3 things you NEED to know about Ecology
By: Renata Félix
Tags: Aiesec, Ecology, Sdgs, Youth4gg, Sdg 13

Photo by Duangphorn Wiriya on Unsplash

On a recent blog, I mentioned that my favorite subject when I was in college was Ecology. Today, I have the chance to show you how important and fascinating Ecology is!

For those of you who don’t know, Ecology is a branch of biology that studies the interaction of organisms between each other and their environment.

For a biologist, Ecology is the base to understand how things happen in the environment. It helps us understand how our environment works and the impact that change can have in a community or a place.

Today I’m going to share with you the 3 things you NEED to know about Ecology if you want to become an expert on the Environment!

Number 1: In an Ecosystem, everything is connected

Photo by Geran de Klerk on Unsplash

What is an Ecosystem? An Ecosystem describes a single environment and every living (biotic) organism and non-living (abiotic) factor that is contained within it or characterizes it. It also embodies every aspect of a single habitat, including all the interaction between its different elements.

Now that we know what an ecosystem is we can understand how change can affect it. The truth is, an ecosystem, like the word says, is a ‘’natural’’ system and, like in every system, if you take one part out it malfunctions.

Every individual has an important rule in making an ecosystem work. The moment something changes drastically, it becomes very hard for an ecosystem to adapt.

In recent blogs, we have talked about invasive species and deforestation, and I think now it’s easier to understand why these two things are so harmful.

If we introduce an invasive species in an ecosystem, we face the risk of destroying the natural food chain of that habitat. Destroying the food chain can cause serious damages and lead to the death and extinction of the native species of that place.

Deforestation destroys the vegetation of these habitats and the problem with that is that vegetation provides shelter for many different animals. Without shelter, they are forced to leave their habitats and look for a shelter somewhere else.

It’s because of this that it is so important to be mindful of SDG 15 — Life on Land — that aims to halt and prevent ecosystem and biodiversity loss.

Number 2: Ecosystem Services are vital for our survival

Photo by Tyler Casey on Unsplash

Ecosystem Services are the benefits that nature provides to society. And they are actually what makes human life possible.

Last week’s blog talked about the services that trees provide us with and how they are important for us. That’s an example of how we can benefit from ecosystem services.

If that’s not enough for you, according to CGIAR, the total economic value of insect pollination is 150€ billion euros. In other words, farmers around the world save, in total, 150€ billion euros in required pollination.

And we are only looking at agriculture and, in the case of the trees, air pollution. Ecosystem Services are also responsible for flood prevention, water purification, and even disease control.

Much like the topic above, this shows us how important it is to work for SDG 15. Because, in the end, making sure that our ecosystems are working correctly also has a huge impact on other SDGs, such as SDG 13 — Climate action.

Like I mentioned in last week’s blog, trees could provide more than one-third of the CO2 reductions needed to keep global warming below 2 °C through to 2030. This would have a huge impact on halting climate change and, consequently, on SDG 13.

But it will only happen if we are mindful of our ecosystems and don’t destroy them, allowing them to provide us with their services that are so vital.

Number 3: Human activity plays an important rule on Ecosystem Health

Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash

Human beings are also animals. As animals and living beings, we are also part of ecosystems and our actions also have an impact on our ecosystems.

Pollution generated by fossil fuels and factories can contaminate the food and water supply and potentially change a food web. Or, as I mentioned before, the introduction of a new species can cause serious damage to an ecosystem! These are just two examples of how our actions can impact our ecosystem and we need a healthy ecosystem if we want to survive.

And, these things, are all caused by humans!

The bright side is: we also have the option of creating a positive impact on ecosystems and that’s what we should do!

Many of the threats that the environment is facing today are caused by human activity. From deforestation to ocean pollution, they are all consequences of our harmful actions.

We can’t live without the nature that surrounds us, and it’s time we take action to fix the problems we have caused!

If you check the Young Person’s Guide, you can find numerous ways to take action for SDGs 13 and 15. From buying eco-friendly products to planting a tree, there’s plenty you can do to help!

Take this lesson on ecology and use your knowledge to create a positive impact that both us and the environment can benefit from!