Final Essay

Arthur Tansley, in 1935, was the first ecologist to use the term “ecosystem” in a scientific publication (Cleveland 2014). In the publication, Tansley defined an ecosystem as “The whole system… including not only the organism-complex, but also the whole complex of physical factors forming what we call the environment” (Ellis 2014). Today, scientists have defined an ecosystem as “a system which is formed when a community of organisms interacts with the environment” (Ecosystem.org). Ecosystems are communities where organisms interact with each other and the environment where energy is transferred between them and other processes (Ecosystem.org). Ecosystems consist of living organisms including humans, dead organic matter, and the abiotic environment

With this increase, more ecosystem services are needed, but human activities are threatening the ecosystems. Many of the ecosystems are being disrupted by human activities through pollution of land, water, and air, runoff, overharvesting of fisheries, introduction of invasive species, erosion of soils, deforestation, and destruction of wetlands (CES Ecosystem Services). One of the most threatened ecosystems in the United States are wetlands. According to the National Wildlife Federation, over 50% of the wetlands in the U.S. have been lost (Ecosystem Services). Wetlands are crucial ecosystems because it’s a nursery for fish where they spend part of their lifecycle maturing. Without these wetlands for fish to mature and grow, this food source would gradually decline. Also, plants in wetlands absorb nutrients and chemicals that are found in the water acting as a filtration system (Functions and Values of wetlands). Plants filtering the water make it cleaner for animals and humans to drink. Finally, wetlands are also a habitat for migratory birds and mammals. With a loss of wetlands, there would be a loss of biodiversity and recreation (Ecosystem Services). Biodiversity is important to humans and ecosystems, because without diversity in organisms the services that are beneficial to humans and other organisms would not exist. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) have been made to “help maintain and enhance ecosystems and their services” (Agriculture, Biology and Conservation). These programs give landowners opportunities to save and protect the ecosystems that are on their properties (Wetlands Reserve Program and Conservation Reserve