Balancing Ecosystems Essay

I am writing to ask the City Council of Glimmerville to join Sparkeville’s effects to restore balance back to our aquatic ecosystem. The City Council of Sparkeville is asking that Glimmerville support an plan (which will be outline later in this letter) that will deal with the over population of the â€Å"Grass Carp† that has invaded our water ways. As the City Council of Glimmerville is well aware our ecosystem has been unbalance for a while due to the invasion of the â€Å"grass carp fish† that was introduced in our aquatic ecosystem to handle and balance our the biotic (living) and the abiotic (non-living) parts of the ecosystem back to an equilibrium state. While the â€Å"Grass Carp† was intended to help control the overpopulating growth of the aquatic plants, not only did the â€Å"Grass Carp† do just that but once the overgrowth of the plants was taken care of the fish began to clean our  entire lakes of all aquatic plants, once all plant life was gone they moved on to consume the water ways detritus alone with animal matter. In accordance to a report from the Environment and Energy (E&E) Committee, the â€Å"Grass Carp† has been linked to the increase in pollution and the reduction of oxygen due to the feeding method and behavior and the removal of the prominent plants that once dominated our water ways. The elimination of these plants is the direct cause for the other fish which depend on the aquatic vegetation as part of the cycle of life to vanish from our water ways. What I propose are a couple of options that I strongly believe will help rid our water ways with the over populated â€Å"grass carp† and to keep our environment well balanced. Option 1- To reintroduce the water way natural fish back into the lakes and pond; next promote a campaign asking for farmers to reduce the current amount of fertilizers to slow down the growth on aqua vegetation, and lastly hold a ‘Grass Carp† fishing tournament offering various forms of incentives for participants, once the issue has been reduced to screen off all inlets and outlets to the water ways. Option 2- To eradicate huge numbers of â€Å"Grass Carp† with nominal cost and effort, we should take advantage of the Grass Carp fondness to assemble together each Spring in huge numbers in comparatively warm water ways preceding to and during their regenerating period. During the peak of â€Å"Grass Carp† regenerating period, we can position a extended seine netting that with go completely over all the crossways of the openings of the three water ways to put a stop to the â€Å"Grass Carp† from getting into the water ways. After the rivers and streams are cleared of the â€Å"Grass Carp†, we can put up boundary markers across two of crossway opening to avoid the â€Å"Grass Carp† from re-entering, and keep an eye on (monitor) the bottom food organisms, the clarity of the water and underwater aquatic plant above and beneath the boundary markers. Option-3 Because the â€Å"Grass Carp† will not feed in areas where there is a lot of human activities, we can hold boat races or swimming contest , only will  not avoid the fish from returning once that actives end. With the benefits being so great and causing no harm to any of our existing businesses, it makes good sense to join and support our effect to resolve the problem of the â€Å"Grass Carp† fish. I look forward to hear from you soon, that we can put forth and joint effect to resolving this problem. Reference: Bonar, S. A., Vecht, S., Bennett, C., Pauley, G., & Thomas, G. (1993). Capture of Grass Carp from Vegetated Lakes. Retrieved August 10, 2014, from http://www.apms.org/japm/vol31/v31p168.pdf Conover, G., R. Simmonds, andM. Whalen, editors. Management and control plan for bighead,black, grass, and silver carps in the United States. Asian Carp Working Group, Aquatic NuisanceSpeciesTask Force, Washington, D.C.223 pp. Mississippi River Basin Panel (MRBP) onAquaticNuisance Species. AsianCarp Brochure.Bettendorf, Iowa. 2pp. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). Asian Carp– Aquatic Invasive Species; Issues, Program Accomplishments, and Programneeds. Ft. Snelling, Minnesota. 4 pp