The Effect Of Population To The Ecosystem

An ecosystem consists of plants and animals that live within a specific area. All of the plants and animals that live within an ecosystem are dependent upon each other for survival. In recent years there has been much concern over pollution that affects the ecosystems as well as the encroachment of people and neighborhoods into delicate ecosystems. Scientists have conducted many studies on the effect of population to the ecosystem to determine the extent of damage that is being done and how to fix the problem.

One area that the effect of population to the ecosystem can be easily seen is in the strain that has been placed on natural resources. To combat the over use of natural resources much technology has been done to come up with better alternatives.

Another way that serious problems from the effect of population to the ecosystem can be seen is in the area of pollution. The cities in which people live have become larger and larger over time. In order to accommodate all of the people houses have had to be built that encroach more and more on delicate and fragile ecosystems. The influx of people also leads to a larger amount of wastes that are being created. Wastes from household products that end up in a nearby stream can seriously affect the ecosystem of not only the stream that has been polluted, but also the river that it runs into and ultimately the ocean as well.

Also with ever expanding population there is an ever increasing need for food. With so many people dependent on commercial food growers to feed them it creates a lot of strain on the ecosystems. One of the biggest producers of wastes is the large commercial feed lots that produce tons of animal wastes and chemical run off. These wastes and run off affects the ecosystem surrounding it. The relentless demand for this type of food is a direct result of the growing population. The effect of population to the ecosystem as a result of these feed lots affects much more than the area where the feed lots exist.

Ecosystems can be very delicate and some species are only able to live in certain areas. If we lose these ecosystems, or they become so polluted that they can no longer be inhabited than we may lose many species of plants and animals as well. Because of this scientists are trying to come up with a way to protect the planet from the effect of population to the ecosystem.