Balancing Ecosystems

First let me start off by introducing myself my name is Nicole Santa Isabel I live on the Big Island of Hawaii. Currently a student for the University of Phoenix taking a course in environmental science when I came across Glimmerville and its concerns with Grass Carp. Sparksville’s aquatic ecosystem is also having issues with balancing the ecosystem. This letter is to bring some light and maybe provided some solutions to any issues Glimmerville may be facing. Grass Carp is an herbivorous fresh water fish and was introduced originally from England. These fishes as we all know are famous for feeding on aquatic plants and in some cases have damaged a lot of our aquatic plants because of over population. They normally occur in waters, ponds and lakes. Grass Carp’s are also known to be rapid breeders in which the egg will float down stream until it hatches somewhere.

Sparksville’s aquatic system has been damaged by the growth and feeding of Grass Carps. Some solutions could include creating a separate controlled climate for these creatures or providing them with food to survive on so that they will spend less time eating all of the aquatic sources for the survival of other fishes. Monitoring the aquatic state of the lakes form population to the waste that human beings litter in the area will all provided a solution. Also try involving the public to have a fishing expedition to take some of the numbers down from over population. According to my studies in Environmental Science our ecosystem is balanced through homeostasis which is affected by both forces that tend to grow population size and forces that can decrease the ecosystem. A great example of these types of struggles would be Florida in 1884 the water hyacinth was introduced from South America which was accidentally released into a nearby river.

Which then spread throughout the states canals and rivers. Hyacinth later took over waterways crowding native plants killing them. Reduction of water space and aquatic wildlife was recorded throughout the states and Hyacinth growths grew to large numbers which were hard to contain. This type of plant nearly took over every area choking the wildlife and aquatic plants providing no area for other plants or animals to produce. Our invasive and native species impact our eco systems dramatically. Although they seem to be harmless from rapid breeding and overpopulation. Taking over the surrounding areas so that other species are not able to survive. Aggressive species is another way to impact the ecosystems by endangering other species that live in the same habitat. Monitoring our wildlife will protect our succession in preventing ecosystem changes. Such as the damage from invasive species on a natural habitat. Invasive species will unintentionally take over the habitat to the point that other species will not be able to survive.

For example an unknown vine that rapidly takes over a neighboring plant to the point of extinction. This intern can change the whole flow of energy in the ecosystem by soil chemistry. Here are four tips as a solution to the grass carp situation. First try to eliminate reproduction by possibly separating the male from the females and monitoring the reproduction amounts. The advantage for monitoring reproduction of grass carps is to be able to maintain the way they reproduce. Disadvantage is it’s not always a 100 percent chance. Second solution to try limiting the food supply if they primarily eat the seaweeds be sure to not provided enough to provide for an over population. The advantage of this is easily lowering the numbers of Grass Carps habituating in our lakes. The disadvantage to this is a lot of the Grass Carps will possible perish in the process. Third separation of Grass Carps and other species in different habitats so that the other species may have a fighting chance.

Another great factor to use to prevent problems from evolving between different species. But the disadvantage is the possibility of Grass Carps still making into other habitats as they have been known to make it into other waters and lakes with ease. Four study their life styles to prevent unknown damage using Grass Carps to take care of the any unwanted plants in the water is an easy solution but it can also turn into a problem in the future. In this case I can only see a great advantage if you want to defeat something you master it and learn all you can about it. Learning about these types of species will help to balance the ecosystems in Glimmerville. Restoring our ecosystem is important for our own survival and as we would hear in our younger years of the circle of life.

From taking care of the environment to taking care of our wildlife all of these things work together to provided us with the means to survive. In Florida we see the over population and what Grass Carps were brought in for but later to realize it also brought a risk to other wildlife in the same habitat. Reading through my environmental class reading in found out what we may count as something harmless as a Water Hyacinth can take over an ecosystem for fishes to the point of extinction. Hoping this information and letter of concern will be some type of help and please feel free to contact me at any time with new information.