Balancing Ecosystems
Holly Regan
SCI/275
August 10, 2014
Stacy Murphy

Balancing Ecosystems
Glimmerville City Council, It has been brought to my attention that the city of Glimmerville is now faced with the same invasive grass carp population issues as the city of Sparksville. The problem with the grass carp is once they have been introduced they kill off the native species of our local waters. The purpose for the introduction of the grass carp is to remove the overabundance of indigenous aquatic plant life in particular habitats that have taken over due to fertilizer deposits making it to our community waterways thus, making survival hard for other inhabitants.
In order to receive the optimal amount of benefits that the
When it finds its way to a new-aquatic environment, its population size and having no natural predator wreaks havoc within the ecosystem and creates many environmental risks. Four possible solutions to the invasive grass carp problem along with advantages and disadvantages for each are: 1. Incentives for the local commercial fisherman to catch the invasive species and then ship them where this species is most desirable.
Advantage: The carp population will be dramatically reduced.
Disadvantage: Could become commercially overfished. 2. Introduce big mouth bass, reptiles, and birds of prey in the largest area of youth grass carp populations.
Advantage: The carp population will decrease dramatically.
Disadvantage: The introduced species may become dominant and create an even greater unbalance. 3. Remove all fish and other species and restock with native species.
Advantage: Regain native inhabitants to the ecosystem restoring balance.
Disadvantage: Destruction of the environment and ecosystem and loss of some invasive, but positive species within the ecosystem. 4. Barriers to eliminate the risk of escape.
Advantage: Will block species from gaining access to any other body of water.
Disadvantage: Existing populations and overgrowth will cause harmful risks to the ecosystem.
Balance is essential to the success of an