Lake Allatoona Ecosystem Structure, Function, and Change

The major structural and functional dynamics (processes) of the Lake Allatoona ecosystem has gone through drastic changes over time. Georgia is one of the most authentically distinctly states in the country, composing through the heights and valleys of northern Georgia to a masses of acres of the rural areas in the southern areas; to the marshlands along the coastlines (gadnr. org). According to, researchers more than nine million people who dwells in Georgia, who often creates multiple contention for congenital resource administration.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is responsible for preserving and controlling the state’s natural resources, including air, and water quality, water quantity, fish and wildlife, forest management, and the ecosystems throughout the state (gadnr. org). There was a time when, Lake Allatoona longleaf pine forests ruled a massive section of the southern area landscape. An estimate of 90 million acres was abode to this ecosystem in southeastern America prior to the establishment of colonies.

Particularly as a result of human activity and changed forestry customarily; the recent decrease of naturist fire, longleaf pine forests has been reduced to less than three million acres today. Researchers have established that 187 rare plant species are associated with the longleaf pine ecosystem (27 federally listed as harmful or endangered). Most of these species flourish in the understory of longleaf pine forests because they have acclimated to a regularly-burned environment (gadnr. org).

Without fire, many of these species would be choked out by faster developing non-fire-adapted species and over population over the last several decades. How humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles in the Lake Allatoona ecosystem, comprised by impacts to the nitrogen, phosphorus, or carbon cycle. Due to increased population, construction of new roads being developed, and habitat fragmentation, flames regularly seen in southern forests have become drastically decreased. Today, if the Lake Allatoona forest is not burned consciously by humans, it most likely does not burn at all.

The lack of fire has caused an abstract in longleaf pine ecosystem forest lands across the south. Today, longleaf pines are established for the most part in limited parcels of land diversifying the territory, rather than large massive forests across the south. There are nine Army Corps facility functioning on the campgrounds, thirteen Corps-operated areas, and on many ecosystem parks around various lakes controlled by city, county, or state agencies (USACE). Allatoona Lake continues to recognize as one of the frequently attended Army Corps lakes in the nation with more than Six million attendees each year.

Understanding Lake Allatoona ecosystem structure and functioning has helped the forest industry to develop plans for its administration and restoration planning. The Georgia Department of Environmental Protection (EPD) established one of the most advanced approaches to watershed management and protection in the nation (epa. gov). The Lake Allatoona Watershed was initiated to implement a comprehensive evaluation of ecological (aquatic and physical habitat) and water resource conditions of the watershed.

This was accomplished through strict sampling, analysis, coupled with linked watershed and reservoir casting to produce facts and assessments of known quality that will ultimately be used to make sound decisions That support sustainability of the area’s water resources (epa. gov). Environmental impacts were developed based upon the ability of a potential management alternative to increase and/or protect aquatic ecological habitat as well as meet water quality standards.

Lake Allatoona ecosystem economic impacts were founded for various management options and were split into two main categories: (1) BMP costs as an indicator of direct economic impacts; and (2) land opportunity costs as an indicator of indirect economic impacts (epa. gov). Human native environment clarification, fragmentation, degradation, and abolition present the enormous harm to natural ecosystems and biodiversity and should be influenced by responsible and adequate accentuations for the future preservation of intact ecosystems.

Such computations should be assembled through choices made by various stages of government (epa. gov). All segments of people should get involve to achieve and corporate wildlife and native plant conservation measures that conserve ecosystems and our wildlife inheritance for the coming generations. The implication of species interactions in Lake Allatoona ecosystems management and restoration. According to, the Georgia Forestry Commission, more than 24 million of Georgia’s 37 million land-surface acres are forests, making it the extremely authoritative ecosystem in the state.

Seen as one of the largest national forest in Georgia is; the Lake Allatoona National Forest is located the North Georgia area (gatech. edu). Wildlife species in North Georgia forests includes American bald eagles, and black bears just to name a few. Georgia’s forests landscape are also home to many endangered plant species, such as the large-flowered skullcap, and the persistent trillium. Multinomial affiliations in Georgia, such as Georgia Forest Watch, have increased alertness on issues that threatens the entertainment of the state’s forests lands (gatech. du). Astronomic amounts of fertilizers are applied to lawns near many of the ecosystems in Georgia. Excessive portions of phosphorus and nitrogen are the leading actuators of fertilizers to depart into surrounding ecosystems creating enormous amounts of algae growth. This has caused much decreasing of oxygen in our waters, harms aquatic life and disrupts human amusement activity. Native plants; also called genetic plants they are plants that have developed over many of years in a precised areas.

The native plants have acclimated to the geography, hydrology, and tropics of that woodland (gatech. edu). Most of the native plants occur in regions, that is, many have unfolded concurrently with other exotics. As a consequence, an alliance of native exotic species provides a dwelling for a multitude of indigenous wildlife species such as songbirds, and butterflies throughout Lake Allatoona ecosystem (gatech. edu).