Environmental Science
Name:
Period:
2) Locate a computer in the room and begin researching the collapse of the
California coastal ecosystem. Answer the following questions:
a.
What lead to the initial collapse of the ecosystem?
Over fishing
b.
http://www.californiafish.org/overfishing_ecology_7_01.html
What impacts did humans have on the collapse?
Humans are over fishing, dumping garbage into the ocean, and causing global warming
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114704
c.
What types of animals and plants were affected? Why?
Kelp, sea otters, sea urchins, killer whales, Kelp because they are part of the same food
web and sea otters have been devastated and affected every other part of the food
chain.
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2008/11/research.html
d.
Have humans been impacted by the collapse?
Yes they are losing money from kelp harvesting, and food from fishing.
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/ecosystems/kelpimpacts.html
e.
Has anything changed in the last 15 years? Is the coastal ecosystem still
failing? Has it recovered? If so, what has changed to help with the recovery?
The coastal area is still failing due to climate change in the California coastal area
http://www.sierraclub.org/habitat/ecosystems/california-coast.aspx
http://enenews.com/l-a-times-alarm-as-west-coast-sardine-crash-likely-radiatingthroughout-ecosystem-experts-warn-marine-mammals-and-seabirds-are-starving-maysuffer-for-years-to-come
3)
List and describe potential reasons why we have seen other ecosystems
collapse around the world. Also, what impact have these crashes had on the
plants, animals, and humans? In what way are things connected?
Loss of apex predators has lead to other ecosystems collapsing around the world this
has lead to devastation of plants from over grazing of herbivores, and a change in the
animals of the ecosystem, also these animals are becoming more of a problem for
humans with an increase of smaller predators that are invading humans’ space.
http://www.livescience.com/9716-loss-top-predators-causing-ecosystems-collapse.html
1) Beyond California, determine what changes are being made to minimize our
impact wild ecosystems
Land development is being moved away from ecosystems that are labelled as important
and buffer zones are being set up between developed areas and wildlife, also there has
been a decrease in hunting of apex predators and an increase in environmental
regulations.
http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/co/documents/id-5.pdf
Factors that Contributed to the Collapse of the California Coastal Ecosystem, other
Ecosystems around the World, and the Impacts of Humans
Person Whowrotethispaper
Environmental Science Class
Goffstown High School
Goffstown, NH 03045
4/9/2014
Objectives:
1) Determine and discuss the impacts of humans on varying ecosystems
2) Determine what changes are being made to minimize our impact wild ecosystems
3) Compare and contrast the collapse of the California Coastal food chain collapse in
1995 to today and current ecosystem collapses
4) List and describe potential reasons why we see ecosystems collapse and what
impact this has on the plants and animals.
Introduction: Ecosystems across the planet are being devastated.1 There is a
significant decrease in biodiversity that is affecting animals, plants, and humans too.1
There are certain species within ecosystems known as keystone species, keystone
species are incredibly important to the health of the ecosystem. 2 When keystone
species become extinct an entire ecosystem can collapse because there is no longer
the keystone species to control other populations.2 For example the sea otter is a
keystone species in the Pacific Northwest that controls the sea urchin population. 2
When the sea urchin population is not controlled sea urchins destroy the kelp population
which provides food and shelter to many species of fish, crabs, and snails and if the sea
otter population were destroyed the entire ecosystem would collapse. 2 there are other
keystone species as well, such as phytoplankton.3 The decrease in phytoplankton lead
to the collapse of the california coastal ecosystem in 1995.3
Methods: We read the article “Collapse of a Food Chain” by Kathy A. Svitil and then
provided the following information about the article; the author's main idea, three
specific examples that supported the author’s main idea, a 3-sentence summary of the
article, our opinion of the topic discussed in the article and whether or not our opinion
supported or refuted the author’s opinion, along with any evidence we had to support
your opinion. We then located a computer in the room and began researching the
collapse of the California coastal ecosystem. We answered the following questions:
a.
What lead to the initial collapse of the ecosystem?
b.
What impacts did humans have on the collapse?
c.
What types of animals and plants were affected? Why?
d.
Have humans been impacted by the collapse?
e.
Has anything changed in the last 15 years? Is the coastal ecosystem still failing?
Has it recovered? If so, what has changed to help with the recovery?
We followed this with a list and description of the potential reasons why other
ecosystems around the world have collapsed, and the impact these crashes have had
on the plants, animals, and humans. We also described how these things connected?
We concluded by determining what changes beyond California are being made to
minimize our impact wild ecosystems.
Results: In the past 50 years scientists have been studying, and monitoring
zooplankton off the coast of california.3 They have observed a 2oF increase in water
temperature, which has caused a decrease in the phytoplankton population. 3
Phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton which are eaten by many other forms of
marine life.3 The slight temperature increase in the california coastal waters killed off
many phytoplankton subsequently killing off zooplankton by lack of food and leading to
the collapse of the entire ecosystem in 1995.3 Today the coastal ecosystem of california
is not much better off.4 It is still uncertain what is causing the current problem with the
ecosystem, all that is known is that the ecosystem is suffering, there are far fewer
sardines, resulting in damage to the sea lion population and the brown pelican
population.4 However this is also a problem for many humans too, economically.4 The
lack of sardines is hurting the sardine industry, many boats are going out and wasting
thousands of dollars of fuel to come back with little to no sardines, this presents a
serious problem for sardine companies, their employees, grocery stores, and individuals
who purchase sardines.4 Yet marine ecosystems are not the only ones collapsing,
plenty of terrestrial ecosystems are collapsing too.5 Many terrestrial species are
suffering from the effects of temperature increase including an increase in wildfire, and
rising sea level.5 However habitat destruction and fragmentation by humans are also
playing a significant part in population decrease for many species.5 Despite the negative
effects that humans are having on wild ecosystems there are also ways in which they
are trying to minimize the impact to wildlife.6 There are buffer zones being established
between developed areas and wildlife, also land development is being moved away
from ecosystems labelled as critical.6 Additionally there has been an increase in
environmental regulation.6
Conclusion: The increase in temperature is affecting, and devastating many varying
ecosystems.5 It is possible that the temperature increase is due to humans releasing an
excess of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. 7 These
greenhouse gases are trapping heat in the earth's atmosphere, causing the increase in
temperature. As already mentioned the increase in temperature is annihilating
ecosystems and making life more difficult for wildlife and humans. Hopefully humans will
be able to mitigate this problem by reducing CO2 emissions. there is also the problem of
humans destroying and fragmenting habitats for wildlife which is can be solved if current
regulations are enforced and more are created.6 Although many ecosystems are
suffering now, if enough work is done by humans, many can still be saved and
preserved.
Literature Cited
1) "Ecosystems: Impacts on Kelp Forests." Ecosystems: Impacts on Kelp Forests. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
2) "Keystone Species." - National Geographic Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.
3) Svitil, Kathy A. 1995. Collapse of a Food Chain, Discover Magazine, Saturday, July
01, 1995
4) "L.A. Times: Alarming West Coast Sardine Crash Likely Radiating through
Ecosystem — Experts Warn Marine Mammals and Seabirds Are Starving, May
Suffer for Years to Come — Boats Return without a Single Fish — Monterey Bay:
Hard to Resist Idea That Humpback Whales Are Trying to Tell Us Something."
ENENewscom Energy News RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
5) "Resilient Habitats: Ecosystems." California Coast Ecosystem. N.p., n.d. Web. 06
Nov. 2014.
6) Id-5, and 2004. Minimizing the Impact of Development on Wildlife: Actions for Local
Municipalities (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
7) Wang, Ph.d. James, and Ph.d. Bill Chameides. Are Humans Responsible for Global
Warming? (n.d.): n. pag. Web.