Life on Earth is interconnected. Plants and animals depend on each other, as well as on the soil and bodies of water near them, whether creeks, rivers, streams, or oceans. All of the living things and their natural environments are part of an ecosystem. According to Lucy Andrews, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, an ecosystem is “all of the plants and animals that live in a place and depend on each other for survival.”
Humans have made many changes to the natural environment that have harmed it. These changes include mining for special resources; burning fossil fuels, which warms the planet; chopping down trees and other natural habitats to make space for people and industries; and polluting the soil and water because of factories, garbage, and other industrial projects. These changes have caused a loss of plant and animal life around the planet. Animal populations have declined, and many species are in danger of extinction.
The warming of the planet due to human activity is causing climate change and more extreme natural disasters. However, there are efforts being made to stop the warming of the planet and restore ecosystems that have been lost.
