Ecological Balance




BIO326 : Ecosystem : Ecosystem Patterns : Ecological Balance

Exercise: Ecological Balance

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DUE: 5-May-2000. Work sent after this date will receive a grade of zero.

Many of the crises in the natural world today result from upsetting the ecological balance. If the basic principles of ecology were taken into consideration, crises could be avoided and many serious problems eliminated.

1. A "bottom water hypoxia area" has been identified in the Gulf of Mexico.

a) What is the nature of the ecological crisis associated with this bottom water hypoxia area?

b) What ecological principles are relevant in this crisis and what steps can be taken to rectify the crisis by adhering to these principles?

2. With Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, the general public was introduced to the effects of bioaccumulation.

a) What biological principles are responsible for the magnification of concentrations of toxic substances through the food chain?

b) Many of the substances that now show bioaccumulation are under strict control and some have been banned in the United States for years. What biological/ecological reasons are there that problems with these toxins continue even though they are no longer being introduced into the environment?

3. It takes centuries for productive soil to develop. Erosion from both wind and water can diminish productivity of the soil and lead to other problems.

a) The lesson of the Dust Bowl in the 1930's in the United States is well known. Is wind erosion still a problem? What ecological principles are relevant to preventing or minimizing wind erosion?

b) What is an impact of water erosion that occurs at a location distant to the site of erosion itself? What ecological principle can be followed to protect against water erosion?

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E-mail Professor Gaud at William.Gaud@nau.edu
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