Ecosystems

Ecosystems must maintain a fragile balance for the health of all of the organisms contained within. There are different ecosystems throughout the world and each has its own unique residents. For instance, the ecosystem in a rain forest will have some species of frog that are not found in any other ecosystem in the world. There are also some species of frog that are common to many ecosystems worldwide. Many things can destroy the health of an ecosystem. For instance, pollution can adversely effect an ecosystem. Habitat destruction is also an issue for organisms within an ecosystem. Food scarcity is also an issue for the health of any ecosystem.

Every organism contained within an ecosystem has a purpose. However, there are sometimes foreign entity’s introduced into an ecosystem. This can have a devastating effect on the ecosystem. Organisms work together to create optimal conditions for those that live in that ecosystem. For example, it is likely that each organism is a food source for another organism. While there will be some organisms at the top of the food chain, there must also be some at the bottom. Certain creatures, such as worms, eat organisms that are too small for the human eye to see, while larger creatures will feed on creatures that we are more familiar with, such as a lion eating a bird. Because of the food chain, the health of even the smallest creature will have an effect on the largest of creatures. If the creatures at the bottom of the food chain have poor health or carry disease, this will directly effect the health of the creatures that use them as a food source. If a creature at the top of the food chain becomes ill and die, the population of other creatures may grow too large.

There is an obvious ripple effect on an ecosystem when even one resident is effected by a single environmental factor. If for example, the population of one species were to exceed its usual numbers, they would in turn, require more abundant food sources. When their food sources begin to dwindle, they may begin looking for new food sources, directly effecting the food sources of another organism. A good example of this is the population of the white-tailed deer in New Jersey and surrounding states. If allowed to continue to produce at their current rate, deer would starve to death and succumb to disease at a much higher rate than if their numbers were as they should be. One solution to cutting the number of the deer in the area is hunting. Another solution is to introduce birth control. However, the population has already caused havoc for its ecosystem. Deer have run out of food in some areas, thereby, effecting the food source of other creatures, such as rabbits. The ecosystem cannot support deer at their current population without adverse effects for the rest of the ecosystem.

Ecosystems around the world have issues that adversely effect their health. While some of these disruptions are due to environmental factors, many are cause by human interference. We must work to live our lives with minimal interference to our surrounding ecosystems. This in turn, assures the health of ours.

Marine ecology

Marine ecology and aquatic ecology cover the study of organisms and their interaction with water environments. Living and non living creatures can directly effect aquatic ecology. One important factor in marine ecology, like most fragile balances in nature, is pollution. The devastation caused by pollution is as evident in the study of aquatic ecology as it is in other ecological environments. The human actions that cause pollution are sometimes considered necessary for human survival. For example, human energy consumption is at an all time high, and we consistently strive to get to energy sources faster and more effectively, no matter what the cost. However, in rushing for solutions to our energy problems, we often feel the ripple effect on the environment.

The Exxon Valdez is a good example of an enormous disturbance found in marine ecology. The pollution produced from that oil spill effected many fragile ecological systems in the immediate and surrounding areas. Although the oil spill took place in the late eighties, the effects are still being felt and will be felt for generations to come. The initial oil spill had an immediate effect on the surrounding areas. Marine animals suffered and died, birds became coated in the slick substance and were unable to fly and smaller fish died instantly. There was also vast devastation to the aquatic ecology that we couldn’t see. Smaller organisms and plants below the surface were also effected and most died. Visions of oil covered birds on television and in newspapers were a small indication of the ecological devastation that would follow. Those that study marine ecology struggled to find a way to effectively clean the water but by then, it was too late. The oil slick spread quickly, destroying the ecological balance in a larger area than anyone thought possible.

Even now, food sources in the surrounding marine ecology are greatly effected. There are little or no healthy fish in the area. Therefore, there is no food for dolphins, whales, birds or for the people that relied on fish as their major source of food and for their employment. The fishing industry in the area is still being greatly effected by the oil spill. In essence, there is no longer a fishing industry , which effectively created a local ghost town. Most of the population in the immediate area relied on the fishing industry for employment to support their families and were forced to leave the area when they no longer had an income. The devastation to the aquatic ecology, quickly had a ripple effect on the ecology of everything around it. The balance in nature had completely been destroyed.

The Exxon Valdez is an unfortunate example of humans direct effect on natures fragile ecosystem. The effect of that single oil spill will be felt long after our lifetime. While the marine ecology in that area struggles to recover, humans continue to create devastating consequences for many fragile ecosystems around the world. Every action humans take against their environment, either directly or indirectly, has ripple effects felt by future generations.

Human ecologists

Like nature, the human body must maintain a fragile balance in order to thrive. The smallest factor can effect human ecology. Human ecology can be thought of in two ways. There is human ecology in the sense that humans effect their environment and vice verse. However, their is also a fragile ecology inside the human body. This type of human ecology can be thought of as biology ecology. While humans can effect their natural environment the same cant always be said for our effect on our biology ecology. In some sense humans have control over their biology ecology. However, our environment and heredity can also directly effect the fragile balance in our bodies.

Getting lung cancer is an example that could be explained in either way. Human ecology might say that a person got lung cancer because they were a heavy smoker throughout their lifetime or where exposed to known cancer causing material such as asbestos. These days, people are aware of the effects of smoking on the human body and should act accordingly. By smoking or exposing ourselves to known carcinogens, we as the subject, caused ourselves to get lung cancer. However, lung cancer can also be explained through biology ecology. Certainly if the subject smoked and introduced a foreign substance into the human body, they caused the effect on the biology ecology of that subject. However, it could also be said that that persons biology effected the outcome of cancer. There are people that never smoke or purposefully exposed themselves to known carcinogens and they still get lung cancer. Those people may have not had a balance in their biology ecology and could complete no outside action (human ecology) to directly effect the outcome of lung cancer. We cannot always be held responsible for our biology or how it effects us. Regardless of the type of ecology, balance is always a necessity for an organism to thrive.

Human ecology may study the social reason for our smoking habit. It may also study the reason that society has allowed known carcinogens such as lead, to remain in our environment. In studying the social interaction between humans and their environment, human ecologists are able to find solutions to problems that are caused as a direct result of interaction between humans and their environment. Biology ecology may study biological factors in the human body that are out of our control. By studying the relationship between humans and their bodies, ecologists can sometimes find links in other types of ecology and find ways to produce a positive outcome.

Human health depends on many ecological factors. In many cases, humans have the ability to effect those factors. Humans can usually change their environmental factors through geography or through direct environmental contact. While we can not always change our biology, we can change environmental factors that will effect our biology. Humans have the ability to change many factors that effect us both directly and indirectly.

Human ecology

There are several types of ecology available for study. When most people think of ecology, they tend to think of animals and their balance with nature. However, there is also human ecology, which is often considered a branch of sociology or psychology. When one thinks of the many varying ecology types, they should also consider the many environmental types. Humans have many different types of environments. For instance, there are social and natural environments of varying degrees. Like the study of ecology in nature, human ecology deals with the effect of humans on their environment and vice verse. Humans can effect their social environment in much the same way that they effect their natural environment. It should also be noted that humans social interactions also directly effect their environment. Humans that gather together in a social environment can effectively work together to change their natural environment.

When studying the different types of ecology, many of the questions remain the same. Different ecology types have similar problems to face and similar solutions that can be utilized to restore ecological balance. For example, one type of ecology is marine ecology. An ecologist wishing to study the effect of pollution on marine life, could just as easily study the effect of pollution on humans. It is becoming increasingly clear that each aspect of our fragile ecosystem effects all of the other aspects.

When one thinks of ecology types, they must also consider the types of environment. For example, human ecology may study the effects of humans on their social, work or natural environment. Social environment can consist or responses to friends, family, work, school, nature, even the environment at the mall. Humans responses to their environment can depend on factors such as geography, education, financial class and family size.

When approaching the different types of ecology, an ecologist must all take different environments, responses and effects into account. No matter what organism a person is studying, they must search for similar cause and effect relationships. Humans seem to have the most effect on all types of ecology. Humans can effect biology, plants, animals, other people and overall environment for most organisms. While humans have the ability to inflict great harm to the fragile balance of nature, we also have the ability to encourage change. The types of ecology we can effect, directly effect us in turn. By learning from organisms around us, and studying different ecology types, we can directly effect our own ecology. Humans, more than any organism, have the power to restore balance.

The many types of ecology available for study offer a wide variety of subjects within each type. Marine ecologist can study animals, plants, organism and their balance with their environment. Human ecologists are also offered a wide variety of environments in which to study their subjects. The variety of ecology types can each offer a variety of solutions in our struggle to regain balance in our environment. The direct cause and effect relationship between organisms and their environment should be clear, and we as humans, should work to be the cause for change.

Ecologists are studying Ape populations in the wild

Ecologist are currently trying to determine why the ape population is shrinking in the wild. They are also trying to determine the full extent of the damage caused to the ecological balance because of the smaller numbers of apes in the wild. Ecologists may first study apes in captivity in order to better understand the effect of certain environmental factors on ape populations. They also want to understand the idiosyncrasies in ape behavior. This way they can understand the apes effect on their environment. However, an ecologist that studies apes in the wild, may be able to get a clearer overall picture of the reason for dwindling ape populations. They must study the environment as a whole in order to understand the positive and negative effects of each environmental factor.

An ecologist would want to study many factors in determining the reason for shrinking ape populations. There are some obvious reasons for smaller ape populations. Certain areas of the world struggle to prevent trophy hunting and hunting by indigenous people. The various reasons for hunting apes include; food source, trophy hunting, the fight for land and the use of apes for medicinal purposes by some tribes. Indigenous peoples are not often educated about their impact on the environment. Ecologists will often work with local populations to help them understand the fragile ecological balance necessary for survival. While hunting is a major cause for finding a smaller population of apes in the wild, ecologists are finding many environmental factors as well.

An ecologist wants to understand the changing environment around them and their study subjects. There are many factors for an ecologist to consider when a species population begins to shrink. In addition to the obvious factors, there are those that the average person may not consider. For example, apes often must compete with other species for scare food sources. These other species may include those native to the area or invasive species that are gaining control where they shouldn’t. Apes must also contend with a shrinking habitat. Many of the factors effecting ape population are a direct result of humans interaction with their planet. Humans are the cause of hunting, shrinking food source and habitat and pollution. Ecologists are trying to determine the extent of damage caused by humans and are struggling to fix it before it is too late. Shrinking ape populations will also cause effects on other species and ecologist struggle to find ways to regain an ecological balance in the wild.

The hope of all ecologists is to understand the effect of organisms on their environment and vice verse. Hopefully, the knowledge each ecologist acquires, will help prevent the future loss of fragile species around the world. Ecologists help the general public to realize the damage humans are causing around the world. If we are unable to prevent future destruction of the sensitive ecological balance, humans may join the apes in eventual extinction.

Ecological

By studying ecology, scientist are better able to understand the impact of humans on the planet, while also determining the impact of the planet on humans. There is a fragile balance between humans and mother nature. We must use natures resources without abusing them. The study of our planets fragile Ecology has determined that natures fragile balance is not as it once was. The planet is changing, and humans must struggle to successfully adapt to those changes.

One way humans have effected the ecology of the planet is through our increased use of energy. Some have said that the plant will not be able to keep up with our energy consumption. There are many ecological changes taking place because of our energy consumption. Oil is a good example of the manner in which we are causing great ecological change. In order to get the mass amounts of oil that we consume, we must drill in places that have so far been untouched by humans. In places like Alaska, we are changing the ecological balance of nature in ways that we do not yet understand. In order to get to the oil, we must travel across pristine land and disturb the ecology of that land as we go through. When we drill for oil, we also destroy resources that are available to the wildlife in that area. There are not many things that effect the ecological balance of a place more than oil disasters. Oil spills are a major cause of ecological disturbance and some areas have been unable to recover. The area effected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, has so far, been unable to recover either environmentally or economically. These disasters highlight the need for humans to find alternate energy resources and to cut down on our energy consumption.

The planet has effected humans in a variety of ways. Humans have had to adjust to a changing climate. It is not important for an individual to believe in global warming in order to recognize that our environment is changing. No matter what you believe about global warming, one cannot deny that temperatures are changing, glaciers are melting, and animals and marine life are dieing. While humans have been pretty successful in adapting to the changing ecology of the planet, some creatures have not fared as well. The ecological changes that our planet has undergone, will eventually effect us in ways that we cannot yet understand.

Humans have adapted fairly well to the ecological changes taking place. However, we do not yet know the full scope the changes taking place. With environmental changes taking place we will experience many other changes. Like other creatures on earth, our food sources may change or disappear, water may become scare and weather may become even more harsh. The success of human survival depends greatly on our ability to adapt to the changing ecology. If we can begin to understand the effects of our actions no the planet, we may be able to change the eventual outcome. By learning from our mistakes, we help ensure a better planet for future generations.