Discussion: Human Impacts of Deforestation on Evolutionary Processes
In this unit, you are learning the basics of evolution and the processes involved. Animals, microorganisms, and producers have a mutualistic relationship and depend on one another for survival. As the human population increases, deforestation becomes an issue as a result of increased housing construction to support the influx of people. Producers play a significant role in all ecosystems; they provide animals with shelter and protection, as well as provide many organisms with essential abiotic factors such as oxygen.
Consider one specific ecosystem and the foreseeable global long-term impact of deforestation to this ecosystem. Take into account your understanding of the evolution of plants and the mutualistic relationship they have with organisms, as well as the concept of natural selection. What are two adaptive traits that you believe will help organisms withstand the prolonged removal of trees? Are these traits mutations? Why or why not? Would you recommend human intervention in achieving those adaptive traits? Why or why not? In your initial post, be sure to identify the organism that you are discussing. One example is when the pollard trees gave way to the grass lands of the African savanna; some organisms began walking upright to see their predators. (You may not use this example in your post.)