UNIT-1: INTRODUCTION

 Introduction to Ecology
 Landscape Conservation
 Reclamation
 Landscaping of Derelict Areas

 Introduction to Ecology:
1) A branch of biology
2) The study of the interactions among, organisms and the
interaction of organisms with their environment.
3) Ecology is a brad discipline comprised of many sub-
disciplines.
Classification
Ecosystem Ecology- studies the flows of energy & matter
through the biotic & abiotic components of ecosystems.
Landscape Ecology-examines processes and relationship
across multiple ecosystems.
 Components of Ecosystem:
1) Atmosphere- the gaseous portion of the ecosystem
2) Hydrosphere-the liquid portion of the ecosystem
3) Lithosphere –the solid portion of the ecosystem
4) Ecosphere or Biosphere-the part of planet where life
exists. It is the sum of the entire ecosystem put
together.
 Biotic Components:
The living portion of an ecosystem.
Producers-food produced form inorganic matter & sunlight
energy-green plants.
Consumers-food from consuming other organisms-animals.
Decomposers-food form decomposition of dead organisms-
bacteria & fungi

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 Abiotic Components:
The non-living portion of an ecosystem.
Factors:
1. Temperature,
2. Salinity,
3. Sunlight,
4. Substrate texture & composition,
5. pH,
6. Chemical make up,
7. Moisture.

 The Elements of Life:

1. Six elements which make up the mass of all organisms-
Sulphur, Phosphorous, Carbon, Hydrogen &
Nitrogen,Oxygen.
2. The movements of these elements through ecosystems
have been extensively studied by biologists & geologists-
through Elemental Cycles or Nutrient Cycles or
Biogeochemical Cycles.

 Biomass:
The total mass weight of organisms in a population,
community or ecosystems
 Trophic Levels in Ecosystem:

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  Ecological Pyramid:

 Landscape Ecology:
1. The study of reciprocal effects of spatial pattern on
ecological process.
2. Landscape in the context of ecology can be defined- as a
heterogeneous land area composed of clusters of
interacting ecosystems.

 Definitions in Landscape ecology:

PATCH: Surface that is spatially heterogeneous in at least
one factor of interest.
MATRIC: Backgrounds cover type in a landscape
characterized by extensive cover and high
connectivity.
CORRIDOR: Relatively narrow strip of particular type that
differs form the area adjacent on both
sides.
FRAGMENTATION: Breaking up of a habitat into smaller,
disconnected patches.
CONNECTIVITY: Spatial continuity of a habitat.

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 EDGE: Portion of an ecosystem, within which environmental
conditions may differ interior locations.
ECOTOPE: The smallest holistic land unit, homogeneous
was regarding at least one of the following:
water, atmosphere, rock, vegetation,
soil.

 Metric for quantifying landscape patterns:

i. Proportion
ii. Richness
iii. Contagion
iv. Patch area & perimeter
v. Connectivity
vi. Fractal dimension

 Ecosystem Management:
Is a relatively new discipline in environmental science that
attempts to integrate ecological, economic & social goals-
unified systems approach to make environmental
management decisions?

 Principles of Ecosystem Management:

1. Managing across whole landscapes, watersheds or regions
over an ecological time scale.
2. Considering human needs and promoting sustainable
development & communities.
3. Maintaining biological diversity & essential ecological
processes.
4. Integrating science & management.
5. Accommodate human use and occupancy within these
constraints.

 Landscape Conservation:

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 1. Preserving & renewing natural resources to assure their
highest economic or social benefit over the longest
period of time.
2. Clean rivers & lakes, wilderness areas, a diverse wildlife
population, healthy soil & clean air are natural resources
worth conserving for future generations.

 Need for Conservation:

i. Environmental Factors,
ii. Moral Values,
iii. Understanding of origin,
iv. Self Realization.

 Factors for Deterioration:

Intrinsic Factors
 Self deterioration due to structure & material.
 Site Conditions.
1. Climate,
2. Local conditions.

Extrinsic Factors
 Floods,
 Global warming,
 Climate change,
 Natural calamities.

 Types of landscape for CONSERVATION:

Cultural Landscape
1. Fully made by man- Designed or developed.
2. Organically developed landscape, relic/continuous
areas.
Natural Landscape
1. Geology.
2. Hydrological.

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 3. Climate.
Landscape of Monumental Buildings

 Objective for CONSERVATION:

1. Preserving the quality,
2. Preserving the relation between man & nature,
3. Preserving natural process,
4. Preserving animal species,
5. Preserving for cultural/social factors.

 Types of CONSERVATION:
1. Preservation of deterioration due to heat, air, water
2. Preservation the existing site
3. Restoration- active manipulation of nature to re-create
species composition & ecosystem processes
4. Rehabilitation- an attempt to rebuild elements of
structure or function in an ecological system
5. Remediation- process of cleaning chemical contaminants
form a polluted area by physical or biological
6. Reclamation- chemical or physical manipulation carried
out in several degraded sites (open pit mines)
7. Reconstruction- construct a new biological community on
a site so severely disturbed that there is virtually
nothing left to restore

 CONSERVATION VALUES:
1. Aesthetic values
2. Artistic values
3. Documentation values
4. Historic/archeological values
5. Age value
6. Architectural value
7. Scientific or technical value
8. Economic value

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 Land Reclamation:
1. An important way to increase our land supply.
2. To recover land that has lost its productivity & to make
it usable again.
3. Commonly used to refer to creating dry land form an area
covered by water (sea, lake, swamp)

 Need to Reclaim Land:

i. Land may be damaged due to natural hazards.
(E.g. Fires)
ii. Human activities can also damage the land.
(E.g. Poor farming methods)
iii. Cases of waterlogged land.
(E.g. Swamps & Marshes)
iv. Problem of land scarcity.

 Benefits:
1. Increases the availability of arable land
2. Expanding the carrying capacity of land
3. A feasible solution to the problem of
overcrowding
4. Allows for further growth of a country’s
industries

 Types of land that can be Reclaimed: Derelict Land

Derelict Land:
Land that is damaged or abandoned & cannot be put to
any use until the damage is repaired.
Causes of Derelict Land:

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 1. More commonly a result of human activities,
although something it can be caused by natural
disasters.
2. Poor farming methods & mining are two human
activities that can damage the land.

Farming:
1. Fertility of arable land can be lost through poor
farming.
2. Over-intensive use of land does not allow it to
replenish its lost nutrients in time.
3. Fertility of land decreases over time.
4. Land would then not be suitable for cultivation.

Mining:
1. Vegetation & rocks are usually removed at the
mining site to obtain the mineral ores found
underground.
2. Large holes dug into the ground become filled with
rain water & form dangerous deep mining pools.
3. Water is polluted.
4. Mining wastes left behind may also contain toxic
substances that contaminate the soil & water.
5. Land becomes useless & is an eyesore.

Restore of Derelict Land:

1. Using fertilizers & irrigation – for land spoilt by
farming practices.
2. Restoring derelict lands needs a little more
work
3. Waste heaps need to be leveled & mining pools
filled.
4. Chemicals can be used to treat contaminated
soils.

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 5. New vegetation can be planted to provide the
cover for the soil.

Uses of Reclaimed Derelict Land:

1. Agriculture,
2. Industry,
3. Housing,
4. Recreational facilities (parks)

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