Geological and Meteorological Effects on an Ecosystem

By Julia Wren and Jamie Knaub

Examples of Geological and Meteorological Impacts

• El Nino• Continental Drift • Meteor Impacts• Acid Rain• Global Warming

El Nino

• The warming of ocean currents and distribution of water temperatures

• Warm water currents cause fish to vanish in Tropical Pacific Ecosystems

• Wind currents cause upwelling which moves the thermocline to the top of the surface and results in a decrease of nutrients

• Warm years are bad for fisherman and cause flooding

• Cold years are good for fisherman but bad for farmers due to drought and crop failure

Continental Drift• When Pangaea existed, plants could disperse

their seeds over large areas due to connected land masses

• For example, the cycad seeds are very large and heavy, could have only been distributed to nearby land

• However the cycad plants is found in Australia, South Africa, and Americas

• Increased diversity and variation of ecosystems• Allowed ecosystems to have a common plants

Meteor Impacts• Alters ecosystem through effects on temperature,

photosynthesis, and air and water composition• Impact causes sky to darken, blocking out the

sunlight not allowing photosynthesis to take place causing shortage in food and a food web collapse

• Direct impact sparks fires that damage ecosystem• In the ocean, flooding and immediate death of

organisms however nutrients are made available• Nitrogen and Oxygen form nitric acid causing acid

rain

Acid Rain• Two different effects on ecosystem: chronic and

episodic• Chronic: long term acid rain causes an increase in

acidity and a decrease in nutrients• Episodic: Sudden shifts of chemical compositions

causing an increase in the concentration of certain elements

• Overall weakens trees’ natural defenses, currently decreasing spruce-fir forests

• Removes Ca and Mg from soil and deposits excess nitrogen causing nitrogen saturation and eutrophication in water bodies

Global Warming

• Direct melting of ice, rising sea levels, and a decrease in land for polar bears, penguins, seals, etc.

• Water becomes too warm and chemical composition changes affecting ecosystem

• Salinity increases which damages freshwater ecosystems and cause a rapid change in the distribution of plants

Works Cited• http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/archives

/elnino.php (El Nino)

• http://waynesword.palomar.edu/cntdrift.htm (Continental Drift)

• http://science.opposingviews.com/effect-meteorites-earths-ecosystems-2852.html (Meteor Impact)

• http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/acidrain/enveffects.html (Acid Rain)

• http://plaza.ufl.edu/dede9/dedewebpage.html (Global Warming)