Essay On Environmental Change

Environmental change is defined as the adjustment or disturbance of the environment due to human influence and natural ecological processes. There are different types of environmental change which can include any number of things such as natural disasters, human interference or animal interaction. As such all life is subject to the effects of climate change and must somehow develop ways to adapt to such change.
One Ancient civilization which felt the full effects of climate change were the Mayans which came into its own between the periods of 250 and 900 A. D (Anno Domini). The Mayan peoples occupied the lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula which also involves the parts of southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras El Salvador and Guatemala. The Mayan

Scientists were able to conduct a new study and they decided to heavily study the core from the Cariaco Basin off Northern Venezuela where the record is cleaner. Annual titanium levels which reflect how much rainfall there is annually, the Swiss and U.S researchers discovered that pristine sediment layers in the basin created district bands that respond to dry and wet seasons and according to the research that was conducted there were three large droughts occurring between the time of 810 and 910 A.D each occurring for almost a decade. Experts also say that the Mayan people were also prone to very long droughts this is due to the fact that at least ninety-five percent of the total population relied heavily on ponds lakes and rivers. Droughts tend to put in place a chain reaction resulting in crop failure leading to malnutrition, an onset of diseases within the population and competition for resources causing warfare and upheaval between the peoples in the society. The Maya were not prepared to handle climate change and with their heavily populated cities putting immense strain on the already very limited resources thus they were driven to the point of