Ecosystem Management - Essential For Our Survival

All species depend on each other for survival. This is where the circle of life and ecosystem management comes into play. Organic materials are consumed and broken down by insects and bacteria. Fertilizer and soil are generated by this breakdown. Plants grow in the soil and are fed by the fertilizer. Plants are a food source for both humans and animals, and they provide oxygen for the environment. Insects, especially bees, provide pollination for the plants, spreading the seeds and aiding in reproduction. These life cycle processes are ongoing and, when interfered with, can devastate the ecosystem.

Humans are responsible for the destruction of millions of acres of forest land each year. Humans also destroy insects, animal habitats and plants with the use of insecticides and pesticides. One of the most important aspects of good ecosystem management is the medicinal value it provides us. A very large percentage of all prescription medications that are used in the United States have a natural base of bacteria, plants or animals. The balance that maintains the base currently in place on earth did not come about overnight. It took millions and millions of years, but it is taking far less time to destroy it. Unfortunately, some of the great progress that we have achieved, especially in the last 100 years, has played a part in destroying those ecosystems. We have done this with the building of recreational services and activities, agricultural progress and the simple clearing of lands, which we now know should be left alone. Some forms of life have evolved, while others are still in the state they were originally created in. Some life forms have faced extinction and won, while others are gone forever.

Our inability to ensure good ecosystem management is causing the extinction of more and more species each year. All species depend on each other for survival. It is important to not disrupt the balance that supports this circle of life. If we do, then we are actually destroying the world as we know it. While some of the things that are being destroyed may not seem important when thinking about them, each plant and species that exists in the ecosystem has value and importance.