As human numbers grow, more and more wild land is used to grow crops and raise animals.
Today many farmers also use chemicals to grow bumper crops. These harm wild creatures.
Fields that were once home to all kinds of wildlife now hold just one crop.
Chemicals that kill weeds and pests kill all kinds of wildlife.
Many farmers spray their crops with chemicals to get rid of weeds and insects. These poisons kill all kinds of wildlife. However, organic farmers grow crops without using chemicals. Many more species are found on their farms.
Prairie chickens almost died out due to habitat loss in the US.
Wild grasslands such as the American prairies once covered large areas on mangy continents.
Now much of this wild land has been ploughed up to grow crops. This has driven wild birds such as prairie chickens to the point of extinction.
Goats have eaten all the grass on this farm in Africa.
Farmers rear herds of cattle, sheep and goats on land that is too poor for crops. But sometimes domestic animals strip all the vegetation, so wild creatures have nothing to eat.
If all the grass is eaten, winds and storms can blow or wash away the soil. This problem is called erosion.
Barn owls can be poisoned by chemicals used in farming.
When farmers spray their fields to get rid of pests, wild animals are affected too. The poison can spread through the food chain.
Mice absorb the chemicals when they eat grain that has been sprayed. The poison is stored in their bodies. Barn owls that eat poisoned mice may die, too.
Picture Credit : Google