Biodiversity is an issue of particular concern to the oil and gas
industry, especially when we consider that the industry has been
operating in some of the world’s most sensitive environments for
more than 100 years.
Plant and animal communities may be directly affected by changes in
their environment through:
- Variations in water, air and
soil/sediment quality.
- Disturbance by noise, extraneous light.
- Changes in vegetation cover.
Such changes may directly affect the ecology: for example, habitat,
food and nutrient supplies, breeding areas and migration routes. If
not properly controlled, a potential long-term effect is loss of
habitat which affects both fauna and flora, and may induce changes
in species composition. |
“The ultimate
causes of biodiversity loss are human population growth
together with unsustainable patterns of consumption,
increasing production of waste and pollutants, urban
development, international conflict and continuing
inequities in the distribution of wealth and resources”
(UNEP-GEO3, 2002).
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