How can urbanization impact local ecosystems?

Urbanization significantly impacts local ecosystems primarily by leading to habitat destruction and increased pollution. As cities expand, natural habitats such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands are often cleared to make way for buildings, roads, and infrastructure. This transformation of land disrupts local ecosystems, leading to a loss of biodiversity as species are displaced or face extinction.

Additionally, urban areas tend to generate higher levels of pollution due to increased vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and waste production. This pollution not only affects air quality but also contaminates water sources and soil, further degrading the environment and harming both wildlife and human populations.

The other choices reflect less common or more theoretical outcomes of urbanization. While urban environments can occasionally lead to improved air quality through better regulations and green space, this is not a universal effect. Similarly, while restoration of natural habitats can occur in some urban planning initiatives, it is not a primary characteristic of urbanization as a whole. Enhancing agricultural productivity is also not a direct consequence of urbanization, as urban development typically reduces arable land available for farming. Thus, the most accurate depiction of urbanization's effects on local ecosystems is the negative impacts involving habitat destruction and pollution.