Not only do
invasive species reduce the biodiversity of the land, but human actions do as
well. A recent study done by Umea
University in Sweden found that river regulation actually harms animals that
live off the land. It reduces the number
of aquatic insects that fly onto the land and provide food for the land-living
animals. The population of flying
insects is lower along regulated rivers, resulting in a decrease of spiders and
insects. Because birds, such as the Pied
Flycatcher, rely on spiders and insects as a food course, they are negatively
affected as well. They lost more weight
after their eggs hatched and fewer of their chicks survived. Not only were just certain species affected,
but whole bird communities as well. The
fact that these effects are still visible a half a century later clearly
indicates that these changes are permanent.
In this
study researchers concentrated on the effect biological insecticides had on the
ecosystem. These insecticides were used
to regulate and reduce the number of mosquitoes among rivers in central Sweden,
but are used all over the world as well.
The results of this study prove that river regulation has a negative
effect on an ecosystem and results in poorer living conditions for a broad
range of land-living animals.
The themes
of nature of science this study has is collaborative, as many researchers
helped contribute to the findings. Also,
it’s based on the evidence that there is less biodiversity of the land living
animals and poorer conditions for them to live in. The study is both credible and repeatable
because there were three different studies conducted to support their results,
all done by credible schools. The
motivation behind this was to explore the different effects that river
regulation had on an ecosystem.
