Ecosystems and Economics

Ecosystems and Economics

Gerri Wright

BIO/280

January 27, 2014

Steven Peck

Ecosystems and Economics

The interaction between nonliving and living things within a geographical location is called an ecosystem. Living organisms rely on one another, on the nonliving, and on factors such as certain temperatures and sunlight in order to reproduce and survive; this is the balance of ecosystems.

Ecosystem degradation is “negative changes in composition, structure and functioning of an ecosystem” (Patel, pg. 1, 2012.Ecosystem degradation can be caused by human activities and natural calamities or both. Although ecosystem degradation cannot be controlled regarding natural calamities, we can control ecosystem degradation by human activities.

Ecosystem degradation by human activities include: wars, industrialization and transportation, construction of dams, urbanization, tourism, migration, shifting cultivation, and population explosion.

Wars occur when a conflict or competition occurs between nations and take a heavy toll on life. Because natural resources are put to use during wars, the ecosystems are destroyed either completely or partially.

Industrialization and transportation: raw materials are in demand of industries such as wood, sand, and metal ores. Wood is taken by converting the natural forests into plantations. Pollutants are released by industries into the environment and into the food chains disturbing the balance of the ecosystem. Earth and rock dumping after extracting ores onto the floors of the forests and wetlands disturbs the ecosystem. The highway and railway construction interrupts wildlife habitats and has an effect on the migration of animals.

The construction of dams creates huge reservoirs of water that causes the uphill side to convert to an aquatic ecosystem, and the downstream ecosystem is changed from flowing water to beds of stone and sand. Construction of dams displaces native people and increases pressure on the ecosystem...