Solutions to Ecosystem Disruption

An ecosystem is a complex of relationships between species and natural resources in a particular environment. The interdependent nature of relations within ecosystems means that they are highly responsive to imbalances, and changes in the population of a species or the availability of a resource affects the entire system. Human population growth and increasing industry worldwide have had significant negative effects on ecosystems, as a result of resource degradation and depletion. However, there are solutions for resolving ecosystem disruption.

Resource Conservation

• Human activities, such as producing food, constructing homes and operating industries all have a significant impact on natural resources. Ecosystem disruption occurs when human activities overuse resources or degrade their quality through contamination or pollution. Resource conservation is a two-pronged solution to ecosystem disruption. One side involves efforts to preserve or restore the health of a natural resource, such as a river or forest. The other consists of a consumer commitment to use the resource in a more sustainable fashion. Resource conservation also includes the development of sustainable alternatives in resource use, such as the application of natural instead of chemical pesticides in agricultural production.

Recycling

• Closely related to resource conservation, recycling is the direct or indirect reuse of a consumer good. While the production of consumer goods, from toys to technologies, benefits the international economy, it also generates massive waste, consumes energy, and strains natural resources. Recycling, therefore, is part of the solution to disruptions in the ecosystems of both producer and consumer environments. Recycling benefits the ecosystems in the areas in which a good is produced by reducing some of the strain on natural resources. In the consumer ecosystems, recycling directs materials away from landfills and dumps sites, where they commonly contaminate soil and waterways.

Self-Regulation

• On an individual level, awareness as to your own ecological impact paves the way for larger solutions to ecosystem disruption. Individual activities, such as driving a car, using chemical cleaning products, building a large home, and purchasing certain types of imported or chemically-produced agricultural products, contribute to the damage of local ecosystems. However, we can modify our behaviors in order to minimize our individual impact on the environment, a practice known as self-regulation. Self-regulation behaviors include household energy conservation, ethical consumerism, and commitments to small but significant habits, such as carrying your groceries in a reusable bag.

Greenhouse Gas Regulations

• Greenhouse gas emissions are a dangerous byproduct of both industrial and domestic activities and are the central cause of global warming, a process that poses disastrous consequences for the health and function of ecosystems. Not only do greenhouse gases contribute to altered weather patterns and climatic conditions, but they also produce acid rain, which carries chemical compounds back to the earth in the form of precipitation. Acid rain contaminates fields and water systems and presents hazard to plant and animal life. The regulation of greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most effective solutions to ecosystem disruption and can be undertaken by corporations and households alike.