Ecology

gy and Sustainable Development

p

CE102: Environmental Studies

 Ecosystem: Sustaining Life on Earth
 Ecosystem is defined as structural and functional unit of the biosphere,
comprising living (biotic) and non
non-living
living (abiotic) factors and their interaction.
 Interactions of many organisms functioning together in ecosystems as well as
 Physical and chemical environments
 Ecosystems and its types

Natural
Ecosystems
Nature
Artificial
Ecosystems
Temporary
Types of E
Ecosystems
t
Duration
Ecosystems Permanent
Ecosystems
Small
Ecosystems
Size
LLarge
Ecosystems
 Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems
Ecosystem Structure:
Made up of two major parts
 Biotic Structure:
 Living (ecological community)
 Producers
P d
 Photoautotrophs
 Chemoautotrophs
 Consumers
 Decomposers
 Abiotic Structure:
 Non living (physical & chemical
environment)
 Inorganic
I i substances
bt
 Organic compounds
 Climatic factors
 Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems
 Ecosystem Processes:
 Cycling of chemical elements (Mass Flow )
 Flow of energy (Energy Flow)
 Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems
 At its simplest an ecosystem community will have:
 At
A least
l one species that
h is a producer
d
 Another species that is a decomposer
 Plus a fluid medium
 Ecosystem: For complete recycling of chemical elements, several species must
interact i.e.
 Photosynthetic organisms must produce sugar from carbon dioxide and
water and then,
 From sugar and inorganic compound they make other organic compounds
(protein, woody tissue)
 Decomposers must then act to get back the produced into its respective
inorganic compounds
 Functional Attributes of Ecosystems
 Every ecosystem performs under natural conditions in a systematic way.
 It receives energy from the sun and passes it on through various biotic
components and in fact, all life depends upon this flow of energy.
 Besides energy, various nutrients and water are also required for life processes
which are exchanged by the biotic components within themselves and with
their abiotic components within or outside the ecosystem.
 The biotic
Th bi i components also
l regulate
l themselves
h l i a very systematic
in i manner and
d
show mechanisms to encounter some degree of environmental stress.
 The majorj functional attributes of an ecosystems
y are as follows:
 (i) Food chain, food webs and trophic structure
 (ii) Energy flow
 (iii) Cycling of nutrients (Biogeochemical cycles)
 (iv) Primary and Secondary production
 (v) Ecosystem development and regulation
 Food Chain
 Food chain
 Linkage of who feeds on whom
 The sequence of eating and being
eaten in an ecosystem is known as
f d chain
food h i
 Energy, chemicals and some
compounds are transferred from
creature to creature along food
chains or food webs (more complex)
 Grouped
p byy trophic
p level
 Food Chain
(a) First trophic level: Use energy from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air to
photosynthesizes called autotrophs (b) Second trophic level: Organisms that feed on autotrophs
called herbivores (c) Third trophic level: Feed directly on herbivores called carnivores (meat
eaters) (d) Forth trophic level: Carnivores that feed on third-level carnivores (e) Decomposers-
feed on waste and dead organisms of all trophic levels
 Food Webs
 The different food chains are inter
connected at various trophicp level to
develop a food web.
 Food web are never straight.
 Food web is formed due to interlinking
of food chains.
 A food web in the ecosystem brings
alternate source of food.
 The complex food web gives better
stability to the ecosystem.
 Ecological Pyramids
 Graphic representation of trophic structure and function of an ecosystem, starting
with producers at the base and successive trophic levels forming the apex is known
as an ecological pyramid.
 Ecological Pyramids
 Pyramid of Numbers: It represents
the number of individual organisms
at each trophic level. May be upright or
inverted.
 Pyramid of Biomass: It is based upon
the total biomass (dry matter) at each
trophic
p level in a food chain. The
pyramid of biomass can also be upright
or inverted.
 Pyramid
P id off Energy:
E Th amountt off
The
energy present at each trophic level is
considered for this type of pyramid.
Pyramid of energy gives the best
representation of the trophic
relationships and it is always upright.
Pyramid of Numbers
Ecological Pyramids

 Pyramid of Biomass (a) & (b); Pyramid of Energy (c)

 Ecosystem as System
 An ecosystem is the minimal entity that has the properties required to sustain life
 Var greatly
Vary reatl in:
 Structural complexity and clarity of their boundaries
 Size
 Composition
 Proportion of non-biological constituents
 Degree of variation in time and space
 Ecosystem Energy Flow
 All life requires energy for the ability to do work
 Energy enters an ecosystem by two pathways:
 Energy fixed by organisms
 Transfer of heat energy by air, water, soil and
living things
 Ecosystem energy flow
 Movement of energy through an ecosystem from
the external environment through a series of
organisms
i and
d back
b k to
t the
th external
t l environment.
i t

 Energy Efficiency and Transfer Efficiency

 T hi l l efficiency
Trophic-level ffi i
 Ratio of production of one trophic level to the
production of the next trophic level
 1–3%
1 3% in natural ecosystems
 10% may be maximum
 90% of all energy lost as heat
Natural Cycles: Bio-geo-chemical
Bio geo chemical cycles
 Carbon cycle
 Nitrogen cycle
 Phosphorous
p cycle
y
Carbon Cycle
 Carbon has a gaseous phrase
 Enters atmosphere
p ((CO2 and
CH4) through respiration, fires
and diffusion
 Removed from the
atmosphere
t h b photosynthesis
by h t th i
 Carbon occurs in the ocean in
several forms
 Dissolved CO2, carbonate and
bicarbonate, marine organisms
and their products, CaCO3
 Enters the ocean by
 Simple
Si l diffusion
diff i then
th dissolves,
di l
transfer from land in rivers as
dissolved carbon, wind
 Carbon enters the biota through
photosynthesis and then
returned by respiration or fire
Nitrogen Cycle
 Free N2 makes up 78% of
atmosphere
 But most organisms can’t use
it directly
 Relatively unreactive element
must be converted to NO3-
or NH4+
 Performed by y bacteria
 Nitrogen fixation - process of
converting atmospheric N to
NO3- or NH4+
 Denitrification - process of
releasing fixed N back to
molecular N
 N combines with O at high
temperatures
 Oxides of N a source of air
pollution
ll
Phosphorous Cycle
 P one of the “big six”
required for life
 Often a limiting factor
for plant and algal
growth
 Does not have a gaseous
phase
 Rate of transfer slow
 Enters biota through
uptake as phosphate by
plants, algae and some
bacteria
 Returns to soil when
plants die or is lost to
oceans via runoff
 Returned to land via
ocean feedingg birds
(
(guano) )
 Guano deposits major
source of P for fertilizers
 Biodiversity
 On dividing the whole earth’s mass into 10 billion parts, it is only in one part where life
exists and the astoundingg varietyy of livingg organisms
g numberingg somewhere around 50
million species are all restricted to just about a kilometer- thick layer of soil, water and air.
 Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability among all groups of living organisms and the
ecosystem complexes in which they occur. From the driest deserts to the dense tropical
rainforests and from the high snow-clad mountain peaks to the deepest of ocean trenches,
life occurs in a marvellous spectrum of forms, size, colour and shape, each with unique
ecological
g inter-relationships.
p
 In the Convention of Biological Diversity (1992) biodiversity has been defined as the
variability among living organisms from all sources including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and
other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part.
Levels of Biodiversity
 Units of biodiversity may range from the genetic level within a species to the biota in a
specific
ifi region
i and d may extend
d up to the
h great diversity
di i found
f d in
i different
diff bi
biomes.
 Genetic diversity
 Species
p diversityy
 Ecosystem diversity
 India: a Mega-diversity
Mega diversity Nation
 India is one of the 18 mega-diversity countries in the world in terms of both the hotspots
and the relative biodiversity with respect to the endemic flora and fauna varieties.
varieties
 The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India (2000) records 47,000 species of
plants and 81,000 species of animals which is about 7% and 6.5% respectively of global
flora and fauna.
fauna
 A large proportion of the Indian Biodiversity is still unexplored.
 There are about 93 major wetlands, coral reefs and mangroves which need to be studied
in detail. Indian forests cover 64.01 million hectares having a rich biodiversity of plants in
the Trans-Himalayan, north-west, west, central and eastern Himalayan forests, western
ghats, coasts, deserts, Gangetic plains, deccan plateau and the Andaman, Nicobar and
Lakshadweep islands.
 Due to very diverse climatic conditions there is a complete rainbow spectrum of
biodiversity in our country.
 What Threatens Biodiversity?
 Extinction or elimination of a species is a natural process of evolution.
 However, the
H th rate
t off loss
l off species
i ini geologic
l i pastt has
h been
b a slow
l process, keeping
k i in i
view the vast span of time going back to 444 million years. The process of extinction has
become particularly fast in the recent years of human civilization.
 Therefore the species are becoming endangered and finally extinct from the biosphere
which is the serious threat to the biodiversity with major impacts on the ecological
balance.The major causes of this phenomenon are:
 Extinction: a natural process
 HIPPO: Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population (of humans), and
Overharvesting
 Loss of Habitats
 Poaching
 Man-wildlife
Man ildlife conflicts
 Man and Environment
 The environment need to be protected and preserved with special emphasis on wildlife
and plants.
plants
 However, humans intervention especially in form of poaching and habitat destruction
has lead to severe damage to the ecological biodiversity.
 Therefore, minimal human intervention (with respect to pollution of ecosystems) is beneficial
both form the ecosystem as well as environment. Trade-off must be done between development
and ecosystem/environmental
y conservation
 Sustainable development: Development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs calls for a sense of
responsibility with respect to our actions
 Economic Growth
vs
Environmental Protection

 Industries are the backbone of any country’s economic growth and economic
development
 There is
Th i generally
ll a positive
i i relationship
l i hi between
b rates off economic
i growth
h
and environment degradation
 Environmental issues,, with strongg p
priorityy on ggrowth with negative
g impacts
p on
the environment, associated with developing countries include: Deforestation,
Water quality deterioration, Diminished air quality and Loss of biodiversity
 IIs there
th any difference
diff b t
between th conceptt off economic
the i growth
th and
d
economic development?
 Economic ggrowth mayy be one aspect
p of economic development
p but is not the
same
 Economic growth: A measure of the value of output of goods and services
within a time period
 Economic development: A measure of the welfare of humans in a society
 Economic Growth
vs
Environmental Protection
Indicators of economic development
 Economic Growth
vs
Environmental Protection
Measures of indicators of economic development
Growth Development Human development Other
measures
Gross domestic product (GDP) Poverty Longevity - life expectancy
Gross national product (GNP) Progress Knowledge - literacy rate
Per capita income Infrastructure Standard of living (GDP per capita)
Inequality
Freedom
 Gross domestic product (GDP): Gross domestic product is the market value of all officially
recognized final goods and services produced within a country in a year, or over a given
period of time
 Gross national product (GNP): Gross national product is the market value of all the products and
services produced in one year by labor and property supplied by the citizens of a country
irrespective of their location
 Per capita
p income is the mean income of the ppeople
p in an economic unit such as a countryy
 Should there be any other measures such as gross environmental product (GEP)?
 Economic Growth
vs
Environmental Protection
Sustainable Development

 “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
(Brundtland Report,
Report United Nations World Commission on Environment
and Development , 1987)
 Environmental, economic and social well-being for today and tomorrow!
 Environmental protection and waste management (rather waste recycling)
are must to achieve sustainable development
Links between UN MDG and Environment

UN MDG Goal(s) Links to environment

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Livelihood strategies and food security
depend on healthy environment
Achieve universal primary education Time spent colleting fuel and water by
children
Reduce child mortality Water-borne diseases kill 3 million people
in developing countries
Improve maternal health Indoor air pollution
Combat major diseases 1/5th of the total burden of disease in
developing countries may be associated
with environmental risk factors
f
Ensure environmental sustainability Environmental degradation must be
reversed
Sustainability!
Sustainability!

Adopted by the UNGA on 25th September, 2015 at UN HQ in New York