Eastern Asia is home to some of the world's most amazing biodiversity.  It includes a wide array of plant and animal life, and contains many features unique to the region.

Present here are the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain system, the world's second largest rainforest complex, over half of the world's coral reefs, and many extremely diverse locations.

Though the flora and fauna of Eastern Asia are extremely diverse, they are now being threatened.  Again, a major cause of this environmental problem is the expansion of agriculture necessary to feed a growing population.

The areas most severely hurt by the destruction of natural habitats are the Indian sub-continent, China, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Marine biodiversity is also threatened by human action.  In the coastal areas, habitats are being lost or destroyed.  Pollutants and sediment are also being dumped into the coastal waters, further destroying water ecosystems.

This problem has caused significant destruction of coral reefs and mangroves in Eastern Asia.  In Thailand alone, 200,000 hectares of mangrove were lost between 1961 and 1993.

There are several major causes of the loss of biodiversity.  One is the growth of population, which creates the need for habitat destruction for housing and farming.  Another is foreign trade, especially exports of products such as timber.  Foreign species have disrupted native food chains, and killed off native species.  Hunting and the building of dams are also serious causes.