LEED Green Associate Practice Test

The chosen answer, habitat protection, is crucial within the category of protecting, enhancing, and restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services. This impact directly involves safeguarding natural environments that are essential for various species and ecosystems to thrive. When habitats are protected, it promotes biodiversity by ensuring that different species can continue to exist and interact within their natural contexts. This is foundational for maintaining ecosystem services, which range from pollination and water purification to carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling.

Other options, while important in their own right, address different aspects of sustainability and do not focus specifically on biodiversity. For example, reducing raw material resource extraction supports sustainability by minimizing environmental impact but does not directly correlate with habitat preservation. Supporting local economies is beneficial, as it can encourage sustainable practices, yet it doesn't inherently protect or enhance biodiversity. Promoting innovation is vital for developing new solutions in sustainability, but again, it doesn't specifically pertain to the direct protection of habitats and ecosystems. Hence, habitat protection stands out as the most relevant impact in the context of biodiversity and ecosystem services.