1. The interaction between species in an ecosystem consists of several different tiers and levels of interaction. The composition of the populations in each of these ecosystems are directly affected by the relationships of the different species. The relationship between the snowshoe hare and its predators shows its effect on population dynamics. The snowshoe hare is a small hare found in North America. As it is abundant, it is the “primary food of the lynx” (NWT). The population of snowshoe hares increase and decrease in cycles that last roughly 8-11 years. As snowshoe hare population increases or decreases so does the population of the lynx. Once the hares become scares, the lynx migrate in search of more abundant food. This relationship directly influences the population dynamics of the ecosystem.
2. Eutrophication is the introduction of chemicals to ecosystems. The process can be both natural and influenced by humans. The application of fertilizer to lawns can adds to the eutrophication of both ground and surface water. Fertilizer introduces both “nitrogen and phosphorusfertilizers used both agricultural and non-agricultural settings” (Davies) are essentially the same in terms of composition. In the case of groundwater the introduction of nitrogen creates algal blooms which depletes the oxygen levels. Species diversity decreases as the oxygen depletion kills off species of fish and other animals.
3. Flooding occurs regularly the states that contain the Mississippi River. Because of the flooding, the Asian Carp, an invasive species, is regularly introduced to new bodies of water. The Carp was introduced to lakes, marshes, and bayous “stretching from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico[over] 6.5 million acres of land” (Welsh). The Carp were first to invade because of their hardiness and their tendency to spawn while the areas flood. The upper trophic levels arrived after the lower trophic levels that were already present.
References
Davies, S. (2001, February 22). Impacts of Lawn Fertilizer on Water. Retrieved February 04, 2016, from http://www.uvm.edu/~vlrs/doc/lawnfert.htm
Environment and Natural Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2016, from http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/node/3052 .
Welsh, B. J. (2011). Flood Fears: Ferocious Alien Fish Will Spread into New Areas. Retrieved February 04, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/14552-mississippi-flooding-asian-carp.html
