Disturbance+to+Ecosystems

=How does this Effect Ecosystems Present in the Environment?=

In most cases, water pollution may have widespread repurcussions over entire ecosystems. Below we will introduce an example scenario, step by step. (This scenario is largely artificial)

**Pollution is Introduced**
Right after pollution is introduced into an environment, its effect on the ecosystems will not be very widespread. In our example, the pollution takes the form of discarded plastics on the surface of a stream. The population of fish that come to the surface to eat gradually die off as the granuals of polymer enter their system and destroy their balance of hormones.

**One Month Later**
Repurcussions are starting to be felt throughout the ecosystem. The niche that the fish that ate at the surface held - the food for the fish higher on the food chain - has not been refilled, Consequently these fish are starting to die off.

**Two Months Later**
Now the full effects of the water pollution are being felt. The mammals, such as foxes and bears, dwelling alongside the stream and eating the fish in the stream are starting to lose their sources of food. The fish that they do eat are contaminated, causing them to quickly become sick and die.

This scenario, while may not entirely accurate throughout every single ecosystem, paints a fairly accurate picture of how the introduction of plastic, which only effects one level of the ecosystem at first, may spread throughout the ecosystem, damaging many populations and eventually spreading to additional ecosystems.

//In this picture, the fish in our scenario that eat at the surface would be the stoneroller and other small fish. The fish that eat the surface fish would include the sunfish and bass.//