Trading Food for Profit

'Money makes the world go round'. This phrase couldn't be any more true than when it's observed from the point of view of the environment. Despite a healthy ecosystem being crucial for the survival of our species, the greed of our society is jeopardizing future generation's survival. As a result of human activity through urbanization, habitat loss, climate change etc has caused a serious decline in pollinator species. 

About 75% of global crops consumed is dependent on animal pollination and are responsible for half a trillion dollars each year globally. The human population is exponentially growing (there has been an increase in demand for crops by 300% within the last 50 years) in conjunction with a simultaneous decline in arthropod pollinators and subsequently a severe decline in crop production. As there is a greater demand for these crops but less supply, the earth will no longer be able to maintain it's carrying capacity and so a global famine is likely to ensue if we don't make alterations to our human activities. Animal pollinated species is responsible for much of vitamin A, C & E and so if we continue to observe this trend of decline of arthropods it will significantly restrict much of the nutrients and vitamins we require  and so we will become more susceptible to environmental changes, diseases etc. 

Pollinators plays an integral role in the health of an ecosystem because 80-95% of all plant species are reliant on animal mediating pollination. It is likely that specialist floral species will display the greatest decline due to a lack of synchrony between plant and pollinator as described in a previous blog. These plants make up the foundation of the food web and so a reduction in floral diversity will result in less energy transferred through the trophic levels. It is predicted that floral communities will become homogeneous and so herbivores that consume primarily on these plants will decrease. This will make all trophic levels more homogeneous causing many niches essential for our survival unoccupied.

The most productive ecosystem on planet earth is heavily reliant on pollination with over 95% of their floral composition depending on this process. These habitats play a significant role in climate control preventing many nations (especially the Americas) from experiencing desertification and reduction in carbon in the atmosphere. These habitats host almost half of all species on earth and with the reduction of pollinators responsible for the reproduction of the floral individuals in conjunction with deforestation, this will put a serious strain onto our planet.