Human activities have a big effect on how energy moves through ecosystems. Here are some main ways our actions change this energy flow:
Deforestation: Every year, we lose about 18 million acres of forests. That means there are fewer trees to catch sunlight and turn it into energy using a process called photosynthesis. With fewer trees, there’s less energy for plant-eating animals (herbivores), and that means less energy for meat-eating animals (carnivores) too.
Farming Practices: Many farms focus on just one or two crops, like corn and soybeans, which makes our fields less diverse. In the U.S., nearly half of all farmland is used for just these two crops. When there are fewer types of plants, there's less energy variety. Different plants help capture more energy and support a wider network of animals.
Pollution: When fertilizers wash into rivers and lakes, they can cause too much algae to grow. This is called algal blooms. These blooms can use up all the oxygen in the water, making it hard for fish and other creatures to survive. In places like the Gulf of Mexico, there’s even a “Dead Zone” that covers over 6,000 square miles, where life struggles because of nutrient pollution disrupting energy flow.
Climate Change: Human activities are changing the climate, which affects energy flow. Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns mean some animals and plants have to move to new places where conditions are better. This shifting can break up the natural energy links in ecosystems and lower how productive they are overall.
Overfishing: Taking too many fish out of the oceans disrupts the balance of marine ecosystems. Some fish populations have dropped by 90% because of overfishing. This imbalance can confuse the relationships between predator and prey, affecting how energy moves through these food chains.
All these activities show how human actions can change the important processes that help keep ecosystems healthy and energetic. This has a direct effect on the variety of life and stability within these environments.
Human activities have a big effect on how energy moves through ecosystems. Here are some main ways our actions change this energy flow:
Deforestation: Every year, we lose about 18 million acres of forests. That means there are fewer trees to catch sunlight and turn it into energy using a process called photosynthesis. With fewer trees, there’s less energy for plant-eating animals (herbivores), and that means less energy for meat-eating animals (carnivores) too.
Farming Practices: Many farms focus on just one or two crops, like corn and soybeans, which makes our fields less diverse. In the U.S., nearly half of all farmland is used for just these two crops. When there are fewer types of plants, there's less energy variety. Different plants help capture more energy and support a wider network of animals.
Pollution: When fertilizers wash into rivers and lakes, they can cause too much algae to grow. This is called algal blooms. These blooms can use up all the oxygen in the water, making it hard for fish and other creatures to survive. In places like the Gulf of Mexico, there’s even a “Dead Zone” that covers over 6,000 square miles, where life struggles because of nutrient pollution disrupting energy flow.
Climate Change: Human activities are changing the climate, which affects energy flow. Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns mean some animals and plants have to move to new places where conditions are better. This shifting can break up the natural energy links in ecosystems and lower how productive they are overall.
Overfishing: Taking too many fish out of the oceans disrupts the balance of marine ecosystems. Some fish populations have dropped by 90% because of overfishing. This imbalance can confuse the relationships between predator and prey, affecting how energy moves through these food chains.
All these activities show how human actions can change the important processes that help keep ecosystems healthy and energetic. This has a direct effect on the variety of life and stability within these environments.