What problems do ecosystems currently face? What are strategies to prevent problems? Are these methods accomplishable? Can we restore original ecosystems? What will future ecosystems look like?

Presented by: Shane Bridges

Problems that the ecosystems face Restoration and Prevention Methods Putting these methods into effect Restoration Limitations The Future

 Deforestation  Industrial Development  Overfishing  Pollution  Degradation

 Deforestation: the removal or cutting down of trees.  More than half of the world's timber and 72% of paper is consumed by 22% of the world's population (the United States, Europe, and Japan).  Every hour, at least 4,500 acres of forest fall to chain saws, machetes, flames, or bulldozers.

 Industrial Development: Development of factories for large-scale production of consumer goods.  These factories consume large amounts of economic resources and distribute pollutants into the environment.  Governmental guidelines and restrictions exist, but do little to stop introducing pollutants into the ozone layer.

 Overfishing: catching too many fish for the system to support  pages/what_is_overfish ing.php pages/what_is_overfish ing.php  Over 25% of the worlds fish stocks are either overexploited or depleted

 Pollution: the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort  Happens in the form of industries, littering, dumping, etc.

 Degradation: the deterioration or depletion of resources  Can lead to the destruction of ecosystems and extinction of wildlife  Affects air, water, and soil

 A return to original settings  Can be done to certain extents > hard to recreate > not perfect recreations  Environmental groups > ideas/strategies: some good, some bad

 Methods to prevent the loss or depletion of resources Use less Recycle Use alternatives

 Environmental Groups Worldwide - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Earth System Governance Project RegionalEuropean Environment Agency (EEA) Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)  Many strategies, many alternatives

 Hard to recreate  What is the original?  Conflicts (how to)  Lack of effort  Human need

 What does the future look like?  Will we be able to improve ecosystems?  Can we maintain them better?

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