The natural environment is under threat from human activities, leading to habitat loss, loss of biodiversity and spread of invasive species. However, healthy ecosystems are essential for producing ecosystem services essential for human survival, such as the production of oxygen. This chapter will give an overview on the loss of biodiversity caused by changing climate, illegal hunting, loss of habitat, which increases the interface and potential for zoonotic diseases, and increasing competition with invasive species, which result mostly from human activities and that can act as vectors for diseases. The need for essential processes provided by ecosystem services as well as the increased zoonotic disease makes this chapter an essential topic to be explored through a multidisciplinary One Health approach.
