The Hot Zone Book Project part 1

Summarizing the conversation:

In the book, both Preston and Karl Johnson have an in-depth discussion about the
Ebola virus and what would happen if it was transmitted through the air. During the
conversation, Preston asks about what could happen to a population if a disease as
deadly as Ebola was able to spread easily through water droplets in the air. Karl
Johnson then responded basically saying that the population could decrease immensely
in size. Karl johnson also stated, after being asked if he was worried about a species-
threatening crisis occurring, that if a virus did supposedly wipe out part of a population it
would be beneficial.

Standard 2:
Some microorganisms are decomposers that break down matter into smaller pieces,
eventually releasing nutrients back to the ecosystem. Some bacteria even convert
nitrogen and other nutrients to forms that can be used by primary producers (plants).
There are also some particular oil-eating bacteria that can help restore ecosystems after
oil spills. However, microorganisms can grow exponentially if they have a huge supply
of nutrients, that could cause problems. Such responses to added nutrients are called
algal blooms, and they can be very harmful to ecosystems. Algal blooms can block
sunlight and disrupt photosynthesis. Increased rates of decomposition following very
large blooms can result in dead zones, areas devoid of oxygen where plants and
animals cant live.

Significance:
The reason the author put this peculiar conversation in his book was to explain how
viruses and bacteria can help an ecosystem and organisms. Granted, it is possible for
viruses to be the downfall of a society, but if they can clear out a small percentage of a
population, it could prevent a lot of problems. One of these problems is overpopulation.
Overpopulation can lead to multiple different struggles in the long-term including
environmental pollution, habitat loss, and the consumption of natural
resources, such as fresh water, arable land, and fossil fuels. So, if viruses like
Ebola can help clear out some of the population, the rest of the population
wont have to worry about losing any resources it needs to survive.