Unit 3 Blog - Ecosystem Ecology

Vocabulary 

Ecosystem - A specific area on Earth that is filled with living and nonliving factors

Gross primary Productivity - the total amount of the sun's energy, over a specific amount of time, that producers receive through the process of photosynthesis

Net Primary Productivity - the energy obtained in an ecosystem subtracted by the energy producers breathe 

Biomass - The total mass of all living things within a specific location

Standing Crop - the amount or total mass of all living things in an ecosystem over a specific time period 

Ecological Efficiency - the amount of consumed energy that passes through one trophic level to another 

Trophic Pyramid - a visual representation of a balanced representation of biomass, numbers, and energy among the trophic levels 

Biogeochemical Cycles - the movement of anything that takes space within and between ecosystems 

Macronutrients - the six main factors or elements that living organisms need in order to function. The elements consist of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur

Limiting Nutrient - A nutrient necessary for the development of an organism, but is available in a small amount 

Leaching - the movement of dissolved molecules through the soil by groundwater

Disturbance - an instance in which physical, chemical, or biological factors change the population size and what the community is made out of

Resistance - a calculation of how much an error can affect the pathway of energy and matter in a given ecosystem 

Resilience - the rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a change in the population or matter

Instrumental Value - an object or anything in general that is worth an instrument to accomplish a certain goal 

Intrinsic Value - value of a company, stock, currency, or product

Current Events 

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131106202247.htm

Summary:

Hydrocarbons are known to be mankind as the primary source of energy for specifically combustible fuel. Through the exploration of hydrocarbon, many have found out that they can contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases and are a major stressor to the environment. Drilling sumps have also been joined and used for the extraction so that hydrocarbon and it's emissions do not negatively effect the aquatic ecosystems around the environment. Through Queen's university and other institutions combined, their researched has shown that the drilling sump has its negative and positive environmental effects but suggests and considers that the construction of the sumps has solely been for the purpose of storing waste. The ultimate result of this drilling has drawn the effect of leaching resulting in an environmental impact and weather change 

Environmental Quote

I definitely think this quote is true because bees are essential factors for the continuation and growth of many living organisms. To start off bees aid in the production of many products such as honey and beeswax which is commonly used for many things. Honey can be used in food, as well as medicinal uses and Beeswax on the other hand is used in the form of candles. These supplies and products are used by humans all around around the world and if there were no bees then there would be none of these resources for the use of humans. We as humans greatly depend on plants for food, and the removal of bees, from our ecosystem, would effect the amount of pollination that occurs. Statistics show that 4 out of every 5 food crops are pollinated by bees. The removal of bees from the environment would cause a huge change in our ecosystem. Organisms might be able to evolve and adapt to the changes that would take place in the environment due to the drastic drop in pollination, but humans would not. There would be an increase in food shortages, a wide loss of agricultural jobs and possibly a trend of "survival of the fittest" within the community. This would then lead to economic problems and might even be the leading cause for the destruction of mankind on Earth. The quote shows that if one thing is removed from the ecosystem and environment then it can change the course of life on this planet. 

Reflection

Human Impact: 

Ecosystems are of utmost importance to humans around the world, but the human impact can cause many detrimental effects. Humans can cause impacts which provide positive effects such as providing food and natural materials to other people, purifying the water, and even keeping the environment clean. Many negative effects include the burning of fossil fuel, erosion, flooding, and changes in many cycles that help run the environment. Cutting down tress also releases excessive amounts of carbon into the air, excessive nitrogen can be emitted from soil, and both the releases can lead to negative impacts in many ecosystems. All natural resources have been used by humans somehow and the effects could cause changes in the ecosystems and even in the living organisms around us. Although, humans change the world through their actions they are doing many things on the sidelines to help provide fertilized and healthy soil and a decrease in the emissions of excessive amounts of nutrients. 

Environmental Impact: 

Ecosystems can be effected by the environment through many means, but with all changes ecosystems can easily return back to their normal state. For example, warming of the Earth, due to weather change, can cause multiple species to migrate to areas where the weather is more suitable but as weather calms down the living species return back to where they resided. Ecosystems and what resides in them form the environment and provide living organisms and nature with nutrients and services. For example, keeping rivers clean and healthy provides organisms with a place to stay and automatically becomes the existence of an ecosystem. Removing species of living organisms from the food chain or web can effect the ecosystem and result in the unbalance of the ration of plants to animals or visa versa. 

Economic Impact: 

Ecosystems are usually the number one source or pathways toward economic gains. The economic provisions that many people have allowed are towards the use for invasive species. These invasive species have been used for research and in turn money has been given for the management and care taking of many animals. Resources such as fish, lumber, wood, trees, animals, plants, all go towards the selling and growing which usually help the economy and its gross domestic productivity. The economy also greatly depends on agricultural and regular resources to increase the financial profits. 

Government Legislation: 
Through the government many acts have been passed to significantly improve the environment such as the EPA or Environmental Protection Agency. This agency helps keep many ecosystems from being exploited or taken advantage of for increases in economic gains by humans. The NEPA or National Environmental Policy Act also requires all federal agencies to reconsider environmental impacts and also to take permission from people before. Last and among the many others included the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts which help ensure that ecosystems and surrounding environments would be safe from many human interventions.