Ecosystems and Economics free essay sample

Andropolis Ecosystems and Economics Human society has placed an imprint on ecosystems throughout the planet. Because of this imprint ecosystems have degraded dramatically and have experienced loss. Human activity has affected plants, animals, and ecosystem dynamics in many ways. The purpose of this paper is to explore the causes of human society’s impact on ecosystems and the cost and benefits of human enterprises. In addition, conservation and exploitation of species related to human imprinting and the economic decisions that have been made will be discussed; this includes the cost and benefits included in human enterprising of ecosystems. Ecosystem Degradation and Loss â€Å"Ecosystem degradation occurs when alterations to an ecosystem degrade or destroy habitat for many of the species that constitute the ecosystem† (Hunter Gibbs, 2007, ch. 8, para. 4). An example of ecosystem degradation is deforestation for use as timber for humans that eliminates a natural habitat for a specific creature in that biota. We will write a custom essay sample on Ecosystems and Economics or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Human society’s growth patterns require land area to be cleared or altered to meet societal needs, which can result in an ecosystem loss. The addition of a factory that puts off chemical waste into a natural ecosystem can serve as an additional example to ecosystem degradation. The chemical change that may occur in ground water or rivers and lakes can affect the natural species in that habitat. Plants, Animals, and Ecosystem Dynamics Disturbances within an ecosystem can be caused by many things, however human activity is a large contributor to dynamic changes within a given ecosystem that can affect plants, animals, or the ecosystem as a whole. In the example of plant life, human activities such as clear-cutting in the rainforests remove natural habitats and can remove specific plant life from the region. The pollution of rivers and streams can affect the marine  populations and create dynamic change in the food chain of that biome. If the interruption to the ecosystem is continual the process of succession is hindered causing possible failure of the ecosystem (Net Industries, 2013). Conservation and Exploitation Limited resources as well as marginal utility play a large role in the economic decisions that underlie both conservation and exploitation. As each type of resource is used by humans the amount of the resource diminishes until eventually it is gone. This is why conservation efforts are in place to limit the margins of which the resources are obtained, used, or protected. As of 2002 according to the Environment News Service, â€Å"A study in todays issue of the journal Science says habitat destruction costs the world the equivalent of about $250 billion each year† (Environment News Service, 2002, para. 1). The economic value of an ecosystem diminishes by almost half once human enterprise has become prevalent in the area (Environment News Service, 2002). For example, the removal of mangrove trees to allow for increased fishing diminishes the flood protection that the trees provided for the coast line. Often the benefits of preserving an area are higher than maintaining human enterprise in that specific environment. A study done within the article estimated that if approximately $45 billion was spent each year on conservation of natural habitats then the return from nature would approximate to between $400 and $520 trillion (Environment News Service, 2002). In Summary The human footprint that is found across the globe in many different ecosystems all maintains the same effect. The degradation of the environment for human gain is actually costing humans more than it would to maintain the natural habitats. Human enterprise is more concerned about utilizing resources in their entirety than it is about saving natural habitats to produce for the future. The rate of ecosystem degradation is increasing daily as the human footprint expands and the needs for resources climb. If conservation efforts are not put into effect to regulate the use of these resources, ecosystems will see much more than marginal loss. References Environment News Service. (2002, August 9). Humanity loses $250 billion a year in wild habitat. Retrieved from http://ens-newswire. com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2002-08-09-071. html Hunter, M. L. , Gibbs, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of conservation biology (3rd ed. ). Malden, MA: Blackwell/Wiley. Net Industries. (2013). Ecological disturbance. Retrieved from Ecological Disturbance