The German biologist Ernst Haeckel, in 1866, gave a name to the study of how organisms fit into their environment. He called it ecology. Ecology is the study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with their physical environment. Ecology examines biotic factors, or living parts of an ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a self-sustaining organization of a community of organisms and their physical environment or habitat. Ecosystems are very complex.
Water is the most important nonliving component of an ecosystem. The availability of water determines the diversity of animals in an ecosystem. Plants play an important role in the water cycle. 90 percent of the moisture that enters the ecosystem passes through plants and evaporates from their leaves in a process called transpiration. Water also evaporates from water bodies like oceans, rivers and lakes, returning to the environment. Water returns to the earth during precipitation (rain, sleet and snow), and all the water is connected in one huge water cycle. All the water in the world including all the water in our bodies (which is 95% water) is connected. We are already aware of the effects of acid rain which illustrates the connectedness within the world wide hydrological water system.
Preserving the world for the future generations in a large part, will be about how well we can protect the world wide water system from continued degradation. Monitoring the quality of the water can be easily done by looking at the health of animal species that live in freshwater ecosystems. This is like using a canary in a coal mine to determine if the air is safe to breathe. One animal that is closely connected to the water is the humble and adorable frog. Frogs live in water their whole lives and the health of frogs can be used to partially determine the health of the water system.
Changes of aquatic habitats caused by chemicals are taking a toll, and unfortunately frogs seem to be bearing the brunt of the problem. In my own experiences, I have seen seeing several frogs and toads out in the woods with limb deformities. Studies and scientists are beginning to understand why frogs are dying out world wide. The main theory is that parasites are causing the problems and in particular a parasite known as the trematode. It is believed that the use of herbicides to kill weeds is also eliminating aquatic plants. Plant-derived oxygen is reduced, and herbicides also may have direct toxic effects on tadpoles and other animals, in one study, herbicide impacts on aquatic plants were associated with an increased frequency of severe trematode infection in the kidneys of tadpoles. Stormwater runoff from rain falling on asphalt and washing into the water system is a severe nationwide problem. The carcinogens from gasoline are some of the most dangerous cancer causing pollutants known to man. Surely these toxic chemicals are impacting the frog as well.
Frogs are very important to the ecosystems in which they live. They control bugs and help keep the ecosystem in balance. Frogs are a very diverse type of animal. They are mostly found in wet areas but they are also found in deserts and on 15,000 high mountains.
Learning about frogs can be really fun when you discover just how amazing these creatures are. It's a sad day every time one of these frog species disappears from the earth forever. Frogs have been around for 190 million years and are an ancient life form. Help protect frogs by becoming involved with water quality issues in your town and area, and by learning about frogs so you can share their magic and importance. If we begin to care about one animal and try and protect them perhaps we can begin to care about the water too and protect it as well. Protecting frogs protects the water.
Frog Photography: On location at David Autio's Fish/Frog/Skating/Watering Pond, Medomak
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