Natural Resources and Energy Paper

Natural ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals, and microorganism in an area functioning together with all the non-living physical of the environment which plants and animals are dependent upon one another, and their particular surroundings-for survival. Natural ecosystems make up the planet on which we live as well as the entire universe. They are dynamic and interconnected. An ecosystem is a collection of all plants, animals, microorganisms, bacterium, and fungus as well as the non-living components that function together as one unit in a given area (The Ontario Plan, 2011).
Living and non-living things intertwine with each other in a natural ecosystem. San Diego’s wetland is an example of a natural ecosystem. In this paper it will discuss about the effects that a growing human population may have impacted on San Diego’s wetland’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species. It would also discuss one management practice for sustainability and conservation of natural resources. Also to identify the risks and benefits of extracting or using one resource from this ecosystem, or in any areas near this ecosystem.
Effects of Human Population Coastal Wetlands are one of many endangered habitat in the world, only next to tropical rain forests. It is said that in the United States there are estimated more than 50% of wetlands have been severely altered or destroyed. San Diego wetland is the most threatened resource on the California coast. By 1900, wetlands have been affected by human activities. Wetlands everywhere have been filled in for human developments such as housing, industrial plants, and airport. They have been dredge for use as canals, waterways, and marinas.

Highways are over the streamside canyons and cut right through coastal marshes, causing habitat fragmentation (Sea World, 2002). Loss and harm to population of wild species Between 1990 and 2000 wetland loss was approximately 24 square miles per year, which is one football field lost every 38 minutes. The loss over the next 50 years with current restoration efforts is expected to be 500 square miles. Human activities cause wetland degradation and loss by changing water quality, quantity, or flow rates resulting increasing pollution and change the makeup of species within a habitat.
These changes occur when wetland ecosystems are disturbed or non-native species are introduced to a habitat. Wetland plants can suffer as a result of both pollution and hydrologic changes. Other ways wetland plants can be damaged are cattle and other livestock grazing, introduction of non-native plants that compete with native plants and removal of plants to use land for other human development. Management for sustainability and conservation In the 1970s and 80s state and federal agencies, together with many private conservation groups, spent millions of dollars to purchase San Diego County wetlands to establish wildlife preserves.
As a result, most of the county’s wetlands are publicly owned. This has largely stopped the filling, dredging, and other direct destruction of the wetlands, but they are still suffering from the erosion and sedimentation caused by upstream development. The City of San Diego has recently restored seven acres of salt marsh on the north end of Mission Bay, which expands the wetlands of Mission Bay Northern Wildlife Preserve. The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project aims to acquire more than 1,500 acres, and to restore or enhance more than 500.
In San Diego County the Project includes 20 acres of restored salt marsh in the Tijuana River Estuary (Sea World, 2002). Nonrenewable and renewable energy Oil and coal are currently the most used forms of nonrenewable energy. Coal is a combustible material that comes from the earth. It is obtained from mining and is the most difficult resource to get. Oil is another combustible energy obtained from drilling, although unlike coal, once the hole is drilled the oil can be pumped out of the hole. This makes it easier and more cost effective to gather oil then coal (Oracle ThinkQuest, 2011).
No risk or benefit found by extracting or using a nonrenewable type of resources. Renewable energy is energy that automatically replenishes itself from ongoing natural processes. For example, sunshine, wind, flowing water, biological processes, and geothermal heat flows are creators of usable renewable energy (Oracle ThinkQuest, 2011). Wetlands cannot use any of none or renewable energy because wetlands are very sensitive that anything alien expose or introduce to it would lead fragmentation or even damage. View as multi-pages