Coastal ecosystem –

Coastal ecosystems are areas in which land and water are joined to create an environment with different structures, assortment and flow of energy. Coastal ecosystems are threatened by human growth as well as environment phenomenons. With these dangers comes displacement of wildlife. Coastal ecosystems include salt marshes, mangroves, wetlands, estuaries and bays. Each type of coastal ecosystem is home to many different plants and animals. Coastal ecosystems are sensitive to changes in the environment. Changes could result in destruction and complete loss. Hurricanes and El Nino, as well as other natural phenomenons, have damaged coastal ecosytems. The damage includes erosion of soil by coastal regions and runoff areas into the ocean, which can create some pollution problems. With each hurricane and natural phenomenon comes the loss of marine and plant life which may never be restored. Erosion and accretion factor into the site and season of coastal ecosystems. The site-specific factors include the extent and health of coral reefs,and the alterations to dune systems. Each of these factors could improve coastal regions or deteriorate conditions for wildlife in the area. Season-specific patterns like wave and current patterns affect erosion and soil deposits in coastal ecosystems.

Humans rely on coastal ecosystems for food, recreation, transportation and economic growth. With human development, such as coastal construction, comes the risk of harming coastal ecosystems. The government has formed organizations, such as the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, to inform construction companies about environmental dangers of changing coastal ecosystems.

ECOLOGICAL FIELD STUDY

1. Basic idea:

The only way to find out how any organism survives , reproduces and interacts with other organisms is to study it. These makes ecology practical science .There are three main approaches to study of ecology.

The simplest method is to observe and record the organism in its natural environment. This is sometimes described as observation ‘in the field’ or fieldwork, although the term can be confused as ‘field’ suggests open grasslands or the site of human cultivation.

A second type of study is to carry out experiments in the field to find out how the organism reacts changes in the environment.

And a third approach usually involves bringing organisms into a controlled environment in a laboratory ,cage or greenhouse. This method is easier to record under controlled conditions .However it must be remembered that the organisms may react differently because they have been removed from their natural home.

So therefore no single study can hope to discover everything there is to know about the relationships between an organisms and its environment. These relationships are so varied that different kinds of investigation are needed to study them. Often both study in the natural environment (which is the main subject of study in our case) and experiments in the laboratory are required to discover even part of the picture. Also, as environment changes, so as organism may respond differently, with the result that the experiment under one set of conditions may well give different results to the same experiment carried out in different conditions.