Pollution and disease

Pollution, particularly from agriculture and urban runoff, poses a significant threat to biodiversity in the West of England. Pesticides, fertilisers, and other chemicals used in farming can leach into waterways, contaminating aquatic ecosystems and harming fish, amphibians, and other aquatic species.

Air, soil and water pollution can harm wildlife by damaging their habitats, physically harming them or increasing their vulnerability to diseases or predation. Pollutants tend to accumulate within the food chain, meaning that the larger animals at the top of the food chain end up ingesting far higher levels of pollutants. 

Plastic pollution is another growing concern. Rivers like the Avon and the Severn, which flow through the West of England, carry plastic waste from urban areas to the sea, where it poses a threat to marine life. Plastic ingestion and entanglement can be fatal for many marine species, including seabirds, turtles, and marine mammals.

Additionally, the spread of infectious diseases from human activities can devastate wildlife populations that are not equipped to combat non-native pathogens.