ecosystem

Yang Dun

Ecs111

Ecology refers to the study of ecosystems in which a group of organisms live together. Ecosystem does not refer to organisms only, rather it refers to the environment as well in which these organisms are living (Costanza et. all, 1997). The knowledge of such systems is essential in order to know about its strength as well as stability. This knowledge is immensely important since it depicts the limits in which such an environment could survive. This essay is focused towards different aspects of this system which allows us to understand the basic concepts of earth as ecosystem.

Carrying capacity is an interesting concept which refers to the maximum living capacity which a country could offer at a time. If the individuals living in this area become greater than this limit, it is not only harmful for them but it also depicts that its environment would be destroyed completely. This capacity is determined in a different manner by various researchers. As described by Lester Brown, there are three limits which define the carrying capacity of any area. First of all, the yield of ocean fisheries needs to be stable completely in order to ensure that food production is enhanced. This is one of the major constraints faced in this regard. Second is the level of fresh water available and third limit is described as the amount of fertilizers which could be used for food production. As far as Australia is concerned, the total carrying capacity is about 40,450,154 individuals while the current population is 22,326,388. Only a small share of food produced in this country is used by local population. About 48.6% of food produced is extra in capacity which shows that the carrying capacity of Australia is more than the current population owing to excess of resources.

Ecosystem services refers to the facilities given by an ecosystem to its inhabitants. These facilities ensure that a quality life is given to the dwellers of an area or a country. Water is one such facility which improves the quality of an ecosystem. With the help of fresh water, various domestic functions could be performed which includes cooking, cleaning and washing clothes. This fresh water is also essential for consumption. In case of rural areas, the availability of fresh water is essential for irrigating the crops and other plants. Fresh water ensures that the crops could be harvested on time and that food production remains efficient for both rural and urban fresh water reserves. Other than this, power is also generated with the help of water reserves. Therefore, ecosystem could not survive without water at all.

Soil loss, commonly known as soil erosion, is a great loss to any ecosystem which could disturb its natural balance completely. There are numerous causes for this ongoing process, however, the most common are related to immense expansion of cities and their population. As a result of population increase, the practice of cutting trees has increased thereby destroying forest areas completely. As a result of this, the fertile soil is swept away along with water (Odum, 1996). Other than this, another major factor is overuse of fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural fields. Due to this, the quality of upper soil is damaged completely, thereby causing the land to become barren. It is not harmful to use pesticides or other such chemical in limited amount, however, their overuse is causing soil degradation.

Population transition refers to the changes in population characteristics such as birth rate and death rate over a fixed time period. Recently the birth rate has declined owing to increase in awareness related to overpopulation. Everyone is aware of limited resource available in ecosystem due to which birth rate is being strictly controlled. Other than that, death rate has also decreased due to advancement in medical sciences (Assessment, 2003). This has improved the quality of life being led by individuals. There were basically 4 stages of population transition observed till yet. In first stage, the birth rate was extremely high while death rate kept fluctuating. The second stage comprised of lowering death rates. However, birth rates were still high. The third stage consisted of lowering birth rates as well while the current fourth stage has both low birth and death rates.

In the given equation, dN/dt is the rate at which population is increasing. Keeping this in mind, r is the growth observed for a time period. K is a term which refers to the total capacity of an eco-system to keep organisms. This capacity is termed as carrying capacity and is an essential terminology of ecology.

In Middle East, there are a number of issues due to the current political and social transitions. ISIS has fallen, causing Assad to win over completely. The president of Lebanon has resigned which gave courage to Kurds residing in Baghdad to fight for supremacy in Iran (Grime, 2006). As a result of these issues, the social and economic situation of entire region is weak. Some of the problems include unemployment, weak economy, high growth rate of local population, inefficient trading system and weak education system.

As a result of drought, the food situation in western United States is worsening day by day. The absence of livestock in this weather is imminent, thereby causing the local population to suffer from malnutrition. This is not only damaging physical health, it also has a huge impact on emotional well-being.

All in all, it can be seen that ecosystem and ecology is an important subject which enhances the understanding of many aspects of life.

References

Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., De Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., ... & Raskin, R. G. (1997).

The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. nature, 387(6630), 253.

Assessment, M. E. (2003). Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA): Strengthening Capacity to Manage

Ecosystems Sustainably for Human Well-Being. World Resources Institute.

Grime, J. P. (2006). Plant strategies, vegetation processes, and ecosystem properties. John Wiley &

Sons.

Odum, E. P. (1966). The strategy of ecosystem development. Science, 164(262.270).