Ecosystems At Risk
Analyse the human impacts affecting the nature and rate of change of two ecosystems at risk.
All ecosystems are placed under levels of stress that must be withstood or overcome in the form of evolution in order to adapt and survive. These attributes determine the resilience and vulnerability of each and every ecosystem. These forms of stress fall under two categories; natural and human induced. In regards to natural stress, the term gradual is used as it happens at a slower rate and lesser magnitude than human induced stress. If this occurs, the natural world can adapt to this small amount of pressure over thousands of years through the process of evolution in order to survive. Human induced stress is linked with catastrophic outcomes as it happens at too fast a rate and too high a magnitude to allow for adaptation, thus causing extinction. Each land formation that is cleared has huge ramifications on the intricate life cycle that has formed within different systems. These interferences in the natural life cycle consequently affect significant climatic conditions such as rainfall, weather patterns, world climate etc on a global scale.
An ecosystem at risk is determined by two major factors - vulnerability and resilience. The vulnerability of an ecosystem refers to the ecosystems ability to adapt to a changing environment and restore full function. These changes are caused by alterations in the relationship between the four biospheres. The resilience of an ecosystem refers to its ability to withstand human and natural induced stresses.
One particular ecosystem fitting to this description is the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). This is currently the largest and most biodiverse ecosystem in the world, spanning across 348 000 square kilometres of Australia’s Northeast coast. Starting from the top of Cape York (10 degrees 41’ S, 145 degrees E) 2300km down to just north of Bundaberg. Billions of coral polyps form the basis of this intricate...
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