t in the dispersal and breakdown of the spilled oil. Also the wide range of organisms in the ecosystem used different means to increase their own populations. Many of the species relocated to unoiled areas for a few years, then returned after the oil was removed. Others, such as the sea otters, increased production of young to bring populations back to prespill conditions. Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to recover following some level of disturbance. Obviously, the ecosystem affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill is highly resilient. However, the ecosystem of Prince William Sound should not serve as a model of the ability of the entire earth to recover from disasters. The environment of Prince William Sound faces harsh winters and severe storms. Thus, natural selection has resulted in plant and animal communities that are highly resilient. They have been forced to recover from high amounts of stress for thousands of years. The species that inhabit the area are better prepared to defend stress due to their genetic adaptation. Even though the oil spill posed a new type of stress, the resilience of the adapted species aided in their quick recovery. It could even be argued that the oil spill created a stronger population of organisms because the weaker organisms were killed off making room for the stronger, more resilient organisms to thrive in. The problem with Limbaugh's statement is that he uses the example of the recovery in Prince William Sound to argue that the entire planet has the resilient powers to overcome environmental damage. However, there are numerous ecosystems found on that planet that lack the ability to recover from environmental disasters. For example, there are conifer forests that took thousands of years to develop. If they were destroyed it would be nearly impossible for them to ever fully recover. The same concept goes for the rainforests that are constantly being destroyed for far...
