Human Impact on Ecosystems

Human Impact on Ecosystems can be summed up simply by stating that we tend to destroy natural habitats in a variety of self-serving ways, most of which are not sustainable going forward into the future. Human population growth is a massive strain on the natural world, as their continues to be more and more of us requiring living space and resources. Human population growth continues to be the leading cause of the loss of biodiversity, which negatively impacts our species as well.

Why does biodiversity matter?

Global Warming and Climate Change

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, humans have been increasingly altering the composition of the atmosphere with the industrial and agricultural waste gases. Examples include, but are not limited to, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. These gases add to the insulating layer of the atmosphere, trapping more heat and increasing the overall temperature of the earth, like a greenhouse. Because of this effect, the gases that contribute to global warming are referred to as greenhouse gases.

Without greenhouse gases, life would not be possible on the planet (see: Mars). Too many greenhouse gases would result in a steady rise in global temperature that will endanger ecosystems. Studies have shown that global temperature cycles up and down throughout the earth's history. Climate scientists virtually all agree that at this point in our history, conditions are quite different due to the unprecedented level of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

We are in new territory regarding earth's conditions, and the earth is a massive, complex system. Predicting what will happen next is difficult. Climate scientists mostly agree that weather patterns will become more dramatic and unpredictable, and small increases in global temperature can upset ecosystems in a variety of ways.

We can measure changes to sea level and observe habitats all over the world and can already see them drastically changing. Are these changes permanent? Will ecosystems recover? Is it really our fault? Can anything be done about it at this point anyway? All extremely important questions for scientists to work on over the next century.

Other examples of human impact on ecosystems:

Acid Rain

Nitrogen- and sulfur-containing waste gases from industrial facilities mix with water vapor in atmosphere (clouds) and react to produce acid precipitation. Acid rain changes the pH of waterways and soil, affecting virtually all the organisms present. This lowers biodiversity and threatens the stability of entire ecosystems. This is a major issue for Adirondack ecosystems here in New York State.

Invasive Species

When humans travel from one ecosystem to another, they can bring other species along with them. Sometimes this is on purpose, other times it is not intentional. Approximately 10% of species that are introduced into a new ecosystem find what they need for survival in the new ecosystem. When that happens, it's possible that the new species will have a lack of limiting factors which allows the population to explode. This has a dramatic effect on other populations in the food web, disrupting the natural and balanced flow of energy and cycling of materials, lowering biodiversity.

Loss of Habitat

This is one of the most obvious impacts of human population growth. The more of us there are, the more space we need to live.

Habitat destruction: Simply put, there is no more habitat. A bulldozer pushing down trees is the iconic image of habitat destruction. Other ways that people are directly destroying habitat include filling in wetlands, mowing fields, and cutting down trees.
Habitat fragmentation: Much of the remaining wildlife habitat has been cut up into fragments by roads and development. Aquatic species’ habitat has been fragmented by dams and water diversions. These fragments of habitat may not be large or connected enough to support species that need a large territory in which to find mates and food, especially animals that migrate long distances.
Habitat degradation: Pollution, invasive species and disruption of ecosystem processes (such as changing the intensity of fires in an ecosystem) are some of the ways habitats can become so degraded that they no longer support native wildlife. Imagine an oil spill, a landfill, or urban areas with thick smog and those are extreme examples of habitat degradation. Or simply a dolphin getting caught in a fishing net, or a bird choking on some plastic trash floating in a lake.

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