Why is ecosystem threatened

As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, they can be of any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces although some scientists say that the entire planet is an ecosystem. The elements of ecosystems are primarily grouped into two, which are the abiotic and biotic components.

The elements of an ecosystem detail the ecosystem structure, relationship of the organisms, their distribution, and characteristics of their environments. The concept seeks to describe the non-living abiotic and living biotic features of the environment which are defined in four basic components. The abiotic elements of an ecosystem include all the non-living things in an environment. Examples are elements such as water, temperature, air, soil, rocks, atmosphere, minerals, nutrients, humidity, and so on.

Abiotic components may also depend on how much they receive the energy from the sun that will determine temperature variation or how much rain falls in an area that determines water availability. The physico — chemical aspects such as soil may as well determine whether a water resource is fresh or salty.

These are the components that the biotic factors interact with, and are widely categorized under three divisions:. The biotic elements of an ecosystem include all the living things in an environment. Producers such as green plants are at the bottom produce their own energy without consuming other life forms.

Next are consumers. Consumers are living organisms that prey on producers or other living organisms. There are three main types of consumers: herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Next are Decomposers or saprobes or saprophytes. They are also the living organisms that break down on the dead protoplasm of producers and consumers.

Producers are the autotrophic organisms, mainly green plants and the photosynthetic as well as chemosynthetic bacteria and algae. Producers occupy the base of the food chain and are the most prominent in the ecosystem. They are also the factors that directly interact with the abiotic elements of the ecosystem during the nutrient cycles as they make their food.

Because heterotrophic organisms depend on green plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria for nourishment, the amount of energy made by the producers determines the availability of energy in the ecosystem.

Consumers are the heterotrophic organisms in the ecosystem that acquire energy by consuming other living organisms. We're helping vulnerable communities to confront these challenges. Learn more about the actions—primarily at the federal level—that we must take in order to confront the growing threat of climate change. To ensure that wildlife can continue to thrive in a warmer world, we need to make conservation "climate-smart. To reduce climate change pollution produced by our current dependence on fossil fuels, renewable energy is our only economic long-term option.

Not only does our dependence on fossil fuels contribute to climate change—it also causes health problems, destroys our wild places, and releases toxins into our communities. We focus on three key areas to reduce U.

Alongside farmers, ranchers, and forest managers, we're working to adopt and regularly employ practices that sequester carbon and improve wildlife habitat and natural resources. A groundbreaking bipartisan bill aims to address the looming wildlife crisis before it's too late, while creating sorely needed jobs. More than one-third of U. We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.

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In 4 seconds , you will be redirected to nwfactionfund. The National Wildlife Federation. Environmental Threats. Home Our Work Environmental Threats. Confronting Climate Change Climate change is exacerbating many of the environment issues we currently face. Combating Invasive Species Harmful invasive species—which disturb the balance of already delicate ecosystems—are second only to habitat loss in their systematic threat to native wildlife.

In addition to our current work, the National Wildlife Federation's strategic plan lays out goals to: Identify and prevent disease transfer between domestic livestock and native wildlife with a focus on chronic wasting disease, brucellosis, tuberculosis, and pneumonia Increase awareness around the potential risks to fish and wildlife posed by the release of synthetic organisms and develop a broadly supported strategy for assessing and reducing ecological risks posed by these new technologies Develop and implement policies at multiple levels, including state, federal, and binational, to protect and restore fish and wildlife populations at risk from toxic chemicals, synthetic compounds and emerging contaminants.

Stopping Invasive Species We're working to monitor and eradicate invasive species in the United States and prevent new introductions. Scientists do agree, however, that climate change will alter regional climates, including rainfall and snowfall patterns, making habitats less hospitable to the species living in them.

Grizzly-polar bear hybrid : Since , grizzly bears Ursus arctos horribilis have been spotted farther north than their historic range, a possible consequence of climate change. As a result, grizzly bear habitat now overlaps polar bear Ursus maritimus habitat. The two kinds of bears, which are capable of mating and producing viable offspring, are considered separate species as historically they lived in different habitats and never met.

However, in a hunter shot a wild grizzly-polar bear hybrid known as a grolar bear, the first wild hybrid ever found. The warming trend will shift colder climates toward the north and south poles, forcing species to move with their adapted climate norms while facing habitat gaps along the way.

The shifting ranges will impose new competitive regimes on species as they find themselves in contact with other species not present in their historic range. One such unexpected species contact is between polar bears and grizzly bears.

Previously, these two species had separate ranges. Now, with their ranges are overlapping, there are documented cases of these two species mating and producing viable offspring. Many contemporary mismatches to shifts in resource availability and timing have recently been documented. Range shifts are already being observed. The same study suggests that the optimal shift based on warming trends was double that distance, suggesting that the populations are not moving quickly enough.

Range shifts have also been observed in plants, butterflies, other insects, freshwater fishes, reptiles, and mammals.

Climate gradients will also move up mountains, eventually crowding species higher in altitude and eliminating the habitat for those species adapted to the highest elevations. Some climates will completely disappear. The rate of warming appears to be accelerated in the arctic, which is recognized as a serious threat to polar bear populations that require sea ice to hunt seals during the winter months; seals are the only source of protein available to polar bears.

A trend to decreasing sea ice coverage has occurred since observations began in the mid-twentieth century. The rate of decline observed in recent years is far greater than previously predicted by climate models. Finally, global warming will raise ocean levels due to glacial melt and the greater volume of warmer water.

Shorelines will be inundated, reducing island size, which will have an effect on many species; a number of islands will disappear entirely. Additionally, the gradual melting and subsequent refreezing of the poles, glaciers, and higher elevation mountains, a cycle that has provided freshwater to environments for centuries, will also be jeopardized.

This could result in an overabundance of salt water and a shortage of fresh water. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Conservation Biology and Biodiversity. Search for:. Threats to Biodiversity. Habitat Loss and Sustainability Through increased adoption of sustainable practices, we can reduce habitat loss and its consequences. Learning Objectives Describe the effects of habitat loss to biodiversity and concept of sustainability.

Key Takeaways Key Points Habitat destruction renders entire habitats functionally unable to support the species present; biodiversity is reduced in this process when existing organisms in the habitat are displaced or destroyed.

Clearing areas for agricultural purposes is the main cause of habitat destruction; other principal causes include mining, logging, and urban sprawl. The primary cause of species extinction worldwide is habitat destruction. Sustainability is a term that describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time, creating the potential for long-term maintenance of human well-being.

Reducing negative human impact requires three concepts: environmental management, management of human consumption of resources, and awareness of cultural and political concerns to increase sustainability. Key Terms sustainability : Configuring society so that each person can meet their own needs and greatest potential, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning for future generations to maintain this potential.

Overharvesting Overharvesting threatens biodiversity by degrading ecosystems and eliminating species of plants, animals, and other organisms. Learning Objectives Explain why overharvesting is a threat to biodiversity. Key Takeaways Key Points Until recently, human populations harvested resources in limited quantities.

Today, new methods of harvest and capture contribute to overharvesting and overexploitation. Overharvesting stems from several factors, including an exponential increase in the human population, expanding markets, increasing demand, and improved access and techniques for capture.

Overharvesting natural resources for extended periods of time depletes these resources until they cannot recover within a short period of time; some may never recover. Overharvesting is one of five primary activities threatening global biodiversity; others include pollution, introduced species, habitat fragmentation, and habitat destruction.

Aquatic species are especially threatened by overharvesting, due to a situation known as the tragedy of the commons. Key Terms overexploitation : Excessive and damaging use of natural resources, including plants and animals. Exotic Species Exotic species introduced into foreign ecosystems can threaten native species through competition for resources, predation, and disease.

Learning Objectives Describe the impact of exotic and invasive species on native species. Key Takeaways Key Points Exotic species introduced to new environments often reset the ecological conditions in that new habitat, threatening the species that exist there; this is the reason that they are also termed invasive species.

Invasive species that are closely related to rare native species have the potential to hybridize with the native species; harmful effects of hybridization have led to a decline and even extinction of native species. Biologists studying frogs and toads may be inadvertently responsible for the worldwide spread of a fungus deadly to amphibians. Key Terms invasive species : any species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and has since become a nuisance through rapid spread and increase in numbers, often to the detriment of native species.