The issue of human and natural factors contributing to the ecosystem damage in California has several implications. Human ventures, such as breeding cattle and work associated with industrial activity, significantly impact the soil and overall landscape. However, natural factors, such as changes in the atmosphere and fires should also be considered when evaluating the issue. This discussion post will present an in-depth review of the elements that lead to the degradation of the ecosystem in California.
The problems include hunting and ranching, which cause extinction or displacement of animals living in the area. For instance, World Wild Life (WWF) argues that in the Baja region human activity is intense, which affects the nature around (“Southern North America”). Additionally, salt extraction businesses affect the gray whales by impairing their ability to breed. Next, Mooney and Zavaleta state that groundwater pumping affects the aquifers, causing them to collapse (5). Carroll points out that an oil spill, which occurred in 2015, will have a long-term impact on the ecology. This includes damage to the soil and microorganisms occupying the coastline.
A natural factor that contributes to the ecological issues in California is forest fires. In general, wildfires lead to soil erosion, which affects the nutrients within it and pollutes the water (Mooney and Zavaleta 2). The increase in the number of incidents that occurred in recent years makes the issue even more severe. Mooney and Zavaleta argue that this is both due to the climate that predisposes the landscape for the development of large-scale fires and densely vegetated landscape, which serves as a fuel (6). In addition, changes in the atmosphere, such as nitrogen deposition, affect the biodiversity of the region. Overall, human factors that contribute to the degradation of California’s ecosystem are ranching, hunting, industrial salt extraction, and industrial activity while the natural problems causing ecosystem damage are fires and atmospheric changes.
Works Cited
Carroll, Rory. “California Oil Spill could cause Long-Term Damage and ‘Smother’ Ecosystem.”The Guardian, 2015, Web.
Mooney, Harold and Erika Zavaleta, editors. Ecosystems of California: Threats & Responses. University of California Press, 2016. UC California Naturalist, Web.
“Southern North America: Baja California Peninsula in Mexico.”WWF, Web.