Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Human impact on the ecosystem
Human impact on the ecosystem
Human impact on the ecosystem
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Human impact on the ecosystem
INTRODUCTION: Urban ecology includes all kind of living organism or biodiversity of species found in that particular region or urban environment. Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of species found on earth. It consist mainly different plants, microorganisms and animals that are present (Cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au, 2017). Urban ecology of any particular region or place depends on distribution of biodiversity of a particular living organism, its abundance and organism’s behaviour pattern, and also their collaboration with existing surrounding and within themselves. Human interaction with the surrounding urban ecology is for both the benefits of biodiversity to human beings and effects of urban development on surrounding ecology …show more content…
Humans are part of natural ecosystem of earth, hence they are inseparable from the nature and its biodiversity of living organism. Every habitation has its own natural ecology, even cities has its own ecosystem which not only occurs in open green spaces and water bodies but also in every element of city and its development. Urban landscape is developed to increase green spaces in cities and spaces of interaction for the people; it’s more focused on planning and designing of the space and attraction to the visitors, and less focused on natural ecology of the place for example plantation of native trees which attracts native birds and its species which prevents the natural biodiversity of the place. Developing urban open spaces without taking natural ecosystem into consideration can end up extinction of particular type of species which cannot adopt it. Hence urban development of place should have integrated approach towards natural ecology, social and use of technology (Davies et al., …show more content…
The bay project is one of the top priority of state, local and city government which is divided into eight sites for development, which are fish market, Wentworth park, Glebe Island, Bays water front promenade, Rozelle bay and bays water ways, White bay, Rozelle rail yards and White bay power station. Each significant site has different polices of development and has different time period (short term and long term) of development. The site selected for this report is Wentworth Park because it already has some existing urban ecology which needs to be prevented and there is a large scope for enhancing unbar ecology or biodiversity of the place. And also it one of the immediate priority for development in the project. Main moto in developing this site is to enhance social interaction and recreation ("Wentworth Park",
Brimbank Park (coordinates 37.7340° S, 144.8370° E) is located in the Maribyrnong Valley (hollowed by the Maribyrnong River), near the Melbourne suburb Keilor. It is intersected by the Maribynong River and the M80 highway, which reveals the adaptive nature of the natural environment in a growing urban area. (Parks Victoria, 2013)
Look at the civilized, beautiful capital cities in every developed country all around the world which is the central of high fashioned and convenience facility. To live in the city, it seems like the nature surrounding is not important to us anymore. In “The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature” David Suzuki presents the connection between human and the nature and how we depend on the surrounding environment. However, within the past century, most of our modern technologies have been developed in order to provide people needs of goods and products (63). Many of the products we made are causing much more harm to the environment than the value that products provide. Technological development has damaged our environment to the point
We don’t often stop to consider the impact that simply living our human lives has on the other species that once called our neighbourhoods their home. The Fraser Valley, “one of the most important and complex ecosystems in the country” (Thom, p. 171), has been dramatically altered to make a more convenient landscape for housing and farming. In this process, critical habitat has been destroyed and many species that were once abundant have disappeared from our area (Cuthbert p. 24). Urbanization is ongoing and is thought to be the most significant threat to the incredible biodiversity found throughout British Columbia, and particularly the population-dense Lower Mainland (Harding, p. 355). Biodiversity, the “complex web that sustains life on this planet” (Austin, et al., p. 5), is vital for our survival as humans (Cuthbert p. 74). Any loss of biodiversity affects the entire ecosystem and all organisms within it (Fetene et al., p. 52). In the quest to house the ever-expanding human population, we must also consider habitat conservation and seek to preserve the rich biodiversity found in the Fraser Valley that supports and enriches our lives.
Many factors and geographical processes, the foreshore of Sydney Harbour has constantly faced changes in land use which has effected the environment, social communities and the economy in both positive and negative ways. Urban decay, urban renewal, urban consolidation and gentrification are the geographical process that are involved in the changing gland use around the Sydney Harbour foreshore. These geographical processes are what changes the land use from being used as industrial, residential and commercial which then impacts the economy, social communities/ public, the environment and the stakeholders.
The quality of any water sources is imperative to every creature in the ecosystem due it being vital to survival. For example, humans can’t go without water for a few days while can survive for days without food. Hence protecting water sources is imperative. Lake Merritt is a tidal lagoon in the center of Oakland California, a refuge for animals. Lake Merritt was created by Dr. Samuel Merritt, the Mayor of Oakland, who at that time owned a majority of the properties near the shorelines of the lagoon ("A Brief History"). He proposed to construct a dam to manipulate the flow of the water to enable the water level inland to rise, thus turning the lagoon into a lake. Sewages and storm drains were later directed into the lake, thus the condition of the lake reflects the community level of pollution within the ecosystem. Throughout the years, Lake Merritt has deteriorated and still is due to the pollution and the stagnant state of the water. The pungent stench releases during the drought seasons and the summer’s heat cause the lake once beautify state to decline. However, in November 2002, Oakland voters approved a $198 million dollar bond measure to fund restoration and clean water projects throughout the city. A total of $115 million was allocated for Lake Merritt’s restoration (Miller). However, there are critics conveying the misused of funds and that Oakland can’t afford to fund this project. The enormous loan from the projects will have to be pay off from the people of Oakland through higher charge for public services and tax’ rates. With the restoration project, not only will the stench of the lake be resolve, but the ecosystem around the lake will have major improvements. The constant influx o...
With such industrialization and the grit and grime of the city life, city planners decided that more “green space” was needed in the most centralized locations. This included small parks, ornate flower gardens, planting of trees, and lush vegetation. These areas of supposed relaxation and tranquility were highly controlled, though, and were illusions of the rural lifestyle, designed to distract citizens from dirty life and allow them to practice good manners and remain solitary.
The conquering and development of natural land has in the past, been seen as a mark of human civilization. In the United States, our progress is often measured by growth and development, but should this be re-examined? There are many opinions on the subject of urban sprawl and its effects on wildlife, but one thing is for certain, we are expanding. From 1955 to 2005, urban and suburban areas grew by 300%, however, the population only increased by 75% over the same period (Ewing, Kostyack and Chen). According to NatureServe, a non-profit conservation organization, urban sprawl threatens one of every three endangered species in the United States. NatureServe’s analysis states, “rare and endangered species data shows that three-fifths (60 percent) of the nation’s rarest and most imperiled species are found within designated metropolitan areas, with the 35 fastest growing large metropolitan areas home to nearly one-third (29 percent) of these species. (Ewing, Kostyack and Chen) Nevertheless, other groups believe urban sprawl is beneficial to wildlife. The Landscape Analysis Lab at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee argues that suburbs are doing more for the bird populations in Tennessee than the government supported tree plantations. Their data shows more diverse bird populations making suburbs their home. They find the housing developments more suitable since they are likely to have a wide variety of tree and plant species and other structures that provide diverse nesting opportunities, whereas the tree plantations usually only plant one type of tree (Miller). So, the debate continues, are humans encroaching on wildlife habitat and posing a risk to their survival, or do suburban environments with their lush lawns and...
area of huge use to man and nature. It is a sustainable area on a
An important feature of green roofs is their potential to provide habitation for urban wildlife, therefore many animal species such as rats and ants would benefit from green roofs. Coffman and Waites, (2008) explains that the urban development practices recognised as roof greening offers habitat for wild species within the towns and it also helps rise the home-grown natural diversity. However, roof greening is not a method restoration ecology, but it is method of reconciliation ecology, where entirely new habitation is formed for non-human species. In addition Green roofs certainly delivers some form of habitat, it is also possible that the properties of the roof could harm the wildlife diversity.
Again, this section will give a working definition of the “urban question’. To fully compare the political economy and ecological perspectives a description of the “urban question” allows the reader to better understand the divergent schools of thought. For Social Science scholars, from a variety of disciplines, the “urban question” asks how space and the urban or city are related (The City Reader, 2009). The perspective that guides the ecological and the social spatial-dialect schools of thought asks the “urban question” in separate distinct terminology. Respected scholars from the ecological mode of thinking, like Burgess, Wirth and others view society and space from the rationale that geographical scope determines society (The City Reader, 2009). The “urban question” that results from the ecological paradigm sees the relationship between the city (space) as influencing the behaviors of individuals or society in the city. On the other hand...
Indeed, many global cities face compelling urban planning issues like urban sprawl, population, low density development, overuse of non-renewable natural recourses, social inequities and environmental degradation. These issues affect the cities themselves, the adjacent regions and often even globally. The resulting ecological footprint upsets the balance in adjacent rural and natural areas. Unplanned or organic development leads to urban sprawl, traffic problems, pollution and slums (as evident in the case of Mumbai city). Such unplanned development causes solid waste management and water supply to fall inadequate. Urban sprawl gives rise to low density development and car dependent communities, consequently leading to increased urban flooding, low energy efficiency, longer travel time and destruction of croplands, forests and open spaces for development.
With the development of urbanization, an increasing number of social problems have emerged. These problems will decelerate the urban development, however, there are many ways in which sustainable development can reduce the impact of these urbanization problems. “Sustainable development seeks to improve the quality of human life without undermining the quality of our natural environment” (Adams, W.M. 1999). Actually, sustainable development can partly solve the urbanization problems, for it can reduce the impact of the problems such as traffic jam, housing shortage and severe pollution, but it is difficult to completely solve these problems in a short time.
If there are more people, more, density, and a good mixture of uses, it will be a safer city... You cannot find a single city that does not wish to make the city center more vibrant or livelier.” This quote from Jan Gehl, the principal of Gehl Architects, illustrates the importance of having a sustainable city. The Central Park project has showcased to the world on how the landscape we design or occupy, can affect our daily activities and surrounding neighborhood. It sets an example of how design must be appreciated as a crucial factor in sustainability and emphasized on the fact the connection of people and nature should not be ignored. All in all, landscape architects are the ones to determine the physical characteristics of the public realm environment, to decide whether a city is attractive to people and whether people will choose to live in the city in the long
The notion of sustainable city has mounted a paramount place in the contemporary urban planning. In the world Conservation strategies in1980, the concept of sustainable development was firstly introduced.
Nowadays it is common to read articles in newspapers and magazines regarding biodiversity issues. Human beings have been knowingly and unknowingly destroying biodiversity since their existence. Biodiversity is the measure of the variety of species of animals living in an area. Forests are usually areas with high biodiversity while deserts are the opposite. Human beings have always destroyed biodiversity either by deforestation, or by some other means. Biodiversity depletion is a natural phenomenon. But the present levels of biodiversity depletion are many times higher than the natural rate. Recently the levels of loss in biodiversity have started causing global concern. Some of the main causes for loss in biodiversity are alteration of habitats, increasing levels of pollution and human population growth.