Deer Biomes: Human Impact & Solutions

Deer biomes can be found all over our planet, but many of these animals have been experiencing adverse conditions due to human impact.

Deer biomes have been negatively impacted by humans through climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and poaching. A solution to this negative impact is to target each of these issues through enforced legislation and environmental education to the general public.

You can find different types of deer in just about all corners of our planet. They are an incredibly diverse species that is capable of living in biomes such as tundra, taiga, woodland, tropical, and even deserts. This species has many similar characteristics across the board, but it can adapt to adverse habitats with relative ease - given that there are 43 different types of deer species that can be found in just about every single type of climate on Earth. However, we have been seeing issues with deer biomes become more and more common due to human impact, which is why we need to work as a global society to mitigate the harm that we cause to these incredible animals. To help you understand everything you need to know about the negative impact caused by humans on deer biomes, we are going to take a closer look at some solutions to these issues.

After years of working as an environmental scientist that studies deer biomes, I have had plenty of in-depth experience researching this species and its habitat. My research has led me to conclude that the majority of adverse effects seen within deer biomes are attributed to human impact.

‍Human Impact & Solutions

In recent years we have seen environmental disasters caused by humans become ever more apparent. This is the case for the many biomes that deer inhabit, which jeopardizes their livelihoods and has put some species on the brink of extinction. There needs to be much more human action and effort to resolve these environmental issues so that we can secure the health of this species’ varying biomes.

With that being said, there are some biomes in which deer are actually overpopulated, which is a good sign for the survival of the species but it’s not sustainable for the health of the biome as a whole. In these biomes, deer are generally in a relatively healthy state and are not at great risk, but they may be causing harm to the biome due to having an imbalanced population. In this situation, having activities such as hunting can actually be beneficial for the biome, so long as it is properly regulated.

However, this is not the case in most biomes that deer live in, as we are seeing wildlife and habitat decline become an increasing issue within the environment, which has pretty much entirely been attributed to ecological mismanagement and human behavior.

Unfortunately, many governments and people around the world are not taking notice of this dilemma - or disregard its completely. This has made the future for many of our deer species and the biomes that they depend on uncertain. Luckily, environmental activism and sustainable living have been gaining a lot of mainstream popularity which has resulted in more people paying attention to the ecological threats that target our planet’s deer species. Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways that humans impact deer biomes, as well as some solutions to these issues.

Climate Change

There is currently no greater threat to deer biomes and all life on this planet than climate change. In recent years, we have watched this global threat become even more prevalent as its effects are becoming exacerbated. Unfortunately, the effects of climate change have been met with a lot of scrutinies and this environmental issue has been turned into a political fiasco around the globe, which has stagnated our response and action to combat it.

We have now reached a point where the evidence is clear and the truth is no longer something that we can hide from, which is why it is essential that we begin making changes in our behavior and how we view the environment. Around the globe, people are beginning to wake up to the reality of climate change and are starting to accept the risk that it poses to our planet. The effects of climate change trickle down and affect all species - including our deer and their biomes. Given that climate change has a direct impact on all of the biomes of our planet, we can expect this global threat to affect every type of dear species that roams the Earth.

Climate change has adverse effects on every type of biome but the overall impact will vary depending on the characteristics of that specific biome. Deer species such as Reindeer, which live in the extremely cold conditions of the tundra biome are dependent on their climate for survival, which is now being challenged by the adverse effects of climate change - with global temperatures rising and winters becoming more unpredictable for Reindeer.

In addition, climate change is also affecting deer species such as the Mule Deer, which live in arid desert biomes and have incredibly harsh conditions as it is. We are watching deserts and dry regions receive even less rain than they had in the past, which results in severe droughts that leave areas bone dry without adequate water resources for the species that live in the biome.

To protect our deer species and their biomes, we need to take active measures that directly combat climate change so that these animals have a secure future ahead of them. The challenge with climate change is that it is going to take a planetary effort in order for us to make true progress with this global environmental threat.

Habitat Loss

The loss of habitat is a major issue for wildlife around the globe. While habitat destruction can be caused by natural disasters, the majority of the time this occurs, it is due to human impact. Deer species around the world are experiencing the harmful effects of habitat destruction. This ends up putting the entire biome that they depend on at risk, which could potentially jeopardize the population of the entire species.

Habitat loss occurs through a lot of different adverse human behaviors - with the majority of them being tied to industrialization. Large industries around the globe are destroying habitat for-profit and are benefiting from it financially while leaving vital habitats in turmoil in the process. The problem with this is that most of these large industries get to act with impunity, as they have often influenced lawmakers to come out ahead when questions are raised - or they have the finances to deal with the consequences (should any occur).

This can make tackling habitat loss to protect our deer species and their biomes incredibly challenging, as industrial practices are problematic on so many fronts. One of the main issues we see with deer species today is within the tropical biome where the Marsh Deer resides. The Marsh Deer’s habitat has been put at risk due to large manmade dams that have adverse effects on the deer’s natural environment.

In addition, a lot of habitats that deer depend on are destroyed due to human development and resource harvesting. This usually happens through deforestation where large amounts of trees and vegetation are removed for logging purposes - or to make way for housing projects. Unconscientious development and unsustainable resource harvesting are at the heart of habitat loss for deer species and their biomes around the world.

Pollution

The damaging effects of pollution are felt all over the planet and especially by our deer species and their biomes. The reason that pollution is such a major threat to the environment is that it comes from so many different facets of society. We see pollution coming from agriculture, large industries, and even everyday people.

Unfortunately, the majority of our waste is not managed properly and it pretty much all ends up in our environment in one way or another. Our deer species are affected by this in a number of different ways. All deer depend on streams, rivers, and lakes for their source of water, and what we are finding is that freshwater pollution is becoming a major problem that sabotages the drinking water for so many deer species. This water generally becomes polluted due to runoff from various industries that flow into freshwater channels, which deer end up drinking.

In addition, the pollution within this water ends up destroying habitats within the biome and also jeopardizes the food that a lot of deer species depend on. Given that many deer tend to reside along waterfronts, they also depend on the vegetation within the area for their food. We have been seeing the pollution within the water have adverse and even toxic effects on the vegetation of these areas.

Furthermore, industries often pollute these biomes deliberately by directly disposing of the harmful waste into the environment. This sort of blatant pollution brings great harm to the deer species of the area and the biome as a whole, as industrial waste is often full of harmful chemicals.

Poaching

The poaching of exotic animals around the world is a horrible trade and practice that has resulted in some of our planet’s most incredible animals becoming completely extinct. Unfortunately, our deer species are also paying the price of this human behavior as they are often targeted in some regions by poachers.

With that being said, there is a fine line between poaching and hunting. When hunting is practiced sustainably, it can actually be quite beneficial for deer species and their respected biomes.

The reason for this is that some deer species such as the White-tail Deer are actually overpopulated in some regions due to a lack of predatory species to facilitate the amount of deer that roam the region. In this case, hunting can prove to be a healthy practice for the ecosystem and is often even encouraged.

On the other hand, unlicensed, unwarranted, and unlawful poaching can have very damaging effects on deer and their biomes - especially if the species is at risk or endangered. Poachers will access lands without permission and illegally hunt down deer without any regard for how it will affect the environment.

Legislation & Education

The most important thing that we can do to protect our planet’s deer species and biomes is to create legislation that protects their environment and educate the public at large about the importance of environmental values. The good news is that in recent years we have seen governments and the general public become much more aware of environmental concerns and people are beginning to take actions that will benefit the health of the planet - and its deer species.

The hope is that our efforts are not too little too late, as we have procrastinated creating environmental changes for decades, which has resulted in massive amounts of habitat loss, countless species extinct, and a climate crisis that is in full swing. While we have failed to take action early on, it is still not too late to create the changes that are necessary to protect our deer species and the biomes that they depend on.

Firstly, governments around the globe need to step up and begin passing legislation that emphasizes habitat protection and climate change initiatives. In addition, lawmakers and enforcers need to hold individuals and organizations that violate environmental legislation accountable to prevent people from mismanaging our environment. This is especially the case for large corporations that have influential power in government legislation, as they are the number one culprits in this situation.

Secondly, we need to begin revisioning the way we approach education in our schooling system. There needs to be a greater focus on environmental protection so that future generations do not repeat the mistakes that we have made so many times in the past. This would include creating curriculums that teach people early on about the importance of our environment and the different ways that we can protect it - including our deer species and their biomes.