The survival of the human race depends in part on the health of the Earth's ecosystems. Humans may sit at the top of the food web, in an intellectual, technological, and physical sense, but they are interdependent parts of the various ecosystems of our world.

Types of Ecosystems

Ecosystems consist of a complicated set of relationships among the resources, habitats, and residents of an area. Plants and animals interact with the natural environment, such as rocks and soil and water, to constitute an ecosystem. Ecosystems can be temporary or permanent and include many food webs. Earth's ecosystems include forests, grasslands, freshwater, coasts, oceans, farmland, and urban areas.

The Human Factor

The way people live their everyday lives impacts ecosystems in both positive and negative ways. By burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees, people release greenhouse gases that store heat in the atmosphere and don't allow it to be reabsorbed. Temperatures can rise, and eventually global warming will occur. People also pollute rivers and oceans and alter animal populations through hunting, domestication, and introducing invasive species, often upsetting the delicate balances of natural ecosystems in the process.

Impact

The damage humans do to ecosystems also impacts them. According to a Johns Hopkins University Report, "Population and the Environment: The Global Challenge," by Don Hinrichsen and Bryant Robey, about three million people die from pollution each year. The report also notes that two-thirds of the world's species are in decline because of human activities.

Positive Effects

The positive ways that people affect ecosystems include intelligent management of natural resources. Soil and plant conservation and monitoring plant, animal, and bird species to keep them alive and healthy are important conservation activities that help preserve ecosystems. People also reduce impacts on ecosystems by harnessing alternative sources of power, such as solar, water, and wind, instead of using fossil fuels.

People and the Earth Are Interdependent

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the world population will reach nine billion by the year 2040. More people means depletion of resources and the necessity of carefully husbanding existing ones. It also increases pressure on all of Earth's ecosystems. People working to improve deteriorating ecosystems improve the quality of life for humans and help ensure the survival of biodiversity on Earth.

Source:

Ecosystems and People

Population and the Environment, the Global Challenge

World Resources Institute: People Ecosystems, the Fraying Web of Life

More Information:

Healthy Ecosystems, Healthy People