Chapter 3: Biodiversity

Out of the 3 chapters that I have read so far, I would like to say that I found this chapter to be my favorite. There are so many species out there, that man kind is not able to identify; as well as species that I am sure we are not even aware of. In one of our classes, we watched a movie which was about different types of species such as reptiles, insects etc. I was amazed by some of the species that I saw, they were of a kind that I never heard of nor seen.

Species(alien species,exotic & foreign)

Since it is clear that there are millions of species on this planet, this leads to many alien species; which are species that intentionally or accidentally placed in a different environment other than their own. This causes damages and negative impact on this environment and the native species that have made this their habitat. " The introduction of alien fish species, especially the Nile perch and the Nile tilapia, as well as the South American hyacinth resulted in changes in fish and plant composition including the loss of up to seventy-five percent of endemic species" (Barker,2003) These alien species end up consuming the natural resources that the other species need to survive, and in many cases there alien species take over the food chain and end up at the top. Everything gets re-structured and the way of living has suddenly changed. I know I like change but I would not be very happy if something foreign came into my environment, started to live off my resources, and suddenly changed my way of living.

There is so much of this wildlife and natural habitats that are being destroyed by these terrorist which can take the form of plants and animals. Some of these species are brought from foreign lands for reasons such as beauty or even economic gain. These exotic species end up competing with the native for its food and space. Everything changes! As I stated before, the food chain changes and even the physical environment changes. These foreign species can bring over many things with them which can contaminate our waters and causes poisonous affects on our wildlife as well as well as on human health. For example the Asian Tiger mosquito, which was introduced accidentally, has been known to carry serious diseases such as dengue fever and several forms of encephalitis (Barker,2003).

The alien species can completely transform an ecosystem, the whole environment can be changes and things such as water can end up being altered. This not to say that all these exotic species are foreign. Barker (2003) states on pg. 55 "The flathead catfish is a native of the lower Great Lakes, Mississippi River basin, and parts of the Gulf Slope drainage. It was introduced into new waters as a sportfish. It lives for twenty years of more and reaches lengths of four feet and a weight of fifty pounds. Because freshwater sport fishers appreciate the Flathead as great game fish, it has been introduced into many drainage ditches, rivers and reservoirs of eighteen states where it was previously unknown. Unlike its' cousins, this catfish is not a scavenger. As an adult, it feeds on other species of fish. With a voracious appetite, it has risen to the top of the food chain in all aquatic communities where it was introduced". I personally do not agree with this, there is no reason that one species should be taken out of its' own environment for recreational uses. Now suddenly this flat head catfish is placed in another species environment and has ended up at the top of the food chain completely changing everything. This species should have remained where it belonged and not taken out for the reason of sport fishing. Due to man kind enjoying a sport, this species has been removed and placed in the other species home, where it became the dominant predator in this new habitat. This is not right!

Another example of this is the Brown tree snake, which is a highly aggressive species. This species is said to have been introduced accidentally to Guam but since then it has spread through the island. This species has been known for invading homes as well as eliminating twelve species of native land bird species (Barker, 2003). This species is also capable of crawling along electrical power lines which causes a power outage for several days. Many people have been treated for bites, and more than 84% were bitten while in their sleep. Not only can these foreign species cause harm upon plants and animals, they also can have an effect on us as humans !


Saltwater Tanks for Entertainment?

Many of us have a saltwater tank in our home for our own purpose. Many find this as a source of entertainment; we simply enjoy watching the activities and nature of these creatures that our inside the tank. I am sure we are all aware of how this changes the natural process. We remove these fish, plants and even coral from their natural environment for our own personal use. I never really took the time to think about there was a negative side of having a fish tank. I mean we removed the fish and put it back in water right? Well I was wrong. It is not that easy. We remove these fish from their natural habitat and place them in our home. We enjoy them, but there is a lot of hard work that goes along with it. Many people do not take into consideration the fact that this is a living thing. Some may simply few it as a fish, where others(like myself) take into account the fact that it is living and breathing. To properly care for these fish it takes time and money. A salt water tank can be very costly, along with this goes equipment such as: lights, pumps, filters, live rock..things like that. When something goes wrong, you better be prepared to get it fixed immediately because the life of a species is at risk!

Not only do you have to worry about the equipment, but you also need to be careful of what type of fish you fill the tank with. Not all fish eat the same, there are some fish that tend to hurt and eat other fish; you need to be smart and not place that fish in a tank with other fish! You need to be careful with the food and you need to keep up with your tank. Make sure you check the temperature, clean it..simply make sure that everything is functioning properly and the fish is not at risk. There are many disease that fish can be exposed to from the tank, such as: white spot/itch, marine velvet, vibrosis, poisoning and many others. These diseases do require treatment and time. I do not agree with removing a species from its natural habitat for the use of recreational purposes, but if one does choose to do so; make sure that you are prepared and have the time and finances to be able to properly care for the species. There is no need to have it in your home, if you simply do not care for it and given it the proper care.


Endangered Species

There are many endangered and threatened species and I have found that many of the reasons for this, is because of humans and their carelessness! Even though many of the species out there, can be very dangerous and cannot become a pet in my home; that doesn't mean we should not take caution when we are in their territory. I have found the Florida panther to be an amazing species. This species appears to be a large cat, which can range from 7ft long/150 lbs. to 6ft long/100 lbs. The shades can vary from yellowish to reddish to even grayish (Barker,2003). These species have adapted to their environment to survive, they are killed on roadways and hunters. They have a great sense of sound and can hear sounds that are not detectable by humans and can see very well at night. They are meet eaters and sometimes can eat only once a wee. Panthers are very vicious animals and upon killing its prey, it bites the neck so that it can sever the spinal cord. When a panther has a large kill, it will eat the kidneys, heart, liver and lungs. Often removing the intestines and stomach and placing it under a bush or a tree and then covering it with leaves and dirt for future dining. I feel that this is a beautiful animal but unfortunately they are endangered, and occasionally this can be due to hunters.

Additional reference:
Barker, Barry (2003) Environmental Studies: Concepts, Connections and Controversies, Iowa,Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company