The ecosystem is the base for the existence of any organism. With the increase in human population in existence, this led to increasing demand for resources and the activities lead to the destruction of the balance of the ecosystem. An ecosystem is the entire unit of biological and physical elements inside a certain specified area or volume. An ecosystem can range in size from the bark of a dead tree to a vast rainforest or the ocean. A little fish tank contains an environment, but it is a simulated one. That is, an ecosystem can be both natural and man-made. Natural ecosystems, on the other hand, exist forever because they have self-sustaining processes. Communities, which are population combinations, make up the majority of an ecosystem.
Producers, main consumers (herbivores), secondary and tertiary consumers (primarily omnivores and carnivores), scavengers, and decomposers are common in a typical ecosystem. If these components, which include energy cycling, are present in a certain location, an ecosystem is produced. Organisms will fill accessible niches by locating appropriate habitats and living in the desired environment, and if that specific location can maintain life without diminishing, it will ultimately form an ecosystem. A biome is a collection of habitats, and all biomes combined create the Earth’s biosphere.
Threat of Ecosystem
Anything that seeks to change the equilibrium of an ecosystem has the potential to endanger its health and existence. Some of these dangers are not excessively concerning since they may be remedied organically if natural circumstances are restored. Other causes can devastate ecosystems, causing all or some of their living forms to become extinct. Here are a few examples:
Threat to Ecosystem
Destruction of Habitat
Economic operations such as logging, mining, farming, and building frequently include the removal of natural vegetative cover. Tampering with one aspect of an ecosystem may frequently have a cascading impact on many more or all other factors of that ecosystem. Clearing a portion of forest for lumber, for example, might expose the upper layers of soil to the sun’s heat, producing erosion and dryness. It has the potential to kill or relocate many animals and insects that rely on the shade and moisture provided by the tree.
UV (Ultraviolet) Radiation
The sun’s beams are vital to all living things. UV rays are classified into three wavelengths: UVA, UVB, and UVC, each with its own set of qualities. UVA has long wavelengths and constantly reaches the earth’s surface. It aids in the production of vitamin D for living organisms. UVB and UVC rays are more damaging, causing DNA and cell damage in plants and animals. Ozone depletion is one method of exposing living things to UVB and UVC radiation, and the consequences can wipe out many species and impact ecosystem members, including people.
Pollution
Water, land, and air pollution all have a significant impact on ecosystem health. Pollution can be natural or produced by humans, but both have the potential to introduce harmful agents or chemicals (pollutants) into the habitats of living organisms. “In a lake, for example, it can disrupt the biological equilibrium by promoting plant growth and killing fish owing to asphyxia caused by a lack of oxygen.” The oxygen cycle will be disrupted, and the contaminated water will have an impact on the species that rely on lake water.” WWF studies the impact of pollution on the environment.
Species that are invasive
Any foreign species (biological) that enters an ecosystem, whether by natural or human introduction, can have an impact on the ecosystem. If these aliens can feed on fragile and native members of the ecosystem, they will be killed sooner or later. The demise of over half of the 350+ native species of fish in the cichlid family was one of the disastrous effects of introducing alien Nile Perch and Nile Tilapia into Lake Victoria in the 1970s.
Eutrophication
This is the enrichment of water bodies with plant biomass caused by a constant input of nutrients, mainly nitrogen, and phosphorus. Water eutrophication promotes excessive plant and algae development while simultaneously harming aquatic life, resulting in a loss of flora and fauna variety. Blooms of blue-green algae contaminated drinking water sources, deterioration of recreational opportunities and hypoxia are all documented outcomes of cultural eutrophication.
Overharvesting
Fish, wildlife, and particular flora all suffer from over-harvesting or human over-dependence on them from time to time. Overharvesting reduces populations, community structures, and dispersion, resulting in a decrease in total recruitment. Many fish species have achieved their maximum utilization level, and others will do so shortly. “For example, Oreochromis karongae is one of Malawi’s most important food fish, but numbers fell in the 1990s owing to overfishing, and it is now considered Endangered.” Major Threats, per the IUCN.
Abiotic and Biotic Resources
Abiotic constituents (minerals, climate, soil, water, sunshine, and all other nonliving factors) and biotic constituents (all living members). Two fundamental dynamics connect these constituents: the movement of energy through the ecosystem and the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem. The scale of ecosystems varies: some are small enough to be contained inside single water drops, while others are vast enough to span whole ecosystems.
- The flow of energy: Radiant energy from the Sun is the primary source of energy in practically all ecosystems. The energy of sunshine is utilized by autotrophic, or self-sustaining, species in the environment (that is, those that can make their own food). These creatures, which are mostly made up of green vegetation, can use sunlight’s energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into simple, energy-rich carbohydrates. The energy saved in simple carbohydrates is used by autotrophs to make more complex organic substances, such as proteins, lipids, and starches, that support the organism’s life functions. The autotrophic section of the ecosystem is known as the producer level.
- Trophic level: A trophic level is a stage in an ecosystem’s nutritional series or food chain. The feeding behavior of creatures in a chain is used to classify them into different tiers. The producers, or green plants, are found on the first and lowest level. Herbivores, or plant eaters, are second-level creatures that devour plants or their products. Primary carnivores, or meat eaters, consume herbivores at the third level, while secondary carnivores consume primary carnivores at the fourth level. Many creatures graze on many trophic levels, therefore these classifications are not clearly defined; for example, some carnivores also ingest plant materials or carrion and are classified as omnivores, and some herbivores occasionally consume animal stuff. The decomposers or transformers are a distinct trophic level, comprises of organisms such as bacteria and fungus that decompose dead creatures and waste materials into nutrients useable by producers
- Cycling nutrients: Nutrients are chemical components and compounds that organisms require from their environment in order to thrive and sustain life. Although autotrophs receive nutrients mostly from soil and heterotrophs obtain nutrients primarily from other organisms, the cells of each are essentially composed of six key components that appear in comparable quantities in all life forms. These elements—hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur—compose the core protoplasm (the semifluid material that comprises an organism’s cytoplasm and nucleus). The first four of these constituents account for around 99 percent of the mass of most cells. However, other components are required for organism development.
Read More- Biotic and Abiotic Resources
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ecosystem
Advantages of Ecosystem |
Disadvantages of Ecosystem |
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| 1 | It encourages the development of numerous food chains and food webs. | 1. Rising sea levels as a result of glacier melting induced by global warming |
| 2 | Involved in nutrient recycling between biotic and abiotic components | 2. Water scarcity – we have a limited amount of clean drinking water. |
| 3 | It serves as a refuge for natural flora and animals. | 3. Increased floods as a result of soil erosion and a lack of trees |
| 4 | It regulates vital ecological processes and supports life. | 4. When apex predators become extinct, the food chain is disrupted. |
FAQs on Main Causes Which are Threats to Ecosystem
Q 1. What are the main causes of threats to the ecosystem?
Answer-
Some main causes for threat to the ecosystem include hunting, poaching, pollution and also introduction of alien species are some of the threats to ecosystem.
Q 2. What are the 5 major threats to biodiversity?
Answer-
The 5 major threats to biodiversity include changes in how to use land and water, overexploitation, climate change, increased pollution, and also invasive species.
Q 3. What is the biggest threat to the environment?
Answer-
The biggest threat to the environment is the burning of fossil fuels.