ENVIRONMENTAL ECOLOGY, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
BIODIVERSITY:THE BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
The biosphere is a global ecosystem. It includes the entire portion
of the earth inhabited by life. In a boarder sense., biospheres are any closed,
self- regulating systems. The term “ biosphere”
was coined by geologist Eduard Suess in 1875. He defined biosphere as the place
on earth’s surface where life dwells.
The biosphere’s ecological context came
from 1920, preceding the 1935 introduction of the term “ecosystems” by sir Arthur Tansley. Valdimir I. Vernadsky defined ecology as the science of
the biosphere. It is an interdisciplinary concept for integrating astronomy,
geophysics, meteorology, biogeography, evolution, geology, geochemistry,
hydrology and all life and earth sciences . the biosphere is a core concept
with biology and ecology. Ecology provides a scientific context for evaluation environmental
issues. To address environmental issues.
To address environmental problems, we need to understand the interaction of
organisms and their environments. The science of ecology provides that understanding.
It is important to communicate the scientific complexity of environmental
issues.
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific
study of the rich and varied interactions between organisms and their abiotic
environment. In ecological studies, the environment encompasses both abiotic ( such as water, mineral nutrients, light ,
temperature) and biotic factors (living organism). Interactions between
organisms and their environment is a two way process in which organisms
influence and are influenced by their environment. There are many reasons to care about ecology.
Our lives are enriched by the fascinating interactions between the organisms.
Watching a butterfly visiting a flower and bringing about pollination is worth
seeing. Beyond simple curiosity, information from ecological sciences is needed
to solve many practical problems. An understanding of ecology allows us to grow
food, control pests and diseases and deal with natural disasters such as flood,
drought and earthquake.
BRANCHES OF ECOLOGY
Ecology and evolution are considered sister
disciplines of the life sciences. Natural selection, life history, development,
adaptation, populations and inheritance are examples of concepts that correlate
equally into ecological and evolutionary theory.
(a)
Behavioral Ecology - This is the study of animal behavior in
the natural environment, also known as ethology. Behavioral ecology also deals
with ecological and evolutionary changes, because of the interactions among the
organisms. Adaptation is the central unifying concept in behavioral ecology.
The behaviors evolve and become adapted to the ecosystem because they are
subject to the forces of natural selection. Consider the edible beetles that
direct sprays of poisonous chemicals at their attacker. Predator-prey
interactions are an introductory concept in behavioral ecology.
(b)
Social ecology - This is concerned with the relationships between organisms and their
environment. Social ecological behaviours are notable in the social insects,
slime molds, social spiders and human society. Individuals that belong to a
social group have to face competition for food, mates and other limited
resources. They face diseases and parasitic many groups. This is known as altruism. (Behavior that harms the
individuals who performs it but benefits other individuals.) Through genetic
relationship Parenting is also altruism, where the children are benefited.
Altruism is extreme among some insect societies, such as honeybee and termite
colonies. Groups that are predominantly altruist beat groups that are
predominantly selfish.
(c)
Co-evolution - Populations of the other species are part of
my any organism’s environment. The population having prey- predator
interactions exert pressure on each other. If prey evolves, the predator
counter develops mechanisms to catch the prey. This is the basis of
co-evolution in populations. There are many examples where interacting
organisms evolve together e.g., lithops (flowering stone) growing in the open
are develop stone like pattern and color to hide from herbivores.
(d)
Bio- Geography -This is the comparative
study of the geographic distribution of organisms and the corresponding
evolution of their traits in space and time. Bio –geographical processes that
result in the natural splitting of species explain modern distribution of the earth’s
biota (flora and fauna).
2.
Molecular Ecology
Molecular ecology a relatively new field
where the important relationship between ecology and genetic inheritance is
analyzed using modern techniques of molecular analysis. Molecular ecological
research became more feasible with the development of rapid and accessible
genetic technologies, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The DNA of
different organisms is compared and their evolutionary relationships are
analyzed.
3. Human Ecology
Human ecology is
the interdisciplinary investigation into the ecology of our species. It is
discipline that inquires into the pattern and process of interaction of humans
with their environment. It studies human values, life styles, resource use,
waste etc. the human species is not an external disturbance. It is the keystone
species within the system.
4. Landscape Ecology
Landscape
ecology is a sub discipline of ecology that studies ecological processes that operate
over large areas. A landscape ecologist examines the connections among
ecosystem found in a particular region.
No comments:
Post a Comment