Kyle Angeles

ES 177.1 – A

RIVER or FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS AND DISTURBANCES

EXPLANATION:

The diagram above states and shows a linear process of a River or a Freshwater
Ecosystem. This mainly states that the beginning, being a natural and healthy
ecosystem with a sustainable and resilient marine life alongside proper nutrients to keep
the quality of the water fresh would be inferred to that state. However, the end of this
linear diagram would show how different disturbances or interferences, if a threshold is
met, can leave the body of water biologically dead.

Three different examples of possible interferences or rather disturbance of the

ecosystem as exemplified would be classified as Anthropogenic, Large-scale, and
human induced in this example illustrated. These different examples introduce foreign
species, substances, and bacteria that degrade the quality of the water such as
cyanogen-bacteria which would lead the foaming of water and a greater risk for species
to thrive, or even the competition of these species with foreign and superior species at
the same time.

Through these interventions would the resilience of the ecosystem be tested and
stretched until the state is altered to either be degraded through the quality of water, or
the degradation of marine life. But, ultimately through these processes and disturbances
the resilience of the ecosystem is stretched until the river is pronounced biologically
dead wherein it would not be able to sustain marine life or present water quality to be
deemed safe for consumption.