Name(s):
Overharvesting
Excessive economic exploitation of animal species
Over-exploitation of biological resources
Unregulated harvesting
Nature
Biological resources include wild organisms harvested for subsistence, commerce, or recreation (such as fish, game, timber or furbearers); domesticated organisms raised by agriculture, aquaculture and silviculture; and ecosystems (such as rangeland) cropped by livestock. Irrespective of the condition of their habitats, excessive rates of harvesting, especially of animal species, can lead to their extinction for economic purposes, and in some cases their biological extinction. Intensive harvesting of species can also endanger their genetic diversity.