Essay On Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem Services are the naturally occurring systems which service nature and provide important effects critical to human life. While ecosystem services are natural occurrences, humankind, with the aid of technology, time, and vast amounts of funding are capable of artificially reproducing some of the ecosystem services. Making attempts to conserve and protect natural occurring ecosystems and the services which they provide should be our goal rather than allow them to diminish and spend resources trying to artificially create or sustain the same services.
Ocean ecosystem services – More than one third of the world’s population live in coastal areas. The ecosystem services provided by the oceans include providing food, water, and various fibers. Building materials are also derived from mangrove and coral reefs while algae and invertebrates provide derivatives for pharmaceuticals.
Threat: Over fishing our coastal ocean regions as well as global tourism and waterfront development (hotels, harbors, homes, and industry) disrupt the natural marine ecosystems by destroying vital plant and wildlife necessary to the ecosystems.
Wetland ecosystem services – Wetlands play a vital role in regulating water quality by capturing and filtering sediments and organic wastes, especially those trapped while en route from inland regions to coastal waters. Wetlands also play a role in flood control as these regions act as ‘sponges’ by absorbing rainwater and allowing slow absorption into the soil. This absorption reduces the sudden runoff from entering streams and rivers thus overwhelming our waterways.
Threat: Artificial embankments, dykes, and manmade levees reroute or concentrate large wetlands into smaller, more water-concentrated areas. This...

... middle of paper ...

...burning of fossil fuels has directly enhanced the greenhouse effect and has caused widespread global warming.
4. In search of larger and less expensive seafood, humans have taken to the laboratory to create genetically modified fish. While attempting to address the world’s growing demand for seafood, we realize that if introduced to the wild, genetically engineered salmon are likely to compete with wild fish, including the endangered Atlantic salmon, for habitat, food, and mates. This could lead to extinction and ultimately disrupt the marine ecosystem.
5. Urban sprawl means more space for all of us through single family dwellings but the consequences of automobile dependency are a downfall. Traffic congestion, larger roads, excessive parking lots, consumption of fuel and the eventual increase in greenhouse gasses through vehicle emissions all affect global warming.