In order to understand environment and population the understanding of organizing and categorizing biodiversity, biomes, and ecosystems will contribute to the major understandings of what environmental threats that could have either a positive or negative effect of each. Mentioned in Week One, the understanding of evolutionary relationships allows ecologist to make predictions about specific organisms (SUO, 2017) The categorizing of innovations and non-innovations by physical traits, DNA technology, pedigree, and 6 kingdoms are identified also by the scientific nomenclature. In Week 2 it was further explained the ecology classification through biomes and ecosystems and the understanding of the cycles in chemicals through the ecosystem which would now bring up ecological problems and what population contributes to. 

In the state of Kansas, there are many similar environmental problems which are compared to across the biomes and ecosystems across the globe such as pollution, and non-native invading organisms. One in particular mentioned on the Sedgwick County website titled Environmental Concerns in Sedgwick County mentioned that of Zebra Mussels or for the scientific nomenclature, Dreissena polymorph. These organisms, “Zebra mussels are invading the waters of Kansas…damage boats, ruin engines, clog pipes and screens and are disrupting ecosystems”. (Sedgwick County, 2019, para 17). The Dreissena polymorph has commonly invaded these waters by traveling on boats through the water and on any aquatic plants which they grasp on to. According to the USGS, were observed and seen as infesting Kanas waters since 2001 which have shown a growing concern into 2017 in thermally polluted areas, such as Kanas, reproduction can occur continually through the year (USGS, 2018). 

According to the textbook, “Population size fluctuates as new individuals are born or move into an area and others die or move out of it”. (Simon, Dickey, Reece and Hogan, 2015, pg. 407). For the Zebra Mussels, the exponential population growth model explains how it reproduces and keeps as a growing concern as an environmental problem in Kansas local water areas. “Exponential population growth describes the expansion of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment”. (Simon, Dickey, Reece, and Hogan, 2015, pg. 408) In the biomes of Kansas aquatic areas like its lakes are the perfect temperatures for these mussels to continue to reproduce unless some actions are put into place. Some of these preventions are cleaning boat equipment such as boats, bait buckets, and coolers as listed on the SedgwickCounty.org website. It is upheld to humans as the main source of the infestations