Balancing Ecosystems Argumentative

Recently Sparksville’s Grass Fed Carp has become over populated and caused many problems to the reservoir. We have recognized the problem and developed a strategy to balance the ecosystem, with causing harm to the environment, the people of our cities, and to our cities commerce.

Ecosystem balance is very important. It is the equilibrium and harmonious coexistence of organisms and their environment. The interaction within the assorted components in an area brings about an ecological balance. Studies have found that ecological balance refers to the dynamic state of the stability in a community of organisms within which ecosystem diverseness, species, and genetics remain stable, based on gradual changes through the natural succession. The point here is that the natural balance within the ecosystem is mainly balanced when it is not disturbed by introduction of a new species, natural disasters, natural hazards, or man-made causes.

As you know, the grass fed carp were introduced to the reservoir to help maintain that balance; there was an issue of plant overgrowth due to the fertilizer from the farmers. However the grass fed carp have overtaken the reservoir. The grass fed carp are considered an invasive species; they are not natural to this area. The carp are causing more damage than they are helping at this point. This has in turn, made it hard for the other native species to reproduce and it has become harder for the local fishermen to catch the native fish, as well. Our goal is to increase the other fish species while sustaining the ecosystem.

We are trying to encourage sport fishing of the Grass Fed Carp, as well has sport fishing the other species. The increased traffic for these tournaments will bring in more revenue for our cities. It can also help relieve some of the overpopulation of the carp. Also, we have been talking with the local farmers about finding a new fertilizer that will not have such an effect on the plants in the reservoir. The aquatic life of the reservoir has an effect on the community as well as the surrounding lakes. Some other suggestions were to introduce a natural predator of the carp or removal of the carp all together. A predator will help lower the population of the carp, however it is introducing a new species to the existing ecosystem. Removing the carp would definitely solve the problem but then we will be right back to square one. There are the advantages and disadvantages of these strategies but we need to do something.

As human beings it is our duty to protect and restore the ecosystems of our environment. Every organism is just as important as the next. In our reservoir the plants fed off of the fertilizer, then the fish fed off the plants, and we fed off the fish. By eliminating one of those components, it could fatally effect another.

References

Chiras. Environmental Science (9th ed.). (Jones & Bartlett Learning). Toolwire. (2014). Gamescape Episode 1 [Multimedia]. Retrieved from Toolwire, SCI275-Environmental Science website.