The majority of these hotspots are also located in areas with very high malnutrition and rapid population growth. According to a recent study by the United Nations Environment Programme, species extinction since 1600 has occurred at a pace 50 to 100 times greater than the natural rate. That pace is expected to accelerate to 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural pace. The loss of biodiversity to agriculture creates a vicious cycle because many wild species aid in farm productivity. Insects and other small animals, for example, help with soil fertility and plant reproduction.
Trees help provide clean water and prevent floods.
Some experts predict that the world's demand for food could grow by as much as 60 percent by 2030. If forest clearing for agriculture continues at the present rate, the world's forests could lose more than half of their species over the next 50 years, the researchers warn. Much of the forest land in China is being converted to farmland. Where that's OK in surplus producing regions of the U.S., it's not OK in the Third World. The report recommends six strategies for farmers in developing countries to protect wild habitat on and near their land while increasing agricultural output.