological relationships that it has with other species are lost with it. This fact causes alterations in the functioning of ecosystems that sooner or later are reflected in the ecosystem goods and services that we use.

For example, what would happen if the species that pollinated a crop used for food became extinct? This crop would not continue to grow, at least not naturally and in extension, so we would lose this food and generate problems to supply and feed the population and economic losses, as well as all the species that feed on said vegetable would lose it. (eg birds, rodents, insects …). For this reason, the species that most depend on this crop as food would suffer a reduction in their populations due to hunger and competition for food, which is why they could become extinct. So on in the food chain and in the food web.

If you got here you will know that the native species of this country are extremely vulnerable to extinction, therefore the protection of biodiversity in Argentina is essential . Stay reading this section in which we will tell you two key points in the conservation of biodiversity in Argentina .

• First of all, Argentina has a long history when it comes to creating protected areas and was even the first country in Latin America to do so. Protected areas aim to conserve remnants of ecosystems that have not been disturbed by human activity and, ultimately, to form a refuge for local biodiversity. However, only 5% of the territory is under the category of protected area.
• Second, there are non-governmental organizations dedicated to the reintroduction of endangered species. Thanks to their work, they have managed to reintroduce, in protected areas, baby jaguars, anteaters, condors , among others, thus contributing to the growth of their populations.

If you want to read more articles similar to Loss of biodiversity in Argentina: causes and consequences , we recommend that you enter our Biodiversity category .