One of the most interconnected groups of animals on Earth, insects are very susceptible to the consequences of air pollution. Small fluctuations in air quality force insects to relocate, alter their food intake and reduce their colony size. Bees, in particular, are a hot topic when it comes to discussing the effects of air pollution on wildlife. Air pollutants break down plant-emitted scent molecules, which insect pollinators use to locate food. When these odors are modified by pollution, bees become confused, increasing their foraging time and decreasing pollination.
Experts studying this topic are confident air pollution is a major factor in the bee population:. Honeybees and other pollinators are in trouble almost everywhere, and they pay us a lot of services through their pollination. By studying the correlation between bee populations and pollution, experts can better understand what factors are affecting the declining numbers and what actions need to be taken to better the situation. Acid rain falling on shallow bodies of water causes pH levels to fluctuate, causing fish to relocate their native location, have respiratory problems, and even die.
Soft-bodied animals like amphibians absorb pollutants through their skin and are much more sensitive to decreased pH levels in water. Some amphibious species are more immune to water acidification than others, altering populations by affecting competition and predation between amphibians.
Birds are directly and indirectly affected by air pollution. They spend more time in the open air and have a higher breathing rate than humans, exposing themselves to greater levels of air pollution.
Studies have shown that for birds with long-term exposure to pollution, there was reduced egg production and hatching, lung failure, inflammation, and reduced body size. Bird habitats are affected by pollution as well. Ozone damages plants that birds rely on for food, nesting, and shelter. When acid rain impacts the fish population that birds feed on, their food sources become scarce and populations decline.
Air pollution has an intricate effect on our planet. All the ways air pollution affects humans, animals, and our ecosystem are connected. In addition to directly killing amphibians, these pollutants can also weaken their immune system as may have been the case in the extinction of the Monteverde golden toad and cause physical deformities or abnormalities. Amphibians are far from the only animals affected by pollution in water. Fish and invertebrates also end up with these contaminants in their systems as well.
Though small amounts might not kill the fish, those chemicals stay in their system. This poses a danger to the predators in the food web, such as birds of prey. Peregrine Falcons showed this danger explicitly when their populations plummeted due to the use of the pesticide DDT.
This caused sickness in Peregrine Falcons and weak eggshells in breeding females; reproductive success plummeted, and the birds became an endangered species. Outlawing DDT and similar pesticides resulted in a successful population recovery of this species and removal from the endangered species list. Birds of prey are not the only predators impacted by the bioaccumulation of pollutants. Sea lions and other marine mammals are yet another example of animals affected by pollution. In the case of sea lions, fertilizer runoff results in harmful algal blooms.
This algae releases a neurotoxin known as domoic acid. Fish eat this harmful algae and accumulate it in their bodies, and the sea lions eat the fish. Through bioaccumulation, the sea lions ingest high levels of toxic domoic acid, resulting in domoic acid toxicosis. The condition causes neurological issues, seizures, aborted pregnancy, and if untreated, death. Decreasing pesticide and fertilizer use can reduce harmful algal blooms and protect sea lions and their entire ecosystem.
Studies have shown reducing nutrient inputs to waters is important to reducing HAB occurrences. According to Dr. This is going to increase the opportunity that these organisms can grow. We also expect to see wetter and stormy winters and springs in the future, especially in the Midwest, which impacts the Great Lakes and Lake Erie. So because of this we expect to see an increase in nutrients coming into the lakes, which will increase the photosynthetic rate.
Lastly, with higher carbon dioxide emissions and higher carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, this will increase the dissolved organic carbon or DOC, and this will also increase the photosynthetic rate. In fish, toxins such as microcystins are taken up by the live, and at sufficient exposures, can affect the liver function and cause liver damage.
In some cases, fish kills have been associated with HABs. Wildlife can also be at risk from the toxins, both through direct ingestion or through consuming food containing the toxins. Though there have been few lab studies on impacts to birds, field studies have attributed deaths in songbirds, ducks, gulls, pheasants, and hawks to HAB exposures. Research in the Chesapeake region associated great blue heron deaths with toxic algae. Pets and livestock are also at risk from exposure to HABs, with deaths documented at a number of locations around the country.
There are ongoing federal programs that protect water quality and limit the sources of nutrient runoff that contribute to HABs. Programs include the Waters of the U.
Rule, which will ensure adequate protection of additional wetlands to help reduce nutrient runoff into our rivers and lakes; the U. Farm Bill , including conservation programs targeted at priority watersheds to reduce nutrient runoff from fields and increased efforts to improve nutrient management at confined animal feeding operations; and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, including ongoing support of projects to reduce nonpoint source pollution in targeted watersheds in the Great Lakes.
Mercury is one of the most harmful pollutants faced by fish and wildlife. Mercury is a naturally occurring, toxic heavy metal. However, human activity has significantly increased mercury levels in the environment over the past several centuries. Coal-fired power plants burn coal and release mercury into the atmosphere as a byproduct. Coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of mercury contamination in the United States, responsible for approximately 50 percent of human-caused mercury emissions.
Other sources include waste incinerators that burn mercury-containing products and chlorine manufacturers. However, unlike these sources, power plants haven't had to limit their mercury pollution.
Once emitted to the air, mercury falls to the Earth and builds up in our waters and soils, where it is transformed into methylmercury—a highly toxic form that accumulates in the tissues of wildlife and people. It's a potent neurotoxin that impacts the function and development of the central nervous system in both people and wildlife.
Exposure to mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children, since mercury is most harmful in the early stages of development. Scientists have found alarming levels of mercury accumulation in a wide range of wildlife species, causing dangerous reproductive and neurological problems.
Fish have difficulty schooling and decreased spawning success. Birds lay fewer eggs and have trouble caring for their chicks. Mammals have impaired motor skills that affect their ability to hunt and find food. In addition, some evidence indicates elevated mercury levels can adversely affect species' immune systems.
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