Human intervention has a negative effect on the biodiversity of our ecosystems. A city's ecological footprint, an example of human intervention, contributes significantly to biodiversity loss, both locally and at the global level. Loss of biodiversity can have far-reaching consequences on the well-being and prosperity of human kind, because it reduces the strength and capacity of ecosystems to provide essential goods and services. Biodiversity is declining rapidly due to factors such as land use change, climate change invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution. The biodiversity of our ecosystems is soon coming to the end because of negative human intervention.
Studies of the "ecological footprint" of cities show that cities effect a geographic area vastly greater than their own surface area. Coastal cities which damage their ecosystems can give themselves particularly vulnerable. By over exploiting the seas as a source of food a
nd as a location for waste disposal, cities compromise the benefits offered by their location. The Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana, absorbs the city's floodwater's, and receives the waters of several rivers. Water pollution and domestic and industrial discharges have a severely affected the lagoon's flora and fauna, and lagoon fisheries have been almost entirely destroyed. The lagoon's reservoir function has also been compromised, resulting in more frequent flooding in the city. Like The Korle Lagoon, the biodiversity of our ecosystems is being destroyed constantly.
Biodiversity loss has negative effects on several aspects of human well-being, such as food security, vulnerability to natural disasters, energy security, and access to clean water and raw materials. The availability of biodiversity is often a "safety net" that increases food security and the adaptability of some local communities to external economic and ecological disturbances. For example, due to natural disasters, the loss of mangroves and coral reefs, which are excellent natural shields against floods and storms, coastal communities have increasingly suffered from severe floods. An example of poor energy security is the shortage of wood fuel. This shortage occurs in areas with high population density without access to alternative and affordable energy sources. The continued loss of forests and the destruction of watersheds reduce the quality and availability of water supplied to household use and agriculture. Biodiversity loss affects everyone in many different ways, and we seem to be taking it for granted.
nd as a location for waste disposal, cities compromise the benefits offered by their location. The Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana, absorbs the city's floodwater's, and receives the waters of several rivers. Water pollution and domestic and industrial discharges have a severely affected the lagoon's flora and fauna, and lagoon fisheries have been almost entirely destroyed. The lagoon's reservoir function has also been compromised, resulting in more frequent flooding in the city. Like The Korle Lagoon, the biodiversity of our ecosystems is being destroyed constantly.Biodiversity loss has negative effects on several aspects of human well-being, such as food security, vulnerability to natural disasters, energy security, and access to clean water and raw materials. The availability of biodiversity is often a "safety net" that increases food security and the adaptability of some local communities to external economic and ecological disturbances. For example, due to natural disasters, the loss of mangroves and coral reefs, which are excellent natural shields against floods and storms, coastal communities have increasingly suffered from severe floods. An example of poor energy security is the shortage of wood fuel. This shortage occurs in areas with high population density without access to alternative and affordable energy sources. The continued loss of forests and the destruction of watersheds reduce the quality and availability of water supplied to household use and agriculture. Biodiversity loss affects everyone in many different ways, and we seem to be taking it for granted.
While changes in biodiversity are more clearly linked to direct drivers such as habitat loss, they are also linked to indirect drivers that are the root of many changes in ecosystems. The main indirect drivers are changes in human population, economic activity, and technology, as well as socio political and cultural factors. The changes in ecosystems are harming many of the world's poorest people who are less able to adjust to these changes and who are affects by even greater poverty, as they have limited access to substitutes or alternatives. For example, poor farmers often cannot afford using modern methods for services previously provided by biodiversity. In terrestrial ecosystems, the main driver has been land cover change such as the conversion of forest to agriculture. Exposure to one threat often makes species more susceptible to another, multiple threats may have unexpectedly dramatic impacts of biodiversity.
Human intervention has had a negative effect on the biodiversity of our ecosystems for a while now. Human actions are often contributing to irreversible losses in terms of diversity of life on Earth. As we are constantly taking our world for granted, the biodiversity loss will continue to be negative on the aspects of human well-being.Urban interests have had a damaging effect on the ecosystems around the cities, destroying the biodiversity of the surrounding areas, and in turn threatening the life of the cities themselves. If we continue to make human intervention a negative effect, the biodiversity of our ecosystem will come to an end.
Resources:
(pictures)
http://www.scienceacross.org/media/money-pic6web.jpg
http://coreybradshaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/hourglass-earth.jpg
http://www.goert.ca/images/rock_outcrop_dev.jpghttp://www.scienceacross.org/media/money-pic6web.jpg
http://coreybradshaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/hourglass-earth.jpg
Hai Casey :)
ReplyDeleteI will not lie, your blog has more information in it than I could possibly retain in a single sitting. So I got up and watched Glee in between readings; but I digress. I really like the angle you took with your blog with respect to the fixation on human impacts of the environment. The point I have to make about it though is that some of the points you make only help to emphasize why humans negatively impact biodiversity.
In your blog you say:
" Loss of biodiversity can have far-reaching consequences on the well-being and prosperity of human kind, because it reduces the strength and capacity of ecosystems to provide essential goods and services."
But if you think about it, isn't that the exact reason why we're losing biodiversity. Human beings to this point have valued ecosystems based on their capacity to provide wealth, goods and services. If we keep looking at things that way, all we're going to keep doing is exploit and overexploit our natural surroundings. I think maybe human beings in general are taking the wrong approach to stewardship. Your blog may cover why it's good for us to be responsible with biodiversity, but I think our primary focus should be because it's good for them. The infinite many organisms on the planet don't really deserve to be treated the way we've treated them to the past. It seems really selfish that we start caring about them only when we start getting something out of it.
Casey!
ReplyDeleteYour bioblog was well-done and very informative in describing to us the effects of our ecological footprint. You are very right when you said that, "Loss of biodiversity affects food security, vulnerability to natural disasters, energy security, and access to clean water and raw materials" because biodiversity is what helps humans achieve all those things.
Also, the picture of the hour glass was every unique and made me realize how its only a matter of time till the Earth comes to an end. It is very sad to know that the ecological footprint of cities effect a geographic area vastly greater than their own surface area. We need to start thinking about our planet and come up with Eco-friendly ways of doing things.
In the last paragraph, you did a great job in describing that what the cities do the Earth, will in turn come back to them and if this continues, our wonderful planet will indeed come to an end.
Great Job Casey! You're bioblog was very enjoyable to read!