TS 05 Guess Paper Ichg20

Shrichakradhar.
com Ecology, Environment and Tourism (TS‐05)
TS‐5: Ecology, Environment and Tourism
Guess Paper‐I
Q. What are Wetlands?
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Ans. Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the
soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season.
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Water saturation (hydrology) largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and
animal communities living in and on the soil. Wetlands may support both aquatic and terrestrial
species. The prolonged presence of water creates conditions that favor the growth of specially
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adapted plants (hydrophytes) and promote the development of characteristic wetland (hydric) soils.
Categories of Wetlands: Wetlands vary widely because of regional and local differences in soils,
topography, climate, hydrology, water chemistry, vegetation and other factors, including human
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disturbance. Indeed, wetlands are found from the tundra to the tropics and on every continent
except Antarctica. Two general categories of wetlands are recognized: coastal or tidal wetlands and
inland or non‐tidal wetlands.
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Coastal/Tidal Wetlands: Coastal/tidal wetlands in the United States, as their name suggests, are
found along the Atlantic, Pacific, Alaskan and Gulf coasts. They are closely linked to our nationʹs
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estuaries where sea water mixes with fresh water to form an environment of varying salinities. The
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salt water and the fluctuating water levels (due to tidal action) combine to create a rather difficult
environment for most plants. Consequently, many shallow coastal areas are unvegetated mud flats
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or sand flats. Some plants, however, have successfully adapted to this environment. Certain grasses
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and grasslike plants that adapt to the saline conditions form the tidal salt marshes that are found
along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. Mangrove swamps, with salt‐loving shrubs or trees, are
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common in tropical climates, such as in southern Florida and Puerto Rico. Some tidal freshwater
wetlands form beyond the upper edges of tidal salt marshes where the influence of salt water ends.
Inland/Non‐tidal Wetlands: Inland/non‐tidal wetlands are most common on floodplains along
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rivers and streams (riparian wetlands), in isolated depressions surrounded by dry land (for
example, playas, basins and ʺpotholesʺ), along the margins of lakes and ponds, and in other low‐
lying areas where the groundwater intercepts the soil surface or where precipitation sufficiently
saturates the soil (vernal pools and bogs). Inland wetlands include marshes and wet meadows
dominated by herbaceous plants, swamps dominated by shrubs, and wooded swamps dominated
by trees. Certain types of inland wetlands are common to particular regions of the country. For
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Ecology, Environment and Tourism (TS‐05) Shrichakradhar. com

more information, see Wetland Classifications and Types for a full list. Many of these wetlands are
seasonal (they are dry one or more seasons every year), and, particularly in the arid and semiarid
West, may be wet only periodically. The quantity of water present and the timing of its presence in
part determine the functions of a wetland and its role in the environment. Even wetlands that
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appear dry at times for significant parts of the year ‐‐ such as vernal pools‐‐ often provide critical
habitat for wildlife adapted to breeding exclusively in these areas.

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Q. Explain Wildlife tourism?
Ans. Wildlife tourism is an element of many nationsʹ travel industry cantered around observation
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and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats. While it can include eco‐
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and animal‐friendly tourism, safari hunting and similar high‐intervention activities also fall under
the umbrella of wildlife tourism. Wildlife tourism, in its simplest sense, is interacting with wild
animals in their natural habitat, either by actively (e. g. hunting/collection) or passively (e. g.
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watching/photography). Wildlife tourism is an important part of the tourism industries in many
countries including many African and South American countries, Australia, India, Canada,
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Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives among many. It has experienced a
dramatic and rapid growth in recent years worldwide and many elements are closely aligned to
eco‐tourism and sustainable tourism.
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As a multimillion‐dollar international industry, wildlife tourism is often characterized by the
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offering of customized tour packages and safaris to allow close access to wildlife. Wildlife tourism
mostly encompasses non‐consumptive interactions with wildlife, such as observing and
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photographing animals in their natural habitats. It also includes viewing of and interacting with
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captive animals in zoos or wildlife parks, and can also include animal‐riding (e. g. elephant riding)
and consumptive activities such as fishing and hunting, which will generally not come under the
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definition of ecotourism and may compromise animal welfare. It has the recreational aspects of
adventure travel, and usually supports the values of ecotourism and nature conservation programs.
Wildlife tourism can cause significant disturbances to animals in their natural habitats. Even among
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the tourism practices which boast minimal‐to‐no direct contact with wildlife, the growing interest in
traveling to developing countries has created a boom in resort and hotel construction, particularly
on rain forest and mangrove forest lands. Wildlife viewing can scare away animals, disrupt their
feeding and nesting sites, or acclimate them to the presence of people. In Kenya, for example,
wildlife‐observer disruption drives cheetahs off their reserves, increasing the risk of inbreeding and
further endangering the species. The practice of selling slots for tourists to participate in sanctioned
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Shrichakradhar. com Ecology, Environment and Tourism (TS‐05)
hunts and culls, though seemingly innocent, can serve to impact populations negatively through
indirect means. Though culls can and do serve a crucial role in the maintenance of several
ecosystems’ health, the lucrative nature of these operations lends itself to mimicry by unofficial
groups and/or groups which are not fully aware of the potential negative impact of their actions.
This is especially true of big‐game and highly marketable species. Such unofficial organizations can
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promote the hunting or collecting of wildlife for profit without participating in or being sanctioned
by wildlife management authorities while mimicking organized operations to fool unwary tourists.
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Though not sanctioned by any authority, the fact that these operations are funded by tourists and
fueled by wildlife classifies such illicit hunting activity as “wildlife tourism”. The impacts wildlife
tourism will have on wildlife depends on the scale of tourist development and the behavior and
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resilience of wildlife to the presence of humans. When tourists activities occur during sensitive
times of the life cycle (for example, during nesting season), and when they involve close approaches
to wildlife for the purpose of identification or photography, the potential for disturbance is high.
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Not all species appear to be disturbed by tourists even within heavily visited areas. The pressures of
tourists searching out wildlife to photograph or hunt can adversely affect hunting and feeding
patterns, and the breeding success of some species. Some may even have long‐term implications for
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behavioral and ecological relationships. For example, an increase in boat traffic has disturbed the
feeding of giant otters in Manú National Park, Peru. Further disturbance to wildlife occurs when
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tourist guides dig up turtle nests and chase swimming jaguars, tapirs, and otters to give clients
better viewing opportunities. On the shores of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, the number of tourist
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boats and the noise generated has disrupted the feeding and drinking patterns of elephants and the
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black rhinoceros ‐ it is feared that further increases in boat traffic will affect their reproductive
success. The disturbance caused by human intervention may prevent species from their regular
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breeding and feeding activities. Artificial feeding of wildlife by tourists can have severe
consequences for social behavior patterns. Artificial feeding by tourists caused a breakdown of the
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territorial breeding system of land iguanas on the South Plaza in the Galápagos Islands. Territories
were abandoned in favour of sites where food could be begged from tourists, and this has had a
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negative effect on the breeding success of iguanas. Artificial feeding can also result in a complete
loss of normal feeding behaviors. In the Galápagos Islands, overfeeding by tourists was so extreme
that, when stopped, some animals were unable to locate their natural food sources. Similarly, until
the early 1970s, the diet of some grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park consisted, to a large
extent, of food wastes left by visitors at park refuse sites. When these sites were closed, the bears
showed significant decreases in body size, reproductive rate, and litter size. Wildlife tourism also
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causes disruption to intra‐specific relationships. Attendance by female harp seals to their pups
declined when tourists were present and those females remaining with their pups spent
significantly less time nursing and more time watching the tourists. There is also a risk of the young
not being recognized, and being more exposed to predator attacks. A similar concern has been
expressed over whale watching, whale calves normally maintain constant body contact with their
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mothers but, when separated, can transfer their attachment to the side of the boat.

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Q. What is the relationship between tourism and ecosystem of seas and beaches?
Ans. The ecology of Seas and Beaches is very fragile. It is because here two ecosystems‐land mass
and water mass‐interact. The balance between these two should be maintained as cultures surviving
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along sea coasts are very deliate. Tourism developed along sea coasts is basically luxury tourism.
This could be explained by the following example: Aguada as a seaside village in Goa was a
peaceful place where toddy tappers, fishermen and farmers lived a self‐sufficient life till some
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Hotels and Resorts came on the scene. The hotel company acquired vast stretches of village land. It
cut the dense forest cover around to construct the road which disturbed the natural sewage system
of the region. Other hotels also emerged nearby and they purchased land not only for Hotel
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construction but also to prepare a Golf course. These developments have drastically changed the
region. Apart from tge sca other natural scenic beauty spots have also been replaced due to by the
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man made construction. This situation can be elaborated by another example. The projection of
Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a tourist paradise is an ecologically disastrous project. The islands
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are being provided with free port, shopping complexes, hotels, casinos, race courses, deep diving
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facilities, water sports and scuba diving. These developments endanger the safety of exquisite rain
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forests and untapped gene pool of medicinal and herbal plants. Most of the islands still have a
forest cover of nearly 85%. The number of flowering plants on the islands are estimated at 2300, and
about 100 plant species have already disappeared. A few pockets have endangered species of
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animals and birds. The most exquisite feature of the Andamans is itʹs coral, glistening white and
pink in the blue waters. Howsoever controlled the development be it will eventually destroy the
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coral reefs. Nor can the authorities stop curious tourists from sneaking into other islands to see the
ʺnaked tribalsʺ who incidentally are on the brink of extinction due to encroachment of settlements.
The survivors are precariously numbered (Great Andamanese 28, Onge ‐ 98, Sentivelese ‐ 50,
Jarwas‐250) due to encroachment of settlement. The numerous physical, chemical and biological
processes involved in the islandʹs life support system are all interdependent. The disruption of any
of the sub‐systems ‐ the forested hills or coastal mangorves ‐ will jeopradise everything else.
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Opening the 200 odd species of tree canopy and removal of even 10% of it can lead to 55% of
canopy being destroyed. Tourism can only bring more depredation and destabilization. Ecology
apart, there is an acute shortage of drinking water on the islands. The already existing tourism has
done plenty to destroy the coral in Lakshadweep. Tourist activity like trampling, littering,
overturning of coral blocks, and scuba diving has spelt death to these delicate polyps, damaging the
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reef which has been built over hundreds of years.

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Q. How does tourism activity deteriorate the mountain ecology?
Ans. Mountains are not exempt from the tourist devastation. Ladakh especially has all its trails
choked in garbage and filth, left by trekkers. It is found that mountains and valleys are strewn with
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skins of potatoes and fruits, cooked and uncooked vegetables, shells of eggs, packings of medicines
and noodles, tins and dry food, and worst of all, stinking human waste uncovered at various places.
In Nepal, 200 kilos of garbage was removed from the Everest alone. A massive deforestation
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accompanies each of the expeditions up the peaks: only seven percent of the tourists use fuel other
than wood. As such vegetation is sparse in upper altitude.
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Dal Lake is another example that is dying slowly due to the sewage and grins in its waters. The
most dangerous pollutants are the 8000 house boats which have no propor sewage disposal
facilities and so flush the waste into the water, consequently bacteria and an entire range of virus
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thrive. There is now a move to convert the city forcst of Srinagar, designated as a National Dark,
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into a golf course, as a boost to tourism. A sanctuary for numerous wild life and birds, it is also the
catchment area of the Dal Lake. Ecologists fear that if the marsh within the park is filled up it would
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upset the ecological base of the Lake.
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Another place where tourism has meant direct devastation is in kumam and Garhwal Himalayas ‐
vast hectares of good forest and grazing land have been appropriated for tourism development.
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Without any assessment of the tourist inflow buildings have been thrown up in all the major towns.
These buildings themselves are ugly eyesores, alien to local architectural mediums and even to the
landscape. For instance in one little hamlet the tourist bungalow has an occupancy of 2% and yet
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the U.P. Government is all set to build another tourist bungalow of the same size on an adjoining
patch of forested land, As a perfect example of the saying ʺTourism destroys tourismʺ, we can see
the plight of bill ʹstations. Building construction in addition to denuding the forest cover, has
brought the mono‐culture of urban sprawl to these much louded townships. Apart from these
short‐term social, economic problems, uncontrolled tourism is taking the environment to the
thresholds of destruction.
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Q. List some of the impacts of tourism on environment.
Ans. Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources when it increases consumption in
areas where resources are already scarce.
Water resources: Water, and especially fresh water, is one of the most critical natural resources. The
tourism industry generally overuses water resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and
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personal use of water by tourists. This can result in water shortages and degradation of water
supplies, as well as generating a greater volume of waste water.
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In dryer regions like the Mediterranean, the issue of water scarcity is of particular concern. Because
of the hot climate and the tendency of tourists to consume more water when on holiday than they
do at home, the amount used can run up to 440 litters a day. This is almost double what the
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inhabitants of an average Spanish city use.
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Golf course maintenance can also deplete fresh water resources. In recent years golf tourism has
increased in popularity and the number of golf courses has grown rapidly. Golf courses require an
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enormous amount of water every day and, as with other causes of excessive extraction of water, this
can result in water scarcity. If the water comes from wells, over pumping can cause saline intrusion
into groundwater. Golf resorts are more and more often situated in or near protected areas or areas
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where resources are limited, exacerbating their impacts.
Local resources: Tourism can create great pressure on local resources like energy, food, and other
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raw materials that may already be in short supply. Greater extraction and transport of these
resources exacerbates the physical impacts associated with their exploitation. Because of the
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seasonal character of the industry, many destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high
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season as in the low season. A high demand is placed upon these resources to meet the high
expectations tourists often have (proper heating, hot water, etc. ).
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Land degradation: Important land resources include minerals, fossil fuels, fertile soil, forests,
wetland and wildlife. Increased construction of tourism and recreational facilities has increased the
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pressure on these resources and on scenic landscapes. Direct impact on natural resources, both
renewable and non‐renewable, in the provision of tourist facilities can be caused by the use of land
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for accommodation and other infrastructure provision, and the use of building materials.
Forests often suffer negative impacts of tourism in the form of deforestation caused by fuel wood
collection and land clearing. For example, one trekking tourist in Nepal ‐ and area already suffering
the effects of deforestation ‐ can use four to five kilograms of wood a day.
POLLUTION: Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry: air emissions,
noise, solid waste and littering, releases of sewage, oil and chemicals, even architectural/visual
pollution.
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Air pollution and noise: Transport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to
the rising number reported that the number of international air passengers worldwide rose from 88
million in 1972 to 344 million in 1994. One consequence of this increase in air transport is that
tourism now accounts for more than 60% of air travel and is therefore responsible for an important
share of air emissions. One study estimated that a single transatlantic return flight emits almost half
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the CO2 emissions produced by all other sources (lighting, heating, car use, etc. ) consumed by an
average person yearly. (Mayer Hillman, Town & Country Planning magazine, September 1996.
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Source: MFOE). Transport emissions and emissions from energy production and use are linked to
acid rain, global warming and photochemical pollution. Air pollution from tourist transportation
has impacts on the global level, especially from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to
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transportation energy use. And it can contribute to severe local air pollution. Some of these impacts
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are quite specific to tourist activities. For example, especially in very hot or cold countries, tour
buses often leave their motors running for hours while the tourists go out for an excursion because
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they want to return to a comfortably air‐conditioned bus. Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, and
buses, as well as recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles and jet skis, is an ever‐growing problem
of modern life. In addition to causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for its humans, it
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causes distress to wildlife, especially in sensitive areas. For instance, noise generated by
snowmobiles can cause animals to alter their natural activity patterns.
Solid waste and littering: In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing
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natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major
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despoiler of the natural environment ‐ rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides. For example, cruise ships
in the Caribbean are estimated to produce more than 70,000 tons of waste each year. Today some
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cruise lines are actively working to reduce waste‐related impacts. Solid waste and littering can
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degrade the physical appearance of the water and shoreline and cause the death of marine animals.
In mountain areas, trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on expedition leave
behind their garbage, oxygen cylinders and even camping equipment. Such practices degrade the
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environment with all the detritus typical of the developed world, in remote areas that have few
garbage collection or disposal facilities. Some trails in the Peruvian Andes and in Nepal frequently
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visited by tourists have been nicknamed ʺCoca‐Cola trailʺ and ʺToilet paper trailʺ.
Sewage: Construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage
pollution. Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the
flora and fauna. Sewage runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it stimulates the
growth of algae, which cover the filter‐feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Changes in
salinity and siltation can have wide‐ranging impacts on coastal environments. And sewage
pollution can threaten the health of humans and animals.
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Aesthetic Pollution: Often tourism fails to integrate its structures with the natural features and
indigenous architectural of the destination. Large, dominating resorts of disparate design can look
out of place in any natural environment and may clash with the indigenous structural design.
A lack of land‐use planning and building regulations in many destinations has facilitated sprawling
developments along coastlines, valleys and scenic routes. The sprawl includes tourism facilities
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themselves and supporting infrastructure such as roads, employee housing, parking, service areas,
and waste disposal.
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PHYSICAL IMPACTS: Attractive landscape sites, such as sandy beaches, lakes, riversides, and
mountain tops and slopes, are often transitional zones, characterized by species‐rich ecosystems.
Typical physical impacts include the degradation of such ecosystems.
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An ecosystem is a geographic area including all the living organisms (people, plants, animals, and
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microorganisms), their physical surroundings (such as soil, water, and air), and the natural cycles
that sustain them. The ecosystems most threatened with degradation are ecologically fragile areas
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such as alpine regions, rain forests, wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs and sea grass beds. The threats
to and pressures on these ecosystems are often severe because such places are very attractive to
both tourists and developers.

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Q. How has tourism been instrumental in protecting historical sites?
Ans. Together with physical features, historical sites form the most important of the ʺtourist assetsʺ
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of a country. Tourism has the potential to provide for their preservation too. In fact, tourism has
been instrumental in inspiring and assisting the conservation of historical heritage in many ways.
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As in the case of physical features, tourism has helped preservation of historical sites for their
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broader economic usefulness. Famous monuments form the backbone of local economy for their
attractiveness to tourism and hence the authorities are forced to protect them for fear of losing
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important source of revenue and employment. Moreover, the locals too, who reap the economic
benefits of tourism, are motivated to work for the preservation of these historical sites.
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Further, while preservation efforts for a historical site involves expensive technologies, the
governments, generally, tend to keep conservation of these low down in their order of priority. To
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say that the money earned from tourists is the most important source of finance for conservation of
historical sites, would not be an exaggeration. To quote some actual instances, the great pyramids of
Egypt remain preserved for eternity by the best preserving techniques entirely due to the money
provided by tourism and essentially to retain the inflow of tourists who come to see them. The
same, more or less, is true of the vast archaeological complexes of the Graeco‐Roman world and the
ancient sites of America which are extremely well preserved almost entirely due to their
attractiveness to tourists.
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Guess Paper‐II
Q. Describe very briefly, how tourism has been helpful in conserving wild‐life.
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Ans. Tourism has been immensely helpful in wildlife protection through the creation, development
and operation of national parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries. These parks, which operate under
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strict laws, not only maintain natural environmental conditions for birds and animals, but enable
tourists to enjoy natureʹs bounty as well. Amongst tour operators specialising in animal shoots,
safaris or shikars, greater consideration is now paid to the protection and preservation of animal
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life, and photographic safaris, tours of national parks and game‐reserves and ecological trips are
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gaining interest. The idea is to promote conservation exercisesʹ for tourism ‐ thereby benefiting
both.Tourism has further helped these reserves, and thus the environment, by providing alternative
employment opportunities to the local population, who would otherwise burden the forest land for
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their livelihood. Also, the money earned, from tour operators, has been of tremendous help in
maintaining them. The increasing popularity of national parksʹ is a testimony of tourismʹs potential
as a tool for conservation. In fact, there are specific instances where tourism has helped
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conservation in a big way.
In East Africa, the Serengeti grasslands in Kenya and Tanzania were being laid waste by large scale
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poaching and irresponsible, primitive cultivation methods. In the late 70s, the governments of
Tanzania and Kenya in a joint conservation programme, converted the entire Serengeti region into a
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mammoth wildlife reserve of tremendous tourist attraction. This has been one of the very successful
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examples of conservation programmes combining with tourism potential to enrich a whole
geographical region both ecologically and economically.
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In Central Africa, the opening up to visitors of the Saint‐floris Nature Park, permitted the effective
protection of the wildlife, in that the income from tourism allowed the proper maintenance of the
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trails and rangerʹs camps, and the very presence and movement of tourists kept poachers effectively
at bay. In Benin to, it has been found that the non‐availability of the Pendjari Park for tourism
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would risk destruction of the future possibility of its development. In India too, the idea of
formation of National Parks and Nature Reserves, and their opening to tourists, has gained
tremendous acceptability with the authorities and environmentalists. The large number of such
ʹreserves that have come to be established are maintained to an extent, by the money provided by
tourists and tour operators. For example, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan, the Project Tiger
Reserves throughout the country, and many other protected forests are being financed, solely or
mainly, by the money provided by tourism.
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Q. What is tourism planning?
Ans. Tourism development refers to the growth and maintenance of the tourism industry in a given
locality. And, of course, tourism planning is a very important part of this.
On a basic level, tourism development can be defined as creating strategies and plans to
increase/develop/encourage tourism for a destination. The fundamental reason behind planning
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and implementing strategies for developing the tourism sector is primarily to make money and to
subsequently increase the GDP of a country/area. Tourism development consists of many elements
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including, but not limited to: developing and managing private‐public partnerships, assessing the
competitors to gain competitive advantage, ensuring responsible and sustainable development,
viewing tourism as an interconnected system and a demand‐driven sector, assessing private sector
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investment and international cooperation, tourism clustering and involvement by the Government.
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Basic stages in tourism development planning: Tourism development planning is no simple task
and there are many variables to consider. There are also different levels of tourism planning and
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policy. Fortunately, destinations can learn lessons from other areas which have been successful or
otherwise. Take for example, over dependence on tourism in Egypt as I explain in this post‐ Why
Unpaid Business is Better than No Business: The Case of the Egyptian Boatman. It is also
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worthwhile to look at the tourism policies of similar destinations. Some strong examples include
Jamaica and Cape Town: On a basic level, the main stages in tourism development planning
include: the analysis of previous tourist development; evaluation of the position of tourism in the
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area including competition; formulation of relevant tourism policy by Government; the defining of
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a development strategy and the formation of a programme of action.
The benefits of tourism development
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Tourism development planning enables a range of benefits to all stakeholders involved, for
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example:
 It increases income and jobs from tourist spending
 It helps preserve cultural and natural heritage for tourists
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 It increases understanding of other cultures
 It builds new facilities such as sewage for whole communities or new roads
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Q. Elaborate Sustainable Development?
Ans. Sustainable development represents an opportunity to construct a new approach, and the
success of these efforts has powerful implications for issues of peace and security.
The term ‘Sustainable development’, in place of ‘development’ is now being increasingly used by
scholars. It has become a major topic of discussion among all the social scientists, social
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organisations, statesmen and leaders. The industrial‐technological and economic development

registered by the humankind during the past 100 years has not proved to be a real development in
so far as it has created imbalances in the environment as well as among nations.
Degradation of environment, resulting from unprincipled and excessive exploitation of the
resources of our planet earth, has threatened to negate, and in fact has already adversely affected
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the development registered by various societies. Undoubtedly, industrial and infrastructural
projects are means for development. In the past, the utility and feasibility of such projects used to be
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determined only in terms of economic gains. The term ‘Sustainable’ stands for sustainability and it
represents an approach to development which is concerned with such fundamental human
concerns like poverty, environment, equality, democracy, development and peace. The link
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between development and peace is now realized.
Meeting the basic needs of poor communities holds the promise of eliminating many types of
situations which favour the outbreak of violence and wars. Not development, but sustainable
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development alone can contribute to or benefit the process of conflict‐resolution and to the need to
check and prevent armed conflicts. In 1992, the concept was formalized at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development and since then it has become a part of the
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vocabulary of governmental, inter‐ governmental, and non‐governmental institutions in practically
all languages. The United Nations has an International Commission for Sustainable Development
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which meets each year, with representatives from all the countries of the world.
The World Bank has a Vice‐President for Environmentally Sustainable Development. The
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governments of many countries have established national commissions for sustainable
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development. International business leaders have created a Business Commission on Sustainable
Development, with representation at the regional and global levels. International development
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agencies now actively promote development projects which pursue sustainability. The international
community as a whole has now accepted the need for sustainable development instead of mere
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development. Sustainable development represents an opportunity to construct a new approach, and
the success of these efforts has powerful implications for issues of peace and security. In February
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2001, the Tata Energy Research Institute organised the first Sustainable Development Summit in
New Delhi. It was attended by environmentalists from all parts of the world. It fully endorsed the
call for adopting and pursuing the goal of sustainable development.
This concept of Sustainable Development as such has come to be accepted as an important objective
(a value) by the new emerging international order. The world needs sustainable development as
without it there can be no real and enduring development. Industrial and technological
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development should be secured in such a way as should not in any way disturb the ecology of
environmental and the socio‐economic cultural life of the people.
Eco‐friendly technologies and not only technologies should be developed. We must work out the
future cost of our present development. In no way should our present be permitted to destroy our
future in the name of development. Sustainable Development must be accepted as the value and no
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one should be permitted either to ignore it or to misuse it for practising hegemony and exploitation.
The concept of sustainable development, although had appeared in the 1970s, was widely
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disseminated in the early 1980s by the ‘World Conservation Strategy’ (IUCN, UNE’P and WWF,
1980), which called for the maintenance of essential ecological processes; the preservation of
biodiversity; and sustainable use of species and ecosystems.
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The Brundtland Report, Our Common Future (World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987), placed it on the world’s political agenda and helped re‐kindle public interest in
the environment. It also spread the message that global environmental management was needed;
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and that without a reduction of poverty, ecosystem damage would be difficult to counter. Twenty
years after the ‘World Conservation Strategy’ the same three bodies published ‘Caring for the Earth’
(IUCN, UNEP and WWF, 1991), which proposed principles intended to help move from theory to
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practice. The concept of sustainable development was introduced in early 1980’s (in particular
through the publication of the World Conservation Strategy by IUCN, UNEP and WWF, 1980), in
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order to reconcile conservation and development objectives. Since then, it has evoked much
discussion. The aim of sustainable development is to balance our economic, environmental and
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social needs, allowing prosperity for now and future generations. Sustainable development consists
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of a long‐term, integrated approach to developing and achieving a healthy community by jointly
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addressing economic, environmental, and social issues, whilst avoiding the over consumption of
key natural resources. Sustainable development encourages us to conserve and enhance our
resource base, by gradually changing the ways in which we develop and use technologies.
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Countries must be allowed to meet their basic needs of employment, food, energy, water and
sanitation. If this is to be done in a sustainable manner, then there is a definite need for a sustainable
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level of population. Economic growth should be supported and developing nations should be
allowed a growth of equal quality to the developed nations. There are four objectives of sustainable
development:
These include social progress and equality, environmental protection, conservation of natural
resources and stable economic growth. Everybody has the right to a healthy, clean and safe
environment. Everybody has the right to a healthy, clean and safe environment.
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This can be achieved by reducing pollution, poverty, poor housing and unemployment. No one, in
this age, or in the future should be treated unfairly. Global environmental threats, such as climate
change and poor air quality must be reduced to protect human and environmental health. The use
of non‐‐renewable resources such as fossil fuels should not be stopped overnight, but they must be
used efficiently and the development of alternatives should be encouraged to help phase them out.
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Everybody has the right to a good standard of living, with better job opportunities. Economic
prosperity is required if our country is to prosper and our businesses must therefore offer a high
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standard of products that consumers throughout the world want, at the prices they are prepared to
pay. For this, we need a workforce equipped with suitable skills and education within a framework
to support them.
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Q. What is the biosphere?
Ans. Biosphere, relatively thin life‐supporting stratum of Earth’s surface, extending from a few
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kilometres into the atmosphere to the deep‐sea vents of the ocean. The biosphere is a global
ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they
derive energy and nutrients. Before the coming of life, Earth was a bleak place, a rocky globe with
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shallow seas and a thin band of gases—largely carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, molecular
nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and water vapour. It was a hostile and barren planet. This strictly
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inorganic state of the Earth is called the geosphere; it consists of the lithosphere (the rock and soil),
the hydrosphere (the water), and the atmosphere (the air). Energy from the Sun relentlessly
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bombarded the surface of the primitive Earth, and in time—millions of years—chemical and
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physical actions produced the first evidence of life: formless, jellylike blobs that could collect energy
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from the environment and produce more of their own kind. This generation of life in the thin outer
layer of the geosphere established what is called the biosphere, the “zone of life,” an energy‐
diverting skin that uses the matter of the Earth to make living substance.
hr
The biosphere is a system characterized by the continuous cycling of matter and an accompanying
flow of solar energy in which certain large molecules and cells are self‐reproducing. Water is a
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major predisposing factor, for all life depends on it. The elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,
oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, when combined as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic
acids, provide the building blocks, the fuel, and the direction for the creation of life. Energy flow is
required to maintain the structure of organisms by the formation and splitting of phosphate bonds.
Organisms are cellular in nature and always contain some sort of enclosing membrane structure,
and all have nucleic acids that store and transmit genetic information. All life on Earth depends
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ultimately upon green plants, as well as upon water. Plants utilize sunlight in a process called
photosynthesis to produce the food upon which animals feed and to provide, as a by‐product,
oxygen, which most animals require for respiration. At first, the oceans and the lands were teeming
with large numbers of a few kinds of simple single‐celled organisms, but slowly plants and animals
of increasing complexity evolved. Interrelationships developed so that certain plants grew in
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association with certain other plants, and animals associated with the plants and with one another
to form communities of organisms, including those of forests, grasslands, deserts, dunes, bogs,
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rivers, and lakes. Living communities and their nonliving environment are inseparably interrelated
and constantly interact upon each other. For convenience, any segment of the landscape that
includes the biotic and abiotic components is called an ecosystem. A lake is an ecosystem when it is
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considered in totality as not just water but also nutrients, climate, and all of the life contained
within it. A given forest, meadow, or river is likewise an ecosystem. One ecosystem grades into
another along zones termed ecotones, where a mixture of plant and animal species from the two
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ecosystems occurs. A forest considered as an ecosystem is not simply a stand of trees but is a
complex of soil, air, and water, of climate and minerals, of bacteria, viruses, fungi, grasses, herbs,
and trees, of insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Stated another way, the abiotic, or
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nonliving, portion of each ecosystem in the biosphere includes the flow of energy, nutrients, water,
and gases and the concentrations of organic and inorganic substances in the environment. The
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biotic, or living, portion includes three general categories of organisms based on their methods of

acquiring energy: the primary producers, largely green plants; the consumers, which include all the
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animals; and the decomposers, which include the microorganisms that break down the remains of
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plants and animals into simpler components for recycling in the biosphere. Aquatic ecosystems are
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those involving marine environments and freshwater environments on the land. Terrestrial
ecosystems are those based on major vegetational types, such as forest, grassland, desert, and
tundra. Particular kinds of animals are associated with each such plant province. Ecosystems may
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be further subdivided into smaller biotic units called communities. Examples of communities
include the organisms in a stand of pine trees, on a coral reef, and in a cave, a valley, a lake, or a
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stream. The major consideration in the community is the living component, the organisms; the
abiotic factors of the environment are excluded.
A community is a collection of species populations. In a stand of pines, there may be many species
of insects, of birds, of mammals, each a separate breeding unit but each dependent on the others for
its continued existence. A species, furthermore, is composed of individuals, single functioning units
identifiable as organisms. Beyond this level, the units of the biosphere are those of the organism:
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organ systems composed of organs, organs of tissues, tissues of cells, cells of molecules, and
molecules of atomic elements and energy. The progression, therefore, proceeding upward from
atoms and energy, is toward fewer units, larger and more complex in pattern, at each successive
level. This article focuses on the makeup of the biosphere and examines the relationships between
its principal components, including man. The characteristics and dynamics of biological
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populations and communities are dealt with, as are the interactions that constitute the primary
stabilizing links among the constituent organisms. Due attention is also given to the distribution
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patterns of these biotic units and to the processes that produced such patterns. The major aquatic
and terrestrial ecosystems of the Earth are treated in some detail. Other points include energy
transformations and transfers within the biosphere and the cyclic flow of materials needed for life.
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For the development, methodology, and applications of the study of interrelations of organisms
with their environment and each other, see ecology. Further treatment of the various aquatic and
terrestrial environments is provided in ocean, lake, river, continental landform, Arctic, and
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Antarctica. For a discussion of the origin of life on Earth and the varieties of and commonalities
among organisms, see life and Earth, pregeologic history of. The characteristics and classifications
of living organisms are covered in detail in algae, amphibian, angiosperm, animal, annelid,
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arachnid, arthropod, aschelminth, bacteria, bird, bryophyte, chordate, cnidarian, crustacean,

dinosaur, echinoderm, fern, fish, flatworm, fungus, gymnosperm, insect, lamp shell, mammal,
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mollusk, moss animal, plant, protist, protozoa, reptile, sponge, and virus.

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Q. What is Ecotourism?
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Ans. Ecotourism (also called sustainable tourism) can be defined by a variety of travel practices, but
it all comes down to a general set of ideas. As an eco‐tourism, you decide to travel in a way that
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shows respect to nature and does not contribute to its degradation. Additionally, ecotourism is a
part of environmental conservation, and understanding what the needs of the people are who are
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local to the area so that you can help to improve their quality of life. It also involves learning more
about the history of other cities and preserving the historical landmarks. When we think of the joys
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that come with the adventures of traveling, we often envision exciting trips to beautiful places fit for
a perfect photograph, unique foods you won’t find at home, and encounters with people who are
much different from those we are accustomed to. Tourism allows us to do more than just learn facts
about various locations. It allows us to immerse ourselves into the cultures and lifestyles of others
and leaves lasting impressions that aren’t likely to be forgotten.
Ecotourism is valuable for people and the Planet: The rewards that come with the newness and
the satisfying learning experiences of travel are irreplaceable, and these benefits can be enhanced
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through ecotourism. As an eco‐tourism, you travel with more than personal satisfaction in mind.
You help the planet and you enable people to lead a more fulfilling life.
Local communities, especially those that do not thrive by industrial means, could benefit greatly
from tourists who respect their lands while providing additional funding. In unspoilt regions, we
are offered a touring experience that reminds us of nature’s enchanting qualities and we are
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commonly introduced to welcoming residents.
Sustainable tourism is a learning experience for everyone involved
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The more that we know about a place, our love and admiration grows and inspires us to protect it.
Tour guides and hosts are educated on a deeper level in order to share knowledge with visitors
while tourists come to appreciate the beauty of new surroundings. Adding to the visual appeal is
.
the new perspective that comes with learning the historical and environmental significance of
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unfamiliar lands and buildings. As we explore unknown places with a spirit of curiosity and
kindness, we begin important discussions with locals and other visitors. Through their stories, we
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have an inside view of what the needs and desires of the people are.
Unfortunately, tourists are viewed by some as rude visitors who create inconveniences for
residents. Locals are often annoyed by the increased traffic, unreasonable demands and the inability
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of tourists to understand and respect the cultural expectations and dress codes.
When you meet people as you travel sustainably, mutual understanding allows all parties involved
to learn about one another. You are able to tell others where you are from and to show them that
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you would like to tour the area without disturbing their way of life or disrespecting their values. By
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showing strangers that you care about their feelings and concerns, they view you as a
representative of your home and as an ally. This creates a sense of unity and cultural sensitivity.
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Ecotourism Promotes Economic Stability: We live in a very diverse world full of eclectic people
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who live off the land and depend on what nature provides. Commercial tourist attractions may be
placed in a specific area, but that doesn’t mean it gives back to these communities. Instead, large
corporations tend to change the way of living for some natives depending on what will be most
hr
profitable. When this happens, locals often relocate and are devastated on both a physical and
emotional level due to the stresses that come with moving. Many of these indigenous cultures have
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been deluded, or destroyed altogether, to set up for tourism, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Traveling to local attractions offers exciting experiences and the funding you provide to these places
is shared amongst the community, contributing to more jobs and a boost in the local economy.
We Become More Sensitive Through Ecotourism: Unfortunately, many of the travel experiences
we take part in do not take into consideration how it affects our planet and the well‐being of people.
There are many popular attractions that are insensitive to the environment and animals. These
places continue to make a large amount of money because many people are unaware of the harm
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and pain it causes, simply viewing it as amusement. On the other hand, lesser known attractions
may not be able to advertise or host a large number of guests at once, but deserve the publicity and
funding to help them move forward. When we visit these places and tell others about the
experience, we are helping to promote eco‐friendly businesses and keep them in operation.
Ecotourism Reduces our Carbon Footprint: When you travel, commuting is a major part of the
m
experience. Some choose to rent cars and drive while others take planes or trains. Commuting is
unavoidable when traveling, but there are adventurous ways to cut back on transport that adds to
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pollution in the air. While on a trip, explore guided areas that offer tours on foot. Have fun
discovering the unique types of shared transportation that each city provides, such as trolleys and
hybrid buses that offer comfortable means of travel for tourists and locals.
.
Animals Suffer When We Don’t Travel Sustainably: Small companies are working to save species
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from extinctions and monetary support helps them in this mission. At many major attractions,
animals are unfairly caged or forced to participate in performances that cause them stress and
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discomfort. Instead of paying to view animals in captivity, go sightseeing to see them at play in
their natural habitats. There are also hiking trails waiting to be explored that offer colorful views of
nature and close encounters with diverse species.
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Planning to Travel Sustainably is Easier Than Ever Before: Tourism is amongst, if not the, most
popular industry in the world. The less sustainably we travel, the more we allow for destructive
habits that negatively impact the environment. For example, there are large amounts of litter and
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waste often left behind when a large number of people congregate at events that do not encourage
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the use of recycling bins, contributing greatly to pollution.
Because of its ability to attract and connect people, travel can be especially powerful as a way to
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preserve the environment instead. Proper planning and research allow tourists to find eco‐friendly
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alternatives that are enjoyable for both solo travellers and families. There are lots of online tools and
travel companies that can help you to book incredible experiences that are kind to the environment.
With so many advancements in technology, you can easily plan your own trips to various
hr
destinations in a short amount of time if a travel consultant isn’t a desirable option.

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Q. What do you understand by conservation?
Ans. Conservationʹs goals include protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring
habitats, enhancing ecosystem services and protecting biological diversity. A range of values
underlie conservation, which can be guided by biocentrism, anthropocentrism, ecocentrism and
sentientism. There has recently been a movement towards evidence‐based conservation which calls
for greater use of scientific evidence to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts.
Conservation goals include conserve habitat, preventing deforestation, halting species extinction,
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reducing overfishing and mitigating climate change. Different philosophical outlooks guide
conservationists towards the and different goals.
The principal value underlying many expressions of the conservation ethic is that the natural world
has intrinsic and intangible worth along with utilitarian value – a view carried forward by parts of
the scientific conservation movement and some of the older Romantic schools of ecology
m
movement. Philosophers have attached intrinsic value to different aspects of nature, whether this is
individual organisms (biocentrism) or ecological wholes such as species or ecosystems (ecoholism).
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More utilitarian schools of conservation have an anthropocentric outlook and seek a proper
valuation of local and global impacts of human activity upon nature in their effect upon human
wellbeing, now and to posterity. How such values are assessed and exchanged among people
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determines the social, political, and personal restraints and imperatives by which conservation is
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practiced. This is a view common in the modern environmental movement. There is increasing
interest in extending the responsibility for human wellbeing to include the welfare of sentient
animals. Branches of conservation ethics focusing on sentient creatures include ecofeminism and
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compassionate conservation.
In the United States of America, the year 1864 saw the publication of two books which laid the
foundation for Romantic and Utilitarian conservation traditions in America. The posthumous
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publication of Henry David Thoreauʹs Walden established the grandeur of unspoiled nature as a
citadel to nourish the spirit of man. From George Perkins Marsh a very different book, Man and
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Nature, later subtitled ʺThe Earth as Modified by Human Actionʺ, catalogued his observations of
man exhausting and altering the land from which his sustenance derives.
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The consumer conservation ethic is sometimes expressed by the four Rʹs: ʺ Rethink, Reduce,
Recycle, Repairʺ This social ethic primarily relates to local purchasing, moral purchasing, the
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sustained, and efficient use of renewable resources, the moderation of destructive use of finite
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resources, and the prevention of harm to common resources such as air and water quality, the
natural functions of a living earth, and cultural values in a built environment. Distinct trends exist
hr
regarding conservation development. While many countriesʹ efforts to preserve species and their
habitats have been government‐led, those in the North Western Europe tended to arise out of the
middle‐class and aristocratic interest in natural history, expressed at the level of the individual and
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the national, regional or local learned society. Thus countries like Britain, the Netherlands,
Germany, etc. had what we would today term non‐governmental organizations – in the shape of the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, National Trust and County Naturalistsʹ Trusts (dating back
to 1889, 1895 and 1912 respectively) Natuurmonumenten, Provincial Conservation Trusts for each
Dutch province, Vogelbescherming, etc. – a long time before there were national parks and national
nature reserves. This in part reflects the absence of wilderness areas in heavily cultivated Europe, as
well as a longstanding interest in laissez‐faire government in some countries, like the UK, leaving it
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as no coincidence that John Muir, the Scottish‐born founder of the National Park movement (and
hence of government‐sponsored conservation) did his sterling work in the USA, where he was the
motor force behind the establishment of such national parks as Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Nowadays, officially more than 10 percent of the world is legally protected in some way or the
other, and in practice, private fundraising is insufficient to pay for the effective management of so
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much land with protective status. Protected areas in developing countries, where probably as many
as 70–80 percent of the species of the world live, still enjoy very little effective management and
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protection. Some countries, such as Mexico, have non‐profit civil organizations and landowners
dedicated to protecting vast private property, such is the case of Hacienda Chechen’s Maya Jungle
Reserve and Bird Refuge in Chichen Itza, Yucatán. The Adopt A Ranger Foundation has calculated
.
that worldwide about 140,000 rangers are needed for the protected areas in developing and
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transition countries. There are no data on how many rangers are employed at the moment, but
probably less than half the protected areas in developing and transition countries have any rangers
at all and those that have them are at least 50% short This means that there would be a worldwide
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ranger deficit of 105,000 rangers in the developing and transition countries. Adopt A Ranger, fears
that the ranger deficit is the greatest single limiting factor in effectively conserving nature in 75% of
the world. Currently, no conservation organization or western country or international organization
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addresses this problem. Adopt A Ranger has been incorporated to draw worldwide public attention
to the most urgent problem that conservation is facing in developing and transition countries:
protected areas without field staff. Very specifically, it will contribute to solving the problem by
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fundraising to finance rangers in the field. It will also help governments in developing and
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transition countries to assess realistic staffing needs and staffing strategies.
Others, including Survival International, have advocated instead for cooperation with local tribal
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peoples, who are natural allies of the conservation movement and can provide cost‐effective
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protection. The terms conservation and preservation are frequently conflated outside the academic,
scientific, and professional kinds of literature. The US National Park Service offers the following
explanation of the important ways in which these two terms represent very different conceptions of
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environmental protection ethics:
″Conservation and preservation are closely linked and may indeed seem to mean the same thing.
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Both terms involve a degree of protection, but how that protection is carried out is the key
difference. Conservation is generally associated with the protection of natural resources, while
preservation is associated with the protection of buildings, objects, and landscapes. Put simply,
conservation seeks the proper use of nature, while preservation seeks protection of nature from use.
During the environmental movement of the early 20th century, two opposing factions emerged:
conservationists and preservationists. Conservationists sought to regulate human use while
preservationists sought to eliminate human impact altogether. ″
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Guess Paper‐III
Q. Elaborate the ecosystem?
m
Ans. An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as
weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life. Ecosystems contain biotic or living,
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parts, as well as abiotic factors, or non‐living parts. Biotic factors include plants, animals, and other
organisms. Abiotic factors include rocks, temperature, and humidity.
Every factor in an ecosystem depends on every other factor, either directly or indirectly. A change
.
in the temperature of an ecosystem will often affect what plants will grow there, for instance.
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Animals that depend on plants for food and shelter will have to adapt to the changes, move to
another ecosystem, or perish. Ecosystems can be very large or very small. Tide pools, the ponds left
by the ocean as the tide goes out, are complete, tiny ecosystems. Tide pools contain seaweed, a kind
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of algae, which uses photosynthesis to create food. Herbivores such as abalone eat the seaweed.
Carnivores such as sea stars eat other animals in the tide pool, such as clams or mussels. Tide pools
depend on the changing level of ocean water. Some organisms, such as seaweed, thrive in an
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aquatic environment, when the tide is in and the pool is full. Other organisms, such as hermit crabs,
cannot live underwater and depend on the shallow pools left by low tides. In this way, the biotic
parts of the ecosystem depend on abiotic factors. The whole surface of Earth is a series of connected
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ecosystems. Ecosystems are often connected in a larger biome. Biomes are large sections of land,
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sea, or atmosphere. Forests, ponds, reefs, and tundra are all types of biomes, for example. Theyʹre
organized very generally, based on the types of plants and animals that live in them. Within each
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forest, each pond, each reef, or each section of tundra, youʹll find many different ecosystems.
ic
The biome of the Sahara Desert, for instance, includes a wide variety of ecosystems. The arid
climate and hot weather characterize the biome. Within the Sahara are oasis ecosystems, which have
date palm trees, freshwater, and animals such as crocodiles. The Sahara also has dune ecosystems,
hr
with the changing landscape determined by the wind. Organisms in these ecosystems, such as
snakes or scorpions, must be able to survive in sand dunes for long periods of time. The Sahara
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even includes a marine environment, where the Atlantic Ocean creates cool fogs on the Northwest
African coast. Shrubs and animals that feed on small trees, such as goats, live in this Sahara
ecosystem. Even similar‐sounding biomes could have completely different ecosystems. The biome
of the Sahara Desert, for instance, is very different from the biome of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia
and China. The Gobi is a cold desert, with frequent snowfall and freezing temperatures. Unlike the
Sahara, the Gobi has ecosystems based not in sand, but kilometres of bare rock. Some grasses are
able to grow in the cold, dry climate. As a result, these Gobi ecosystems have grazing animals such
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as gazelles and even takhi, an endangered species of wild horse. Even the cold desert ecosystems of
the Gobi are distinct from the freezing desert ecosystems of Antarctica. Antarctica’s thick ice sheet
covers a continent made almost entirely of dry, bare rock. Only a few mosses grow in this desert
ecosystem, supporting only a few birds, such as skuas.
Threats to Ecosystems: For thousands of years, people have interacted with ecosystems. Many
m
cultures developed around nearby ecosystems. Many Native American tribes of North Americas
Great Plains developed a complex lifestyle based on the native plants and animals of plains
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ecosystems, for instance. Bison, a large grazing animal native to the Great Plains, became the most
important biotic factor in many Plains Indians cultures, such as the Lakota or Kiowa. Bison are
sometimes mistakenly called buffalo. These tribes used buffalo hides for shelter and clothing,
.
buffalo meat for food, and buffalo horn for tools. The tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains supported
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bison herds, which tribes followed throughout the year. As human populations have grown,
however, people have overtaken many ecosystems. The tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains, for
instance, became farmland. As the ecosystem shrunk, fewer bison could survive. Today, a few herds
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survive in protected ecosystems such as Yellowstone National Park.
In the tropical rain forest ecosystems surrounding the Amazon River in South America, a similar
situation is taking place. The Amazon rain forest includes hundreds of ecosystems, including
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canopies, understories, and forest floors. These ecosystems support vast food webs.
Canopies are ecosystems at the top of the rainforest, where tall, thin trees such as figs grow in
search of sunlight. Canopy ecosystems also include other plants, called epiphytes, which grow
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directly on branches. Understory ecosystems exist under the canopy. They are darker and more
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humid than canopies. Animals such as monkeys live in understory ecosystems, eating fruits from

trees as well as smaller animals like beetles. Forest floor ecosystems support a wide variety of
h
flowers, which are fed on by insects like butterflies. Butterflies, in turn, provide food for animals
ic
such as spiders in forest floor ecosystems. Human activity threatens all these rain forest ecosystems
in the Amazon. Thousands of acres of land are cleared for farmland, housing, and industry.
Countries of the Amazon rain forest, such as Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador, are underdeveloped.
hr
Cutting down trees to make room for crops such as soy and corn benefits many poor farmers. These
resources give them a reliable source of income and food. Children may be able to attend school,
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and families are able to afford better health care. However, the destruction of rain forest ecosystems
has its costs. Many modern medicines have been developed from rain forest plants. Curare, a
muscle relaxant, and quinine, used to treat malaria, are just two of these medicines. Many scientists
worry that destroying the rain forest ecosystem may prevent more medicines from being
developed. The rain forest ecosystems also make poor farmland. Unlike the rich soils of the Great
Plains, where people destroyed the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, Amazon rain forest soil is thin and
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has few nutrients. Only a few seasons of crops may grow before all the nutrients are absorbed. The
farmer or agribusiness must move on to the next patch of land, leaving an empty ecosystem behind.
Rebounding Ecosystems: Ecosystems can recover from destruction, however. The delicate coral
reef ecosystems in the South Pacific are at risk due to rising ocean temperatures and decreased
salinity. Corals bleach, or lose their bright colors, in water that is too warm. They die in water that
m
isnt salty enough. Without the reef structure, the ecosystem collapses. Organisms such as algae,
plants such as seagrass, and animals such as fish, snakes, and shrimp disappear. Most coral reef
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ecosystems will bounce back from collapse. As ocean temperature cools and retains more salt, the
brightly coloured corals return. Slowly, they build reefs. Algae, plants, and animals also return.
Individual people, cultures, and governments are working to preserve ecosystems that are
.
important to them. The government of Ecuador, for instance, recognizes ecosystem rights in the
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countrys constitution. The so‐called Rights of Nature says Nature or Pachamama [Earth], where life
is reproduced and exists, has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles,
structure, functions and its processes in evolution. Every person, people, community or nationality,
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will be able to demand the recognitions of rights for nature before the public bodies. Ecuador is
home not only to rain forest ecosystems, but also river ecosystems and the remarkable ecosystems
on the Galapagos Islands.
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Q. Elaborate the components of ecosystem?
k
Ans. There are four basic components of an ecosystem: abiotic substances, producers, consumers,
and reducers, which are also known as decomposers.
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Abiotic Substances: Abiotic means that a substance is devoid of life, it is physical and not derived
from living organisms. With that being said, abiotic components include things such as carbon
h
dioxide, sunlight, temperature, precipitation, water or moisture, soil, water chemistry etc. These
ic
components can be divided into two different groups: organic and inorganic. Abiotic substances can
greatly affect an ecosystem. In fact, if one factor is changed even slightly, it can cause a disturbance.
hr
Producers: Producers, which are also referred to as autotrophs, are organisms that produce complex
organic compounds from simple substances present in an ecosystem. This is completed using
abiotic components, such as energy from sunlight. Examples of producers in an ecosystem include
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bacteria, algae or other green plants. Their ultimate responsibility in an ecosystem is to capture
energy from non‐organic sources, and then store them for future use.
Consumers: Consumers, which are also known as heterotrophs, are organisms that cannot fix
carbon from non‐organic sources, so instead, they eat other living organisms. Several animals fall
into this category, such as herbivores (organisms that consume plants) and carnivores (organisms
that eat other animals). Consumers are an essential component of any ecosystem.
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Decomposers: Decomposers can also be known as reducers. This is because these heterotrophic
organisms break down dead animals and waste matter. Prime examples of decomposers include
fungi and certain bacteria species. They are critical to any ecosystem. In fact, an ecosystem could not
function very long without the presence of reducers. Without them, ecosystems would be littered
with dead organisms.
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Q. “Some of the practices, habits and leisure activities of the colonial settlers brought about
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significant changes in the environment of the mountains. ” Explain.
Ans.
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Q. “Resistance to the mainstream approach and its consequences is growing in every part of the
country”. Explain.
Ans.
m
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.
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Q. What is the multiplier effect in tourism?
hr
Ans. Tourism not only creates jobs in the tertiary sector, it also encourages growth in the primary
and secondary sectors of industry. This is known as the multiplier effect which in its simplest form
S
is how many times money spent by a tourist circulates through a countryʹs economy.
Money spent in a hotel helps to create jobs directly in the hotel, but it also creates jobs indirectly
elsewhere in the economy. The hotel, for example, has to buy food from local farmers, who may
spend some of this money on fertiliser or clothes. The demand for local products increases as
tourists often buy souvenirs, which increases secondary employment.
The multiplier effect continues until the money eventually ʹleaksʹ from the economy through
imports ‐ the purchase of goods from other countries.
24

m
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Q. Write short notes on the followings in about 300 words each:
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(a) Functions and importance of wetlands
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(b) Condition of Adventure sports in India
Ans. (a) Functions and importance of wetlands
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They are particularly valuable components of the ecosystem. Much of this stems from their habitat
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for fish and wildlife, as well as for protecting water quality, erosion prevention, flood storage and
recreation. Their cleansing power provides natural pollution control and the way they filter and
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collect sediment from runoff water helps prevent mud from clogging lakes and reservoirs
downstream. Wetlands help slow water flows, reducing downstream soil erosion. Some wetlands,
particularly those on floodplains and in coastal areas, function in aiding flood control by storing
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excess water during storm events. Many wetlands temporarily store water, allowing it to percolate
into the ground or evaporate. This can reduce peak flooding after a storm.
Wetlands shelter and feed thousands of different plants and animals, including many that are
threatened and endangered. Nine of Nebraskaʹs eleven federal endangered and threatened species
use wetlands. They also provide important winter cover for pheasants and other upland wildlife.
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The ecological diversity of wetlands offers one of the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing
features of any landscape.
(b) Condition of Adventure sports in India
Man being terrestrial by nature, the idea of flying high and diving deep in the blues has always held
tremendous fascination for mankind. This intriguing wish has given birth to adventure sports. The
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adventure sports mania has recently rooted in the Indian scenario. Young generations always have
a liking for adventures. They are always on the lookout for experiences that will get their pulsations
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racing. And an adventure sport caters to this very need for adrenaline surge. Additional to this, the
rising Indian GDP gives substantial money in the hands of younger generations to splurge on such
nerve wrecking outings. All these reasons have added to the growing popularity of adventure
.
sports in India. India is blessed with a variety of geographic features and thus it provides as an ideal
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abode for all kinds of adventure sports. With a crowning glory of Himalayas on top and a number
of rivers flowing through, Trekking, Rafting is possible. Being surrounded by sea extensively, there
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is a lot of scope for scuba diving, parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing etc. Kayaking Or Rafting
White‐water rafting is a recent attraction for tourist in the north. Indian rivers flowing through the
snow clad Himalayan peaks provide ample scope for rafting. These river beds being rocky it gives a
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turbulent flow to the river waters and hence it makes the rafting experience here, an unforgettable
one. Some of the rivers where rafting is possible in India are Ganges (Rishikesh),
Indus(Leh),Tista(Sikkim), Beas(Kullus)
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Trekking: Indian Himalayas provide a vast potential for trekking. Lot of professional trekking
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expeditions are conducted throughout the year. Trekking is an amazing experience. Apart from the
climbing adventure it also inculcates patience and tolerance amongst the participants, most of the
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Himalayan trekking expeditions are long duration and it involves surviving in basic and at times
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adverse conditions. Almost every state in India has one or more , small or big hill and hence small
scale trekking can be enjoying in almost every part of India. Trekking lovers can find trekking
groups in their respective localities and enjoy in their leisure days.
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Jet Skiing: Jet Skiing has gained a lot of popularity since it has been featured in quite a few movies
in the recent past. It is one sport synonymous with Goa. Many beaches at Goa offer jet skiing. It is a
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smooth ride but can be quite an adventure if the sea water is at unrest. Beginners are accompanied
by guides who manage the controls. It is similar to going double‐seat on a bike.
Water Skiing/ Wind surfing: Wind surfing is one of the extreme sport for adventure lovers.
Extreme because it is one person against the whole sea. It is an experience on the surfaces of the
deepest seas and hence safety is the most major concern in water skiing. One can enjoy this sport in
Goa. However it is not as common as jet skiing and is available only at select resorts in Goa with
private beaches. Thus it comes quite heavy on the pocket.
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Bungee jumping: It the most popular adventure sport especially in the metropolitan cities of India.
It involves a free fall from a height while your body is suspended from a height by means of secure
ropes. The height of fall could vary from 120 to 700 feet. A good thing about it is that no special
climatic or geographical conditions are required and so it can be enjoyed anytime and anywhere.
All major cities in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Goa provide
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bungee jumping facilities.
Para‐gliding & para‐sailing: These two activities are the safest amongst the lot. There is no special
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skill required for it; just instructions to be followed. It is the thrill involved that makes it an
adventure. The basic difference between the two is that parasailing is done on coastal lines where
the parachute lands on the boat and in paragliding one has to dive from a high point, may be a hill
.
top. Billing,Kullu,Solang, Lahaul&Spitil, Nainital, DayaraBugyal, Garhwal, Kumaon, Jaipur,
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Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Matheran (Maharashtra) are common para‐gliding places in
India. Para‐sailing is available at Goa and Kerala. The adventure sports rates at Goa are bargain able
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especially if visited during non‐ rush time (off‐season).
Scuba diving: Those with real love for the ocean and who have a zeal to explore the deepest
mysteries of the marine world, for them scuba diving is a treat. It is an adventure for some while for
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others it is a means to study the ocean floor, the marine life, coral reefs, and ship wreck remains etc.
A variant of this activity is snorkelling; difference is in the equipments and skills. Both these
activities can be done at Andaman, Nicobar Islands as well as Lakshadweep islands. Though the
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cost for these is high as per Indian norms, it is the cheapest deal offered here throughout the world.
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Hence a lot of foreigners are seen rushing to these sites for this lifetime experience.
Ice Skiing: It is common in European countries with snow peaks. It is very much new in India.
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Uttaranchal is possibly the only place in India where Skiing is done. The Government of India is
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making efforts to improve upon this particular activity.

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Shrichakradhar.

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biotic, or living, portion includes three general categories of organisms based on their methods of

arachnid, arthropod, aschelminth, bacteria, bird, bryophyte, chordate, cnidarian, crustacean,

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