Should all ecosystems be allowed to reach their climax?
http://www.northernwoodlands.com/wood_wh...
http://www.friendsoftheenvironment.org/f...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ecological_...
Answer:
I read the links and I don't think that "climax" means never changing.
For starters, nature never stops. If humans were not here, there naturally would be dry seasons, lightning, fires, and then regrowth etc.
I think the term climax community is obsolete not just because of global warming. We have campers, hikers who might inadvertantly deposit an invasive species of plant material that will change an ecosystem. Same thing with naturally migratory birds and insects. With more damage we cause to say a butterfly colony in mexico, by the time it hits the northeastern US, there might not be enough population left to play a part in the ecosystem, and then other parts breakdown.
In summary the term climax community is obsolete by both man and nature itself. If we want to preserve what we have, we MUST intervene.
To force all ecosystems into a climax state would be HIGHLY unnatural, and would result in the loss of intermediate stage lifeforms.
Where did this idea of ecosystem 'climax state' come from? Evolution is a continual process within ecosystems as organisms adapt to varying conditions. But evolution occurs over thousands of years.
There is little debate about life continuing on earth after this current onslaught of rapid climate change. If life can survive at volcanic steam vents 4,000 ft. deep in the ocean, it is likely that some forms of life will also survive on the surface of the Earth. However, if we don't act forcefully to lessen our (mankind's) impact on the global ecosystem, and slow or reverse the pace of change, it is highly likely that man and most mammals, fish, insects, etc., that depend on a relatively benign climate, will not be among the species that survive.
There's no such thing as static in nature. We've had ice ages and meteors, jellyfish then dinosaurs then mammals. Change is the only constant.
However...
Man is accelerating the change in a way which will damage most ecosystems, killing off any slowly adapting members.
It'll be like seeing a beautiful garden being overtaken entirely by dandelions.
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