What is Ecological Balance?

The preservation of the natural balance in an ecosystem is vital, but this balance can be disrupted by the emergence of new species, the unexpected death of some species, natural disasters or human-induced causes. For example, the bombardment of lush forests during the Vietnam War caused the loss of habitats for many species.

Today, the removal of trees and vegetation in the name of industrial development, the change in the way we use land and the expansion of paved areas cause great damage to the ecosystem. All of these affect not only the soil ecology but also the water balance. Due to increasing urbanization, more water is needed to feed the city's population and industry, causing deeper wells to be opened or water to be transported from farther places.

The increase in the area covered by the urban population causes the vegetation to decrease, thus reducing the amount of water vapor returning from the plants. In addition, the salt used to melt the ice on urban roads flows into the drainage system, causing groundwater pollution.
In short, it is enough to look anywhere in the world to understand how the human population and increasing development activities affect the ecosystem. Over the last 1,000 years, human impacts on land, water, and air have been increasing due to deforestation and increased pasture use.

Such problems have reached their peak in recent years with unprecedented population growth and urbanization since the 1920s, and the consequences of human impacts are wreaking havoc not only on individual species but also on entire ecosystems.

The rapid pace of human society is leading to unintended consequences. Exotic species are disappearing faster than we can discover them, and ancient ecosystems are being disrupted.

Each species in an ecosystem plays an important role in keeping the ecosystem running smoothly. You can think of an ecosystem like a house of cards, where each card represents a different species. If you pull out one species, the whole house can collapse. In short, removing one species can cause a chain reaction throughout the entire ecosystem.

If we look closely enough at the perfect balance of nature, we see that it exists in the most unlikely places. We need different species to keep the perfectly functioning nature, the ecosystem, intact. Ecological balance is the balance of different concepts such as predator-prey, herbivores-carnivores.

For a good example of the concept of ecological balance, we should look at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. In the 1920s, the US government allowed the gray wolf to be exterminated. The decline of gray wolves caused the deer population to increase rapidly. Without their primary predator, the deer overgrazed and plundered the aspen and willow trees that other animals needed to thrive. As various species suffered from the overpopulation of deer, it caused a chain reaction in all animals. When the gray wolf population decreased, the local ecosystem collapsed and became unbalanced. In 1995, ecologists and environmentalists realized the harmful effects of removing the gray wolf from the ecosystem and began to reintroduce the species.

Today, the biodiversity of Yellowstone National Park is being enriched, allowing for a balanced ecosystem where all kinds of plants and animals can thrive.

​Climate change has a detrimental effect on the preservation and stability of ecological balance. Due to the disruption of the stability of various ecosystems on Earth, not only the health of ecosystems but also their diversity suffers.

A 2011 NASA scientific study measured the effects of climate change on vegetation, organisms and animals, as the competition for survival caused by human-induced greenhouse gases increases. The data from this NASA study predicted; "The lands of the Earth that are not covered by ice or desert will experience at least a 30 percent change in vegetation, changes that will require frequent displacement of people and animals who cannot adapt to the situation…"​

Many people do not realize the importance that ecological balance plays in our lives. We live in a society that is completely dependent on natural resources for survival, but we are not able to protect them. There are many factors that contribute to an imbalance. So, how can we work to maintain ecological balance?

There are some ways to help make the world a more ecologically balanced place;

1. Maintaining Ecological Balance in Ecosystems

Sewage and agricultural runoff can cause algae to grow in lakes and streams. The growth of algae blocks sunlight, depletes oxygen in the water, and kills the animals in it. According to the World Environment Research Institute, reducing pollution from some critical sources, such as streets and farms, will help maintain ecosystem balance.

Overfishing and habitat destruction create biodiversity loss. Overuse or destruction of these habitats threatens species with extinction. Marine ecologist and author John Defterios writes that efforts to use natural resources sustainably will help maintain and sustain ecological balance.

2. Maintaining Ecological Balance by Controlling Population
Between 1927 and 1987, the world's population rose to 5 billion. In 1999, the total population reached 6 billion, and it is estimated that there will be approximately 9 billion people on Earth by 2050. Just as too many fish can pollute your aquarium, too many people on the planet can upset the ecological balance. Controlling the birth rate through family planning will reduce the rate at which people consume natural resources such as food and water, thus reducing the burden on the ecosystem.