• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About me
  • Blog posts
  • Work with me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • My links
  • Secondary Navigation Social Media Icons

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Enviroline Blog

Enviroline Blog

Eco-Friendly Blogger

  • Nature
  • Other categories
    • Mental health
    • ED recovery
    • Guest posts
    • Lifestyle
    • Freebie library
    • Advertise with me
  • Sustainability
  • Environmental
Home » Blog posts » Environmental » 8 ways we rely on ecosystems

8 ways we rely on ecosystems

June 5, 2021 11 Comments Filed Under: Blog posts, Environmental, Special Days

Every year on June 5th it is World Environment Day (WED). This year the theme is ‘ecosystem restoration’ and it is hosted by Pakistan. I love learning about ecosystems so I’m going to be sharing their benefits and how we rely on ecosystems.

Diseases

This is one of the most important things that we rely on ecosystems for! There are so many cures for diseases that have been found in the rainforest or in coral reefs, for example, a lot of cancer medication was found from coral reefs. Everyone, at some point in their life, uses medicine and sadly most of us have experienced a loved one die from a disease. Plants have so much potential for future medicines!

Pollinators

Ecosystems support so many pollinators with their variety of plant and flower life. We need bees to survive which is why it is so important to plant wildflower seeds and to try and attract garden wildlife.

Erosion control

Plants use their roots to keep rocks and soil together. They only need a small gap in order to bury their roots which keeps rocks in place to reduce cliff erosion. As well as this, plants like crops in soil are good for reducing soil erosion which prevents landslides. Coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands protect the coast from storm erosion.

Mental health

Being outdoors in nature always helps to improve my mental health. I love taking photos of pretty flowers and recently I’ve been wanting to learn all of their names – something I’m going to do more of over the summer! I’ve been outside a lot recently which has definitely helped how I’m feeling. Sometimes it’s so nice to sit in the garden when revising or sitting by a tree and just watching the world. I’m currently doing the 30 days wild challenge which was created by The Wildlife Trusts.

30 days wild challenge

Reduction in flooding

Having lots of trees and plants is good to reduce flooding because the water drops onto them and will soak into the soil. They intercept the water so that it runs down the leaves and trunk rather than sitting on the concrete.

Resources

The rainforest alone provides so much food for us like bananas and coffee, as well as wood and silk! We all definitely underappreciate how much we rely on ecosystems services. We abuse a lot of the resources, for example, palm oil is in most things and most furniture is from trees that have been chopped down specifically for making tables etc. Toilet roll, kitchen roll and tissues are obviously from trees but I think they are sometimes forgotten. The tissues that I use are made from sugar cane, I try to limit my kitchen roll usage (though it is hard in student accommodation). For toilet roll, I buy Who Gives A Crap and if you use this link, we will both get £5 off!

Climate regulation

Ecosystems are constantly recycling nutrients, absorbing CO2 and producing O2 for us through the carbon cycle. The more trees, the more CO2 they sequestrate (absorb and store) which affects local and global temperatures. The phosphorous cycle, water cycle and nitrogen cycle are important too.

Tourism

Lots of people have jobs in the tourism sector. Although catching a plane isn’t very good for your carbon footprint, ecotourism is increasing. For example, sometimes people who previously logged wood might switch to an ecotourism job that spreads awareness surrounding the rainforest. I think in some countries that have debts, other countries agree to forget about the debt if they conserve forests by logging sustainably or switching to ecotourism.

Best wishes, Cx

← Previous Post
10 ways to attract garden wildlife
Next Post →
8 ways we rely on the ocean and how to help

About Caroline

Welcome to Enviroline Blog 💗
I blog to raise awareness about the environment and mental health - specifically eating disorder recovery.
I upload every Sunday and some Wednesdays.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Simona says

    June 5, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    I must admit I was unaware of the fact that it’s World Environment Day before reading your post, so thank you for sharing this Caroline. I completely agree with you, we need to do so much more to make sure our ecosystems do work properly.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:51 pm

      Thank you x

      Reply
  2. Della Driscoll says

    June 6, 2021 at 8:06 pm

    I love your posts, they’re always so informative! You’re so right that we need to do our bit for our ecosystems xx

    Reply
  3. Mariana says

    June 7, 2021 at 2:07 am

    I had no idea June 5th was World Environment Day. Also, your post was super informative, everyone should be aware of the importance of ecosystems in our lives!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      June 7, 2021 at 7:07 am

      Thank you xx

      Reply
  4. mia says

    June 8, 2021 at 2:20 am

    This is so interesting, Caroline! I knew a few of these, but I had no ideas plant roots helped to prevent erosion. That’s crazily amazing!xx

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      June 8, 2021 at 11:47 am

      Thank you xx

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 8 ways we rely on the ocean and how to help - Enviroline Blog says:
    June 8, 2021 at 9:05 am

    […] a good idea because if you change one thing in a food chain, the whole web can dramatically change. Ecosystems are very […]

    Reply
  2. The pros and cons of hosting a beehive - Enviroline Blog says:
    August 11, 2021 at 10:06 am

    […] I did not realize how little thought I gave to pollinators. You will definitely look at plant life […]

    Reply
  3. Reasons why you shouldn't visit a zoo - Enviroline Blog says:
    August 25, 2021 at 9:21 am

    […] not put it in a tiny cage or feed it once it has entertained the crowds. Animals are essential to ecosystems, we aren’t! They would be perfectly happy without us, we are the ones that wouldn’t […]

    Reply
  4. The importance of rivers and how to help - Enviroline Blog says:
    January 28, 2022 at 10:44 pm

    […] contribute to river pollution. Sometimes the source of the problem only affects the bottom of the food chain or web. However, it could bioaccumulate which is where the harmful substance is passed on via food […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Me

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome To My Blog <3

Hello!

Welcome to Enviroline Blog. I’m Caroline and I am currently in my second year at Bournemouth University studying Environmental Science.

On my blog, I share tips & tricks on how to be more sustainable in your everyday life.

A few facts about me:

  1. I have two cats
  2. I love musicals
  3. I’m a vegetarian
  4. My favourite colour is pink

 

Find out more here.

Ethical Influencers” style=

Meet My Advertisers

Recent Posts

  • Sustainable pads: TOTM review
  • UK seasonal fruit and vegetables in summer
  • Meet my June advertisers
  • Meet my May advertisers

This Month’s Freebie!

Follow Me On Instagram

…

Copyright © 2022 enviroline blog

Isla Theme by Code + Coconut

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT