In 1962, Rachel Carson, an acclaimed author, asked the country what it would be like if there were no birds singing in the trees when they went outdoors. What would it be like to have a “silent spring”? Carson brought to light the impact of the commonly used pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) on the ecosystem, most specifically how it affected birds and other wildlife, at a time when such considerations were not a part of the public discourse (PAN). Over the next several years, Americans came to agree with Carson’s claims which spurred a broader scientific and political response.
Following World War II, pesticides such as DDT began to be used in a broad application in order to enable agricultural production to keep up with the …show more content…
Eagles and their offspring, in particular, faced many difficulties in keeping their population alive when DDT use was at its height. “…DDT and its relatives alter the bird's calcium metabolism in a way that results in thin eggshells” (Stanford). The thinning of eggshells meant that when the mother cared for the eggs, they would crack, killing the embryo inside. Significantly fewer eaglets were fledged, thus causing the population of affected eagles to decline precipitously. Over time, this puts the species in jeopardy of becoming extinct. If baby birds are born, DDT is present in their systems and will cause further health difficulties in their offspring threatening the cycle for decades. Due to the initial high exposure levels of DDT, eagles and other species of birds remained very much at risk. "DDT and its residues washed into nearby waterways, where aquatic plants and fish absorbed it. Bald eagles, in turn, were poisoned with DDT when they ate the contaminated fish. The chemical interfered with the ability of the birds to produce strong eggshells. DDT also affected other species such as peregrine falcons and brown pelicans” (US Fish and Wildlife Services). The loss of so many potential hatchlings decreased bird population and threw the ecosystem out of balance. The population of organisms lower down the food chain increased dramatically causing the natural competition for resources to be disrupted irreparably, sometimes endangering many other species because there was no predator keeping the entire system in
Following World War II, pesticides such as DDT began to be used in a broad application in order to enable agricultural production to keep up with the …show more content…
Eagles and their offspring, in particular, faced many difficulties in keeping their population alive when DDT use was at its height. “…DDT and its relatives alter the bird's calcium metabolism in a way that results in thin eggshells” (Stanford). The thinning of eggshells meant that when the mother cared for the eggs, they would crack, killing the embryo inside. Significantly fewer eaglets were fledged, thus causing the population of affected eagles to decline precipitously. Over time, this puts the species in jeopardy of becoming extinct. If baby birds are born, DDT is present in their systems and will cause further health difficulties in their offspring threatening the cycle for decades. Due to the initial high exposure levels of DDT, eagles and other species of birds remained very much at risk. "DDT and its residues washed into nearby waterways, where aquatic plants and fish absorbed it. Bald eagles, in turn, were poisoned with DDT when they ate the contaminated fish. The chemical interfered with the ability of the birds to produce strong eggshells. DDT also affected other species such as peregrine falcons and brown pelicans” (US Fish and Wildlife Services). The loss of so many potential hatchlings decreased bird population and threw the ecosystem out of balance. The population of organisms lower down the food chain increased dramatically causing the natural competition for resources to be disrupted irreparably, sometimes endangering many other species because there was no predator keeping the entire system in