Go Back . .. . .
real life examples

There are lots of real life examples of how ecosystems can be affected by our changing world.

Although plants and animals can sometimes adapt (change) to their new surroundings, there are some changes that are too great to deal with.

In some areas, coral (a living organism) is dying because the sea is too warm. The sea is warming up because humans all over the world are pumping different types of gases into the atmosphere around the Earth. The build up of these gases means that they stick around in the atmosphere and keep the sun's heat in (like a greenhouse). This is an example of how some ecosystems can affect other ecosystems, even if they're on the other side of the world.

Humans can also do good things to fix ecosystems. If you want to find out more about a New Zealand ecosystem that humans have helped to fix, look for information on the Chatham Islands and the black robin species. Black robins were in danger of becoming extinct, partly because they had lost their homes and partly because predators (animals that catch and eat black robins, such as stoats) had been introduced into their ecosystem. To make sure the black robin survived, humans had to remove the pests and set up a breeding programme.