Ecosystems and Habitat

Extinction, what is exactly does that mean and how does it affect us? Population and extinction are directly related to each other. If a population is going down, then they are about to become extinct and have a greater chance of becoming extinct. If population is up then they have more of a population to multiply to recover from possible extinction. “Individual characteristics in a population change slightly over time with genetic variations” (Robertson, P. 114). This is true, over millions of years we, as humans have evolved to what we are today. We are even still evolving into what we will be in the future.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhdTr2XFp8FvHVadabT6_kAd1ppue1Z6dPWxg9xnw1rx4cK2x62WfImWyHHQu2F-J0dgv-OmCIhMPW75M035QD5RoYAD3XLn_WmV8RnMhrQXVoVtJmG5jlF9eSPvoCNZx7JKaaM7_2p0/s1600/dinosaurs-wallpaper-4%25281%2529.jpg

Extinctions can have many causes. 64 million years ago a meteor hit somewhere in the Yucatan Peninsula causing the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Some scientists believe we are in our sixth recorded extinction period. “Extinction rates have reached 1,000 times the background extinction rate” (Robertson 115, P. 115). Some figures they have come up with are 20% of species will be extinct by 2030 and 50% of species will be extinct by 2050. Both of those numbers are alarming. The cause of extinction to develop astonishing numbers is human activities.

Once of the larges human activities we are responsible for is habitat destruction. In the sea we are dropping millions of yards of nets destroying and killing eco systems. Going through forests and cutting down every tree in sight using the clearcutting method. “Clearcutting is a method of logging in which every tree in a given area is cut regardless of size” (Robertson, P. 117). This method extinguishes the animals and ecosystem that call that forest their home.

http://badhanamit.weebly.com/uploads/5/0/6/9/50697175/6442998_orig.jpg

 Small things also have a huge effect on habitats. Habitat fragmentation is also affecting ecosystems. This fragmentation occurs when a road or human involvement cuts a habitat in different areas. Rather then just separating the areas, this creates an entirely new eco system causing the animals and plants to adapt to these changes.

Pollution and Population are affecting our Ecosystems and Habitat. All living things need water at some point to sustain life. Fresh drinking water is vital to all ecosystems. Pollution within our fresh water not only affects animals and plants but it effects humans. Population also is affecting habitats. Due to a rapid growth in population, everyone wants the American dream of owning a home and back yard. Urban development causes us to destroy many habitats for animals, causing them to move, causing evening more problems or them dying because they no longer have a home. We need to come up with a solution for better urban development. Yes safe and affordable housing is important to our US economy but at the expense of our plants and animal eco systems is not ok.

http://www.crystalinks.com/pollution.jpg