Natural habitats converted to monocultures.
Agricultural ecosystems provide important habitats for many wild plant and animal species. This is especially the case for traditional farming areas that cultivate diverse species .
However ,rising demand for food and other agricultural products has seen large-scale clearing of natural habitats to make room for intensive monocultures.
Recent examples include the conversion of lowland rainforests in Indonesia to oil palm plantations ,and of large areas of the Amazon rainforest and cattle farm.
The ongoing habitat loss threatenes entire ecosystem as well as many species. Expanding oil palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia ,for example,pose the most significant threats to endangered megafauna including Asian elephant,Sumatran rhinoceros,and tigers.