Introduction
The conservation of the environment is important so that humans, other animals, and other plant species may continue to thrive. Furthermore, in order to effectively conserve the environment, an in-depth knowledge in ecology is important. This paper will likewise focus on issues that concern ecologist such as species richness, habitat depletion, and climate change.
Body
Species Richness—Alpha and Gamma Diversity
There are millions of species that have already been discovered and a lot more are left unidentified. Species richness is basically the total count of species in a community and this is just one way to define biodiversity in a certain ecosystem. Measuring how diverse the species are in an ecosystem is a complicated process for many reasons, one is that the term species is not universally defined. Another is that there is ambiguity in the taxonomic differences among species. Moreover, one may quantify species richness by different scales—alpha and gamma diversity, wherein alpha takes into account richness within a habitat, while gamma takes into account the habitat diversity within a region (College of Natural Resources, n.d.). Furthermore, the species within a habitat undergo threats as human depletes specific habitats.
Habitat Depletion
Among the human activities that deplete terrestrial habitats such as forests and rainforests are the cutting down of trees and the mowing of fields. These activities affect the specific flora and fauna within a habitat and likewise cause these species to reach or have a population lower than the minimum viable population by inducing unfavorable conditions (pollution, land degradation, etc.). In addition to this, these activities may also influence the environmental stochasticity of populations into an unfavorable rate of growth, and thus risk extinction. Humans, even with the knowledge of the harm they have imposed on these habitats continue to do so as the demand for land development and agricultural products increase. Likewise, ecologists believe that these activities should be limited or done responsibly as many species may be put into extinction, and compromise the ecological balance in the environment (CRD, n.d.). Moreover, the climate change due to global warming has negative implications for many ecosystems, including the coral reefs.
Climate Change
Climate change is due to the increase in the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that makes the greenhouse effect possible, trapping the sun’s radiation and warming the atmosphere. Among the greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide and its increase is argued to aid plant growth as they utilize carbon dioxide or what is known as the fertilization effect. On the other hand, there are evidences such as the increase in the atmosphere’s temperature and elevation of sea-levels that strongly suggest that climate change is a threat, not only to mankind but to all other species as well (“Real Climate”, 2004). Coral reefs or hard corals that serve as the habitat for many marine organisms are among the ecosystems that are harmed by climate change. Ocean acidification, an effect of climate change, will make the formation of the hard corals slower and weaker (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, n.d.).
Predictions
After 50 years, many researchers had predicted that the sea levels may rise up to 10 feet. They also predicted an increase in the mean global temperature and the acceleration of the melting of glaciers from Greenland and Antarctic. These predictions were derived from the extrapolation of projections by climate experts. These can likewise destroy nesting sites of many animals like turtles, and cause many plants to wilt due to drought (Gray, 2015).
Conclusion
The ecosystems, though they may not host humans, should be conserved as much as possible. This may be done by reducing the greenhouse gas emission that humans contribute. Without action, it is highly expected that not only other organisms will suffer, but humans as well.
References
CRD. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from https://www.crd.bc.ca
Gray, R. (2015). Sea levels may rise by 10 FEET in the next 50 years. Retrieved February 26, 2016, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3170658/Sea-levels-rise-10-FEET-50-years-Climate-change-targets-lead-highly-dangerous-global-warming-warn-scientists.html
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/managing-the-reef/threats-to-the-reef/climate-change/what-does-this-mean-for-habitats/coral-reefs
Real Climate. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, from http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/11/co_2-fertilization/
