Damaged ecosystems are everywhere where people have built homes, developers have built condominiums and office building, and also where people drill for oil and extract precious resources. Today it is important to find solutions to restoring these damaged ecosystems back to natural habitats.
The answer to restoring and rehabilitating damaged ecosystems is working with nature. Nature heals. We can see this every day when we look at the cracks in walls and sidewalks where an interesting flower or weed as taken over. Nature takes over and takes care of itself if humans will let it. Also humans can help nature take care of itself by lending a hand. This way nature can rehabilitate and restore itself faster than letting nature takes its course.
Ongoing efforts
Efforts have been ongoing of preservationists and environmentalists who take over lands that have lost their true nature. Research is done on how the ecosystem or habitat was in its original form. Most original ecosystems are composed of native grasses, plants, and trees. There are also native animals and birds that habitat in these areas. Once the ecology is restored to its original state, the process of native wildlife will also be restored, with sometimes original wildlife brought back to the area.
What about prevention?
Prevention is however the best way to keep ecosystems safe without having to restore a damaged ecosystem, which might cost a lot of money. There is a huge cost involved in restoration. Costs might include the cost of seeds, replenishing the soil, restoring original water systems, etc.
Researching the area in question is a huge cost in itself. Before one can restore and rehabilitate an ecology, research must be done in order to know the true and original ecology of the area. Once research is done, plans have to be drawn up in order to initiate a complete restoration project. Labor is needed also, which might also involve cost if there aren’t enough volunteers. Just to recruit volunteers might also involve cost.
But prevention is the best way to eliminate restoration and rehabilitation by keeping the ecology the way it always was. So how do people prevent an ecology from being degraded. They don’t cut down trees and bushes. They don’t drill for oil and extract resources. They don’t develop wetlands.
Cutting down trees destroys habitats for animals and birds. Even removing too many dead trees destroys the habitat for insects and other small wild creatures. Cutting down trees also leads to soil erosion and desertification. Removing grasses and shrubs also leads to soil erosion and desertification. Nature operates on a natural system where each living organism works with every other living organism to create a fully sustainable environment of biodiversity and natural habitat.
Extracting too many natural resources such as oil and gas depletes the earth of its natural function. Developing wetlands totally destroys natural flood control, habitats for birds and other wildlife, and the pure drinking water that humans and animals need for survival.
Therefore, prevent the ecology from being degraded. Work together with others to make sure that natural ecosystems are not destroyed; but also work with other people who care about the Earth to restore and rehabilitate ecosystems that have been destroyed.
Conclusion
Here is something to think about: The restoration and rehabilitation of huge rainforests. It might be impossible to research what was there before if it is destroyed before there is any research done on what was there before it was destroyed. There are so many new plants and species in rainforests that it is impossible to know what they were if they are removed before any investigative research is done.
Therefore it is highly imperative that natural ecosystems not be degraded or destroyed. It is also extremely important to restore and rehabilitate any ecosystems that were destroyed if at all possible.
Restoration can be done by letting nature take over and helping nature along with volunteers and dedicated people who care about the Earth.
