Pikas are an indicator species for climate change
Table of Contents
Certain species are capable of expressing characteristics that can indicate the state of the ecosystem they currently occupy. These species that can leave clues about the state of the ecosystem are known as indicator species, because they indicate the state of the local environment.
Biston betularia, otherwise known as peppered moth, is a species that can adapt to polluted environments more suitable as a result of an adaptation changing the color of them to suit their environment, as explained in the Natural Selection of the Genetics tutorials. Consider the following;
In light of this, various species exhibit characteristics that give us insight into the local environment without having to study the local environment itself. In the case of the peppered moth being an indicator species, the presence of pollution (and dark moth) would indicate that additional abiotic stress is being placed on the organisms who live in that polluted (and usually less favorable) environment.
When the last of a species dies out, the gene pool of the species is lost forever. To protect species, we must monitor their population levels. If one species dies out, those who rely on it in one way or another (i.e. protection or food) will also be affected. In light of this, humans aim to preserve genetic diversity and the diversity of species alive today.
Modern social values have led us to recognize the damage we have done to the environment and the species that occupy it. In light of this, government legislation is bound to environmental measures to prevent further damage to the environment. Green belts have also been established outside major cities, where no buildings can be erected. These green belts are basically segments of the countryside that are preserved to ‘compensate’ the local environment for all the man-made interference that results from urban areas.
If the balance of nature is left untouched, landscapes can change dramatically over time, where a previous ecosystem is superseded by the arrival of a newer ecosystem. This is known as ecosystem succession, and is elaborated upon in the next tutorial.
The circulatory system is key to the transport of vital biomolecules and nutrients throughout the body. Learn about the ..
Multicellular organisms evolved. The first ones were likely in the form of sponges. Multicellularity led to the evolutio..
There are many environmental factors that arise due to the usage of water in one way or another and for every action tha..
Plants are responsible for incredible feats of molecular transformation. Plant processes, such as photosynthesis, photop..
There are more species of insects than any other species combined. This surely illustrates that insects have the selecti..
A still body of water may be disturbed by a variety of factors. One of them is wind. In fact, it is considered as the pr..