Disruptions to Ecosystems

Natural Disruptions to Ecosystems

Each year, the news is filled with information about forest fires, floods, and other natural disruptions to the environment. Often, this news focuses on how humans are impacted, but they can also have large effects to the ecosystems in which the disruptions take place. In this interactivity, learn about some of these natural disruptions by clicking on each of the icons.

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In some ways, natural disruptions to ecosystems are healthy for the environment. Sometimes, the species of an ecosystem can be out of equilibrium due to other disturbances, like human interactions. One species may increase in size, limiting the resources of other species. When a disease decreases the size of the overpopulated species, it can help restore equilibrium to an area. Similarly, fires help control the populations of sub-canopy plants that threaten the reproduction of established trees in an ecosystem. The burning of these plants creates nutrient-rich soil and a "blank slate" for a community that may have had an inefficient in the flow of energy through the ecosystem.

Human Disruptions to Ecosystems

Disruptions to Virginia Ecosystems

As you already know, Virginia is home to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, one of the most valuable and precious resources in the United States. Unfortunately, this ecosystem faces challenges from humans through pollution, destruction of natural habitats, and overharvesting. In some areas of the state, runoff from agricultural activities causes algae blooms which threaten other aquatic species. As humans add nutrients to the water, algae amounts increase using up resources. When the algae exhausts all of the resources it can, it dies, and as it decomposes, it uses up oxygen needed by other organisms.

Runoff water can pick up material that it passes over. This includes fertilizer, animal manure, oil, or litter. This polluted water can then end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Plants that grow on the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay are called submerged aquatic vegetation. These important plants filter polluted runoff while providing habitats for many species of organisms. There are several different important submerged aquatic vegetation species in the Chesapeake Bay, including eel grass, widgeon grass, and wild celery. When pollution impacts these needed producers, the species that rely on them are impacted in turn.

Sometimes, a species of animal or plant will end up outside of its natural habitat. These are called non-native, or invasive, species. Zebra mussels were first introduced into the Great Lakes when a European ship released water into the lakes that contained zebra mussels. They quickly spread throughout the United States, including into the Chesapeake Bay, where they grew so quickly they began to displace the native species of oysters. Phragmites is another invasive species causing serious harm to the Chesapeake Bay by replacing natural grasses that provide better habitat to native species.

In other areas, urbanization and development are reducing the size of Virginia's deciduous hardwood forests. As land is increasingly lost to other activities, the natural habitats of the forest wildlife is lost. This loss of habitat has grave impacts on food chains, at times causing entire relationships to disappear. Wildlife can then also encroach into human areas looking for food, water, or other resources. In addition to this being dangerous for the wildlife, humans can face a loss of property, food, and even their lives.

Minimizing Ecosystem Disruptions

Though humans are responsible for many disruptions to ecosystems, there are ways in which humans can help! Protecting life on Earth is everyone's responsibility. In this interactivity, click on each of the items in the checklist to learn more about how you can help minimize ecosystem disruptions.

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