Some key environmental factors that can cause changes in ecosystems include:

• Habitat change : This involves land use changes such as deforestation, urban development, conversion of forests and grasslands to farmland, and physical modifications to water bodies like damming rivers or altering water flow

• Climate change : Changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events affect how plants grow, animal behaviors, species distribution, and ecosystem interactions. Climate change can cause species to migrate, alter habitats, and shift biological timing

• Pollution : Chemical pollutants, nutrient loading (excess nutrients in soil and water), and waste products can degrade ecosystems by harming species, disrupting nutrient cycles, and causing phenomena like eutrophication and oxygen depletion in aquatic systems

• Invasive species : Introduction of nonnative species can outcompete native species, cause extinctions, and disrupt ecosystem balance, especially in freshwater and coastal ecosystems

• Overexploitation : Excessive fishing, hunting, or resource extraction reduces populations and biodiversity, impacting ecosystem structure and function

• Natural disasters : Events like wildfires, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and floods can drastically alter ecosystems by destroying habitats and triggering ecological succession processes

• Human population growth and economic development : These indirect drivers lead to increased land conversion, pollution, and resource use, further impacting ecosystems

In summary, ecosystems are dynamic and influenced by a combination of natural processes and human activities including habitat alteration, climate change, pollution, invasive species, overexploitation, and natural disturbances. These factors can cause temporary or permanent changes in ecosystem structure, function, and biodiversity