Ecological Disaster in Terrania (Research Paper Sample)

Ecological Disaster in Terrania
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Abstract
Terrania, a young nation developing in the Northern America has faced several agricultural failures. This is in addition to the economic and political instability. As it is, the government is at the risk of losing its dominion to the military coup (Stamoulis, and Zezza, 2003). This means that the nation is subject to internal wars, which are bound to occur. The situation is critical especially if the government will not be able to sustain the citizens. The Agricultural crisis has been caused by a series of factors that ought to be corrected sooner than later (Goodenough, 2007) as discussed below .
The farms are under the attack of grasshoppers. Initially, they were controlled using pesticides. However, frequent subjection to the pesticides caused the grasshoppers to develop resistance against the chemicals. As a result, they no longer respond to the pesticide; instead they continue to increase their number each day. There is an urgent need to solve this problem, understanding the verity that the latter are hazardous to the farm productions (Goodenough, 2007). In addition to that, there also has been the problem of the mice which are likewise in large numbers. Apart from their massiveness, they are highly destructive to the vegetation in the fields, as well as the stored grains. The uncontrolled growth of mice population demands ways to curb their growth. In order to do so, cats were brought to the fields, but they could not capture sufficient mice so as to minimize the wastage incurred by the presence of the rodents.
There was thus another attempt to solve the same where mongooses were imported for domestication. They, however, adapted to the environment and could fend for themselves without being domesticated (Triefeldt, 2007). As a result, the mice population decreased drastically and likewise their adverse effects on the vegetation and grains. However, the destruction by grasshoppers increases fortnightly due the decline in the mice population that also relies on the grasshoppers for energy. Other precautionary measures were also taken. In a bid to minimize the development of the pests the buffer regions that were full of natural vegetation were cleared of bushes and trees. It did not meet its expectation instead; it reduced the farming costs as it made easier for the machinery to access the fields.
In order to solve the problem of the pests, there is a need to observe the biological concepts behind the diverse effects of the same. This is because of the need to balance the ecosystem in order to minimize the consumption of fossil fuels and also to ensure that the men in Terrania are fed to their satisfaction rather than die of hunger at the cost of pests. There is also scientific methodology recommended to solve the problem such as use of fungi for the grasshoppers and ammonia in the fields so as to get rid of the mice (Goodenough, 2007). This will lead to a consequent rise in the amount of food available for human consumption and thus a solution to the problem.
The Problem
Terrania is facing moments of economic instability. This has been deepened by the failure of the Agricultural sector to meet the demand for food by the citizens (Triefeldt, 2007). This is a result of the radically increasing number of pests in the fields and, therefore, their effects. The main problem at present is the increasing number of the grasshoppers and their effects in that they are extremely destroying to the vegetation thus lessening the food production available for the Terranians. It is important to also appreciate the fact that the human population does not decline with the decline in the crop production. Instead, people continue to reproduce; and thus a larger population needs to be fed (Stamoulis, and Zezza, 2003). This increases the pressure on the government which is trying to find all means of sustaining the population and avoid the coup’ de’ tat which is about to come up.
The major cause of the problem is the resistance developed by the grasshoppers. It is noted that they were initially wiped out by use of pesticides. This nonetheless is not the case anymore because the grasshoppers were noted to have developed resistance against the pesticides; and thus the need to come up with other means of handling them arises. The mice population has also decreased drastically. This has led to a consequent increase in the grasshopper population due to the decrease in their consumers (mice). The grasshoppers have proven to be more destructive to the vegetation thus calling for intervention because the government is straining to feed its people. Therefore, there is the problem of pests, and currently, the grasshoppers are of most interest. In addition, there is the problem of producing sufficient food for the hungry Terrainians, which also calls for faster solutions before the military take over the power, and the Agricultural sector shall suffer the more. These are the major ones even though; the mice are also a problem, especially if their population continues to increase (Goodenough, 2007).
Biological Concepts
In order to solve this problem, however, we must pay more attention to the relationships within the ecosystem. For instance, we shall focus on the food chain which will help to find ways of increasing food production for men while reducing the effects of the losses caused by the grasshoppers and likewise the rodents.
It is basic to understand that the food chains and pyramids are correlated. This is based on the fact that they both reveal the energy relations in the ecosystem. The food chains and food webs, for instance, reflect the feeding relations between organisms in the ecosystem (Triefeldt, 2007). They indicate the relationship from the producers to the final consumers who could be the tertiary, secondary or the primary consumer. They, therefore, show a direct transfer of energy from one tropical level to the next. This, however, is not the case with the pyramids of energy, as well as biomass. It is important to appreciate the fact that biomass is the food available for consumption by the following trophic level. It is always used as the foundation of the renewable energy so as to curtail our dependence on the fossil fuels. With the food chain, we should thus be able to understand the pyramids of energy and biomass since they serve the same purpose (Stamoulis, and Zezza, 2003). The food web is slightly different from the food chain because it is a collection of the food chains within the ecosystem. With this, we can now examine the food chains within the Terranian ecosystem.
To begin with, the vegetation is the producer in the first food chain. They produce for the grasshoppers, which are consumed by the mice. The secondary consumers who are the mongoose in turn feed by the mice. In the second chain, the vegetation produce, and they are consumed by the mice and other rodents who are in turn consumed by the mongoose. The third food chain still maintains the production of the vegetation which is consumed by man. A combination of these three food chains will make up a food web.
From the food chains, it is obvious that the mice have several sources of energy. For instance, they rely on both the grasshoppers and the vegetation. In addition to that, they also feed by stored grains. They are thus a competition to the energy which is being maximized to cater for the Terranian population. In addition to that, they are also competing against the grasshoppers, which rely on the vegetation only (McFarland and Hediger, 2009). However, the grasshoppers also lessen the consumption which should be for the humans. It is thus important to find possible solutions of handling the crisis so as to increase the biomass for a man who has only one source of consumption. This is, in addition to, the mongooses that do not need to be provided by other sources of energy.
Solution
In order to ensure there is the maximization of the output available for human consumption, the grasshopper population has to be decreased. This could be done through a number of ways as suggested below.
To begin with, the natural enemies of the grasshoppers can be used. This could either be Entomophthora grylli, a fungus that exterminates grasshoppers at a high rate especially during the warm and humid seasons (Triefeldt, 2007). This is due to the fact that, on infection, the grasshoppers pose on the plant or object which they grasp and extend their hind legs. They retain the posture to their death. In addition to that, the grasshoppers develop fungal spores not only on their bodies but in their bodies, as well. This causes the infection to be airborne thus infecting the rest of the grasshopper population leading to their massive deaths.
Other natural methods could be used at the disadvantage of not managing the higher population of the grasshoppers. In addition to that, most of the other natural methods are a slower example of the baits of protozoan Nosema Locustae among others (Triefeldt, 2007)..
One could also enforce mechanical techniques of solving the effects of grasshoppers by reducing their population. This is achieved by eliminating the sites where they deposit their eggs. For instance, the farmers could plough the farms between the mid and end of the summer periods. This will discourage them from laying eggs at those sites. This, however, will create erosion which will be controlled by digging in terraces among other means.
In conclusion, the farmers could control summer weeds and in turn reduce the grasshopper population. This is because the females will be discouraged to hatch where they have nothing to depend on. In addition to that, if there were nymphs in the field, they would be subjected to death on their hatchment because of lack of food (Maxwell, 1996). Above all, however, the weeds and tall grasses a...