Environment and Ecology

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 Ecosystem Contents
• CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM
• STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF AN ECOSYSTEM
• PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERS
• ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM
• ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
• FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL
PYRAMIDS
• ECOSYSTEMS
– Forest ecosystem
– Grassland ecosystem
– Desert ecosystem
– Aquatic ecosystems
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 Ecosystem
• An ‘Ecosystem’ is a region with a specific and recognizable
landscape form such as forest, grassland, desert, wetland or
coastal area.
• The nature of the ecosystem is based on its geographical features
such as hills, mountains, plains, rivers, lakes, coastal areas or
islands.
• It is also controlled by climatic conditions such as the amount of
sunlight, the temperature and the rainfall in the region.
• The geographical, climatic and soil characteristics form its non-
living (abiotic) component.
• These features create conditions that support a community of
plants and animals that evolution has produced to live in these
specific conditions.
• The living part of the ecosystem is referred to as its biotic
component. 3
 Ecosystem
• Ecosystems are divided into
– Terrestrial or land based ecosystems and
– Aquatic ecosystems in water
• These form the two major habitat conditions for the
Earth’s living organisms.
• All the living organisms in an area live in
communities of plants and animals. They interact
with their non-living environment, and with each
other at different points in time for a large number of
reasons.

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 Ecosystem
• At a global level the thin skin of the earth on the land, the sea
and the air, forms the biosphere (जीवमंडल) (the part of the
earth’s surface and atmosphere in which plants and animals
can live).
• At a sub-global level, this is divided into geographical realms
– Eurasia called the Palaearctic realm;
– South and South-East Asia (of which India forms a major
part) is the Oriental realm;
– North America is the Nearctic realm;
– South America forms the Neotropical realm;
– Africa the Ethiopian realm; and
– Australia the Australian realm

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 Ecosystem
• At a national or state level, this forms biogeographic regions.
• There are several distinctive geographical regions
• In India-
– The Himalayas,
– The Gangetic Plains,
– The Highlands of Central India,
– The Western and Eastern Ghats,
– The semi-arid desert in the West,
– The Deccan Plateau,
– The Coastal Belts, and
– The Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

https://www.excellup.com/classnine/sstnine/physicalfeature.aspx 6
 Ecosystem
• Local level, each area has several structurally and functionally
identifiable ecosystems such as different types of forests,
grasslands, river catchments, mangrove swamps in deltas,
seashores, islands, etc.
• Ecosystems have both non-living and living components that
are typical to an area giving it its own special characteristics
that are easily observed.
• Ecosystem: The living community of plants and animals in
any area together with the non-living components of the
environment such as soil, air and water, constitute the
ecosystem

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 Ecosystem
• Some ecosystems are fairly robust and are less affected by a
certain level of human disturbance.
• Others are highly fragile and are quickly destroyed by human
activities.
– Mountain ecosystems (are extremely fragile as degradation of
forest cover leads to severe erosion of soil and changes in river
courses).
– Island ecosystems are easily affected by any form of human
activity which can lead to the rapid extinction of several of
their unique species of plants and animals.
– Evergreen forests and coral reefs are also examples of species
rich fragile ecosystems which must be protected against a
variety of human activities that lead to their degradation.
– River and wetland ecosystems can be seriously affected by
pollution and changes in surrounding land-use.
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 Ecosystem

• Natural ecosystems include the forests, grasslands,

deserts, and aquatic ecosystems such as ponds, rivers,
lakes, and the sea.
• Man modified ecosystems include agricultural land
and urban or industrial land use patterns
• Each ecosystem has a set of common features that can
be observed in the field

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 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/environment/ecosystem/ecosystems-concept- 10
structure-and-functions-of-ecosystems-with-diagram/28211
 Ecosystem
• Nonliving Components
– Water
– Various Inorganic substances
– Organic compounds
– Climatic conditions (Related to the amount of
sunlight)
• Rainfall and temperature
• Living components

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 Ecosystem
Living Components of plants
• Small bacteria, which live in
air, water and soil,
• Algae which live in fresh and
salt water,
• Terrestrial plants which range
from grasses and herbs that
grow after the monsoon every
year,
• The giant long-lived trees of http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/pond
the forest _plants_are_a_vital_part_of_a_balanc
ed_aquatic_ecosystem

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 Aquatic Plants

https://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Farm-Pond-Management-Vegetation-Control.aspx
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http://5thgrademirobriga.blogspot.com/2018/02/aquatic-ecosystems.html
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 Ecosystem
Components that make up the structural aspects of
an ecosystem include:
• Inorganic aspects – C, N, CO2, H2O.
• Organic compounds – Protein, Carbohydrates, Lipids
– link abiotic to biotic aspects.
• Climatic regimes – Temperature, Moisture, Light &
Topography.
• Producers – Plants.
• Macro consumers – Phagotrophs – Large animals.
• Micro consumers – Saprotrophs, absorbers – fungi
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 Ecosystem – Functional Aspects

• Energy cycles.
• Food chains.
• Diversity-inter-linkages between organisms.
• Nutrient cycles-biogeochemical cycles.
• Evolution.

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 Ecosystem – Living organisms

• The plants convert energy from sunlight into organic matter

for their growth. They thus function as producers in the
ecosystem.
• The living component of the animal world ranges from
microscopic animals, to small insects and the larger animals
such as fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals.
• Man is just one of the 1.8 million species of plants and
animals that inhabit the earth.
• Plants are the producers, as they manufacture their food by
using energy from the sun. In the forest these form
communities of plant life.
• In the sea these include tiny algal forms to large seaweed.
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 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND
DECOMPOSERS

• Every living organism is in some way dependent

on other organisms. Plants are food for
herbivorous (शाकाहारी) animals which are in turn
food for carnivorous (माां साहारी) animals.
• Thus there are different tropic levels in the
ecosystem.
• Some organisms such as fungi live only on dead
material and inorganic matter.

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 Primary Consumers
• The herbivorous animals are primary consumers as they live on
the producers. In a forest, these are the insects, amphibia (an
animal that can live both on land and in water e.g. Frogs,
Toads), reptiles (e.g. snake), birds and mammals.
• The herbivorous animals include for example hare, deer and
elephants that live on plant life. They graze on grass or feed on
the foliage from trees.
• In grasslands, there are herbivores such as the blackbuck that
feed on grass.
• In the semiarid areas, there are species such as the chinkara or
Indian gazelle.
• In the sea, there are small fish that live on algae and other
plants.

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 Primary Consumers

• Eat Sugar
based food

• Eat fruits

• Eat Grass

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 Secondary Consumers

• Carnivorous animals, or Secondary consumers, which

live on herbivorous animals.
– e.g. Tigers, Leopards, Jackals, Foxes and Small Wild
Cats
• In the sea, carnivorous fish live on other fish and marine
animals.
• Animals that live in the sea range in size from
microscopic forms to giant mammals such as the whale.

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 Decomposers or Detrivores
• A group of organisms consisting of small animals like worms, insects,
bacteria and fungi, which break down dead organic material into smaller
particles and finally into simpler substances that are used by plants as
nutrition.
• Decomposition thus is a vital function in nature, as without this, all the
nutrients would be tied up in dead matter and no new life could be
produced.

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 ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM

• Every ecosystem has several interrelated mechanisms that

affect human life. These are the water cycle, the carbon
cycle, the oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle and the energy
cycle.
• While every ecosystem is controlled by these cycles, in each
ecosystem its abiotic and biotic features are distinct from each
other.
• All the functions of the ecosystem are in some way related to
the growth and regeneration of its plant and animal species.
These linked processes can be depicted as the various cycles.
These processes depend on energy from sunlight.

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• During photosynthesis carbon dioxide is taken up by plants
and oxygen is released.
• Animals depend on this oxygen for their respiration.
• The water cycle depends on the rainfall, which is necessary for
plants and animals to live.
• The energy cycle recycles nutrients into the soil on which
plant life grows. Our own lives are closely linked to the proper
functioning of these cycles of life. If human activities go on
altering them, humanity cannot survive on our earth.

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 Water Cycle
• When it rains, the water runs along the ground and flows into
rivers or falls directly into the sea.
• A part of the rainwater that falls on land percolates into the
ground. This is stored underground throughout the rest of the
year. Water is drawn up from the ground by plants along with
the nutrients from the soil. The water is transpired from the
leaves as water vapour and returned to the atmosphere.
• As it is lighter than air, water vapour rises and forms clouds.
Winds blow the clouds for long distances and when the clouds
rise higher, the vapour condenses and changes into droplets,
which fall on the land as rain.

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 Water Cycle

• Though this is an endless cycle on which life depends, man’s

activities are making drastic changes in the atmosphere
through pollution which is altering rainfall patterns.
• This is leading to prolonged drought periods extending over
years in countries such as Africa, while causing floods in
countries such as the US.
• El Nino storms due to these effects have devastated many
places in the last few years.

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 Water Cycle

https://sciencestruck.com/water-cycle-project-ideas 27
 Carbon Cycle

• The carbon, which occurs in organic compounds, is included

in both the abiotic and biotic parts of the ecosystem.
• Carbon is a building block of both plant and animal tissues.
• In the atmosphere, carbon occurs as carbon dioxide (CO2).
• In the presence of sunlight, plants take up carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere through their leaves.
• The plants combine carbon dioxide with water, which is
absorbed by their roots from the soil. In the presence of
sunlight they are able to form carbohydrates that contain
carbon. This process is known as photosynthesis.

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 Carbon Cycle
• Plants use this complex mechanism for their growth and
development.
• In this process, plants release oxygen into the atmosphere on which
animals depend for their respiration.
• Plants therefore help in regulating and monitoring the percentage of
Oxygen and Carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere.
• All of mankind thus depends on the oxygen generated through this
cycle. It also keeps the CO2 at acceptable levels.
• Herbivorous animals feed on plant material, which is used by them
for energy and for their growth. Both plants and animals release
carbon dioxide during respiration. They also return fixed carbon to
the soil in the waste they excrete.
• When plants and animals die they return their carbon to the soil.
These processes complete the carbon cycle.

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 Carbon Cycle

https://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles6.htm 30
 Oxygen Cycle

• Oxygen is taken up by plants and animals from the air during

respiration.
• The plants return oxygen to the atmosphere during
photosynthesis. This links the Oxygen Cycle to the Carbon
Cycle.
• Deforestation is likely to gradually reduce the oxygen levels in
our atmosphere.
• Thus plant life plays an important role in our lives which we
frequently do not appreciate. This is an important reason to
participate in afforestation programs.

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https://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/oxygen_cycle.php
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 Nitrogen Cycle
• Carnivorous animals feed on herbivorous animals that live on
plants.
• When animals defecate, this waste material is broken down by
worms and insects mostly beetles and ants. These small ‘soil
animals’ break the waste material into smaller bits on which
microscopic bacteria and fungi can act.
• This material is thus broken down further into nutrients that
plants can absorb and use for their growth.
• Thus nutrients are recycled back from animals to plants.
Similarly the bodies of dead animals are also broken down into
nutrients that are used by the plants for their growth. Thus the
nitrogen cycle on which life is dependent is completed.

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 Nitrogen Cycle

https://biologywise.com/nitrogen-cycle-steps 34
 Energy Cycle
• The energy cycle is based on the flow of energy through the
ecosystem. Energy from sunlight is converted by plants
themselves into growing new plant material which includes
leaves, flowers, fruit, branches, trunks and roots of plants.
• Since plants can grow by converting the sun’s energy directly
into their tissues, they are known as producers in the
ecosystem.
• The plants are used by herbivorous animals as food, which
gives them energy. A large part of this energy is used up for
day to day functions of these animals such as breathing,
digesting food, supporting growth of tissues, maintaining
blood flow and body temperature.

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 Energy Cycle
• Energy is also used for activities such as looking for food,
finding shelter, breeding and bringing up young ones.
• The carnivores in turn depend on herbivorous animals on
which they feed.
• Thus the different plant and animal species are linked to one
another through food chains.
• Each food chain has three or four links. However as each plant
or animal can be linked to several other plants or animals
through many different linkages, these inter-linked chains can
be depicted as a complex food web.
• This is thus called the ‘web of life’ that shows that there are
thousands of interrelationships in nature.

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 Energy Cycle

• The energy in the ecosystem can be depicted in the form of a

food pyramid or energy pyramid. The food pyramid has a
large base of plants called ‘producers’.
• The pyramid has a narrower middle section that depicts the
number and biomass of herbivorous animals, which are called
‘first order consumers’.
• The apex depicts the small biomass of carnivorous animals
called ‘second order consumers’.
• Man is one of the animals at the apex of the pyramid. Thus to
support mankind, there must be a large base of herbivorous
animals and an even greater quantity of plant material

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_pyramid#/media/File:Ecological_Pyramid.svg
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 Energy Cycle
• When plants and animals die,
this material is returned to the
soil after being broken down
into simpler substances by
decomposers such as insects,
worms, bacteria and fungi so
that plants can absorb the
nutrients through their roots.
• Animals excrete waste products
after digesting food, which
goes back to the soil. This links
the energy cycle to the Nitrogen
cycle.

https://www.ck12.org/earth-science/flow-of-
matter-in-ecosystems/lesson/Flow-of-Matter-
in-Ecosystems-MS-ES/
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 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

• Ecological succession is a process through which

ecosystems tend to change over a period of time.
• Succession can be related to seasonal environmental
changes, which create changes in the community of plants
and animals living in the ecosystem.
• Other successional events may take much longer periods of
time extending to several decades. If a forest is cleared, it is
initially colonized by a certain group of species of plants
and animals, which gradually change through an orderly
process of community development.

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 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
• One can predict that an opened up area will gradually be
converted into a grassland, a shrub land and finally a woodland
and a forest if permitted to do so without human interference.
• There is a tendency for succession to produce a more or less
stable state at the end of the successional stages. Developmental
stages in the ecosystem thus consist of a pioneer stage, a series
of changes known as seral stages, and finally a climax stage.
• The most frequent example of successional changes occur in a
pond ecosystem where it fluctuates from a dry terrestrial habitat
to the early colonisation stage by small aquatic species after the
monsoon, which gradually passes through to a mature aquatic
ecosystem, and then reverts back to its dry stage in summer
where its aquatic life remains dormant.

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 Food Chains

• The most obvious aspect of nature is that energy must pass

from one living organism to another.
• When herbivorous animals feed on plants, energy is
transferred from plants to animals. In an ecosystem, some of
the animals feed on other living organisms, while some feed
on dead organic matter. At each linkage in the chain, a major
part of the energy from the food is lost for daily activities.
• Each chain usually has only four to five such links. However a
single species may be linked to a large number of species.

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https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/intro-to-
ecosystems/a/food-chains-food-webs 43
 Food Webs

• In an ecosystem there are a very large number of

interlinked chains. This forms a food web. If the
linkages in the chains that make up the web of life
are disrupted due to human activities that lead to
the loss or extinction of species, the web breaks
down.

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https://www.difference.wiki/food-chain-vs-food-web/

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 The ecological pyramids
• In an ecosystem, green plants – the producers, utilize energy
directly from sunlight and convert it into matter. A large
number of these organisms form the most basic, or first ‘tropic
level’ of the food pyramid.
• The herbivorous animals that eat plants are at the second
trophic level and are called primary consumers. The predators
that feed on them form the third trophic level and are known as
secondary consumers.
• Only a few animals form the third trophic level consisting of
carnivores at the apex of the food pyramid. This is how energy
is used by living creatures and flows through the ecosystem
from its base to the apex. Much of the energy is used up in
activities of each living organism
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https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRhQ241LrIui9m84sIThX7fGUNeAvRCQgOKU31VeK6qys-viI6B
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 Aquatic Food Pyramid

https://www.tynker.com/programming-for-kids/explore/life-science/ocean-food-
chain-pyramid-1lwk.html 48
 Types of Ecosystem

• Terrestrial • Aquatic
– Forest • Pond
– Grass land • Lake
– Semi arid areas • Wetland
– Deserts • River
– Mountains • Delta
– Islands • Marine

1. What is the nature of the ecosystem? What is its structure and its functions?
2. Who uses the ecosystem and for what purpose?
3. How are these ecosystems degraded?
4. What can be done to protect it from deteriorating in the long-term? How can
the ecosystem be conserved?
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 Ecosystem Goods and Services

• Direct Values
– Consumptive use value: Non-Market, Fruit, food, firewood
etc. (Collect from surroundings)
– Productive use value: Timber, fish, medicinal plants etc.
• Indirect Values
– Non-consumptive: Scientific research, bird watching, eco
tourism
– Option: Maintaining options for future.
• Existence Values
• Ethical and Emotional aspects of the existence wildlife and nature

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 Forest ecosystem

• Forests are formed by a community of plants which is

predominantly structurally defined by its trees, shrubs,
climbers and ground cover.
• Natural vegetation looks vastly different from a group of
planted trees, which are in orderly rows. The most ‘natural’
undisturbed forests are located mainly in our National Parks
and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• The landscapes that make up various types of forests look very
different from each other.
• Their distinctive appearance is a fascinating aspect of nature.
Each forest type forms a habitat for a specific community of
animals that are adapted to live in it
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 Forest Ecosystem

• Abiotic Aspects
– Hill
– Mountain
– River valley
– Temperature
– Latitude and longitude of the location of the forest
• Biotic Aspects
– Large and microscopic plants and animals
– Plants include
• Trees, shrubs, climbers, grasses and herbs
– Animals include
• Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects and other invertribrates

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 Forest Types in India

• The forest type depends upon the abiotic factors such as

climate and soil characteristics of a region.
• Forests in India can be broadly divided into Coniferous forests
and Broadleaved forests
• They can also be classified according to the nature of their tree
species – evergreen, deciduous, xerophytic or thorn trees,
mangroves, etc.
• They can also be classified according to the most abundant
species of trees such as Sal or Teak forests. In many cases a
forest is named after the first three or four most abundant tree
species.

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 Coniferous forests

• Coniferous forests grow in the Himalayan mountain region,

where the temperatures are low.
• These forests have tall stately trees with needle like leaves and
downward sloping branches so that the snow can slip off the
branches.

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 Evergreen Forests

• Evergreen plants shed a few of their leaves throughout the

year.
• There is no dry leafless phase as in a deciduous forest. An
evergreen forest thus looks green throughout the year.
• The trees overlap with each other to form a continuous canopy.
• Very little light penetrates down to the forest floor. Only a few
shade giving plants can grow in the ground layer in areas
where some light filters down from the closed canopy.
• The forest is rich in orchids and ferns.
• The barks of the trees are covered in moss. The forest abounds
in animal life and is most rich in insect life.

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 Evergreen Forests

• Evergreen forests grow in the high rainfall areas of the

Western Ghats, North Eastern India and the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.

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https://www.tutorialspoint.com/geography/images/natural_vegetation.jpg
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 Deciduous Forests

• Deciduous forests are found in regions with a moderate

amount of seasonal rainfall that lasts for only a few months.
• Most of the forests in which Teak trees grow are of this type.
The deciduous trees shed their leaves during the winter and hot
summer months.
• March or April they regain their fresh leaves just before the
monsoon, when they grow vigorously in response to the rains.
• There are periods of leaf fall and canopy regrowth. The forest
frequently has a thick undergrowth as light can penetrate easily
onto the forest floor.

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 Deciduous Forests

https://gardenerdy.com/deciduous-forest-plants

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 Thorn Forests

• Thorn forests are found in the semi- arid regions of India. The
trees, which are sparsely distributed, are surrounded by open
grassy areas. Thorny plants are called xerophytic species and
are
• able to conserve water. Some of these trees have small leaves,
while other species have thick, waxy leaves to reduce water
losses during transpiration.
• Thorn forest trees have long or fibrous roots to reach water at
great depths. Many of these plants have thorns, which reduce
water loss and protect them from herbivores.

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 Thorn Forests

https://forests.gujarat.gov.in/forest-type.htm

https://alchetron.com/Thorn-forest

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 Mangrove forests

• Mangrove forests grow along the coast especially in the river

deltas.
• These plants are able to grow in a mix of saline and fresh
water. They grow luxuriantly in muddy areas covered with silt
that the rivers have brought down.
• The mangrove trees have breathing roots that emerge from the
mudbanks.

http://www.chowrangi.pk/mangroves-forests.html
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 Broadleaved Forests

• Broadleaved forests have several types, such as evergreen

forests, deciduous forests, thorn forests, and mangrove forests.
• Broadleaved forests have large leaves of various shapes

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-ancient-protected-sub-mediterranean-broad-
63
leaved-deciduous-forest-35244467.html
64
 Forest Research
• Forest Research Institute

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 Forest Products
Direct uses of forest products Indirect uses of forest products
• Fruits – mango, jamun, awla • Building material for construction
• Roots – Dioscoria and furniture for the urban sector
• Medicine – Gloriosa, Foxglove • Medicinal products collected and
• Fuelwood – many species of processed into drugs
trees and shrubs Small timber • Gums and resins processed into a
for building huts and houses
variety of products
• Wood for farm implements
• Raw material for industrial
• Bamboo and cane for baskets
products and chemicals
• Grass for grazing and stall
feeding livestock • Paper from bamboo and
softwoods

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 Threats to forest ecosystem

• As forests grow very slowly, we cannot use more resources

than they can produce during a growing season.
• If timber is felled beyond a certain limit the forest cannot
regenerate. The gaps in the forest change the habitat quality for
its animals.
• The more sensitive species cannot survive under these changed
conditions.
• We are now creating more and more goods that are
manufactured from raw material from the forest.
• This leads to forest degradation and finally changes the
ecosystem into wasteland. Wood is illegally extracted from
many forests leading to a highly disturbed ecosystem.

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 Threats to forest ecosystem
• Developmental activities such as rapid population growth together
with, urbanisation, industrialisation and the increasing use of
consumer goods, leads to over utilisation of forest produce.
• Forests are shrinking as our need for agricultural land increases. It
is estimated that India’s forest cover has decreased from about 33%
to 11% in the last century.
• The increasing use of wood for timber, wood pulp for paper and the
extensive use of fuel wood results in continual forest loss.
• Forests are also lost by mining and building dams. As the forest
resources are exploited beyond what they can produce the forest
canopy is opened up, the ecosystem is degraded, and its wildlife is
seriously threatened. As the forest is fragmented into small patches
its wild plant and animal species become extinct. These can never
be brought back. Extinction is forever.

68
 If Forest disappear?
• Tribal people who depend directly on them for food and fuel
wood and other products find it very difficult to survive.
• Agricultural people do not get enough fuel wood, small timber,
etc. for making houses and farm implements.
• Urban people who depend on food from agricultural areas,
which in turn depend on neighbouring forest ecosystems have
to pay a higher price for food as human population grows.
• Insects that live and breed in the forest such as bees, butterflies
and moths decrease in abundance once forests are degraded.
• This leads to a decrease in agricultural yields as the insects
cannot pollinate to agriculture fruits and crops

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 How Forest can be conserved?

• We can conserve forests only if we use its resources carefully.

This can be done by using alternate sources of energy instead
of fuel wood.
• There is a need to grow more trees than are cut down from
forests every year for timber. Afforestation needs to be done
continuously from which fuel wood and timber can be
judiciously used.
• The natural forests with all their diverse species must be
protected as National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries where all
the plants and animals can be preserved.

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 Grassland Ecosystem

• Grasslands cover areas where rainfall is usually low and/or the

soil depth and quality is poor.
• The low rainfall prevents the growth of a large number of trees
and shrubs, but is sufficient to support the growth of grass
cover during the monsoon.
• Many of the grasses and other small herbs become dry and the
part above the ground dies during the summer months. In the
next monsoon the grass cover grows back from the root stock
and the seeds of the previous year.
• This change gives grasslands a highly seasonal appearance
with periods of increased growth followed by a dormant phase.

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 Grassland Ecosystem

• A variety of grasses, herbs, and several species of insects,

birds and mammals have evolved so that they are adapted to
these wide-open grass covered areas.
• These animals are able to live in conditions where food is
plentiful after the rains, so that they can store this as fat that
they use during the dry period when there is very little to eat.
• Man began to use these grasslands as pastures to feed his
livestock when he began to domesticate animals and became a
pastoralist in ancient times.

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 Grassland Types in India

• Grasslands form a variety of ecosystems that are located in

different climatic conditions ranging from near desert
conditions, to patches of shola grasslands that occur on
hillslopes alongside the extremely moist evergreen forests in
South India.
• In the Himalayan mountains there are the high cold Himalayan
pastures.
• There are tracts of tall elephant grass in the low-lying Terai
belt south of the Himalayan foothills.
• There are semi-arid grasslands in Western India, parts of
Central India, and in the Deccan Plateau.

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 Himalayan pasture belt
• The Himalayan pasture belt extends upto the snowline. The
grasslands at a lower level form patches along with coniferous
or broadleaved forests.
• Himalayan wildlife require both the forest and the grassland
ecosystem as important parts of their habitat. The animals
migrate up into the high altitude grasslands in summer and
move down into the forest in winter when the snow covers the
grassland.
• These Himalayan pastures have a large variety of grasses and
herbs. Himalayan hill slopes are covered with thousands of
colourful flowering plants. There are also a large number of
medicinal plants.

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• The Terai consists of patches of tall grasslands interspersed with a
Sal forest ecosystem. The patches of tall elephant grass, which
grows to a height of about five meters, are located in the low-lying
waterlogged areas.
• The Sal forest patches cover the elevated regions and the Himalayan
foothills. The Terai also includes marshes in low-lying depressions.
This ecosystem extends as a belt south of the Himalayan foothills.
• The Semi-arid plains of Western India, Central India and the
Deccan are covered by grassland tracts with patches of thorn forest.
• Several mammals such as the wolf, the blackbuck, the chinkara, and
birds such as the bustards and floricans are adapted to these arid
conditions.
• The Scrublands of the Deccan Plateau are covered with seasonal
grasses and herbs on which its fauna is dependent. It is teaming with
insect life on which the insectivorous birds feed.

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• The Shola grasslands consist of patches on hillslopes along
with the Shola forests on the Western Ghats, Nilgiri and
Annamalai ranges.
• This forms a patchwork of grassland on the slopes and forest
habitats along the streams and low lying areas.
• Grasslands are not restricted only to low rainfall areas. Certain
grassland types form when clearings are made in different
forest types. Some are located on the higher steep hill slopes
with patches of forest that occur along the streams and in
depressions. The grasslands are related to repeated fires
that do not permit the forest to grow.

https://resilienceofagrassland.weebly.com/pre
-lab-questions.html
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 Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands

• The Terai-Duar savanna and

grasslands is a narrow
lowland ecoregion at the base of
the Himalayas, about 25 km (16 mi)
wide, and a continuation of
the Gangetic Plain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terai-
Duar_savanna_and_grasslands
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 Uses of Grass Lands

• Grasslands are the grazing areas of many rural communities. Farmers

who keep cattle or goats, as well as shepherds who keep sheep, are highly
dependent on grasslands. Domestic animals are grazed in the ‘common’
land of the village. Fodder is collected and stored to feed cattle when there
is no grass left for them to graze in summer.
• Grass is also used to hatch houses and farm sheds. The thorny bushes
and branches of the few trees that are seen in grasslands are used as a major
source of fuel wood.
• Overgrazing by huge herds of domestic livestock has degraded many
grasslands. Grasslands have diverse species of insects that pollinate
crops.
• There are also predators of these insects such as the small mammals like
shrews, reptiles like lizards, birds of prey, and amphibia such as frogs and
toads. All these carnivorous animals help to control insect pests in
adjoining agricultural lands.
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 Threats to grassland ecosystems
• Overutilization and changes in landuse of the ‘common
grazing lands’ of rural communities has lead to their
degradation.
• The grassland cover in the country in terms of permanent
pastures now covers only 3.7 percent of land. A major threat to
natural grasslands is the conversion of grasslands into irrigated
farmlands.
• In the Deccan, grasslands have been altered to irrigated farms
and are now mainly used to grow sugarcane. After continuous
irrigation such land becomes saline and useless in a few years.
More recently many of these residual grassland tracts have
been converted into industrial areas. This provides short-term
economic gains but result in long-term economic and
ecological losses.
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 Threats to grassland ecosystems

• Most grassland ecosystems are highly modified by human

activities. Cattle, sheep and goat grazing, and lighting repeated
fires affects grasslands adversely. Changing the grasslands to
other forms of landuse such as agriculture, tree plantations and
industrialisation forms a serious threat to this highly productive
ecosystem. Thus some of the grassland patches which are in a
less disturbed state and have retained their special plants and
animals need to be urgently protected.
• Degradation of grasslands due to over grazing by cattle, sheep
and goats occurs if more than a critical number of domestic
animals are present in the grasslands. When animals overgraze
the area, the grasses are converted into flat stubs with very little
green matter.
• Degraded grasslands have fewer grass species as the nutritious
species are entirely used up by the large number of domestic
animals. They are thus unable to regenerate

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 Grass land species

• Many of the grassland species have disappeared from several

parts of India in which they were found 50 or 60 years ago.
The Cheetah is extinct in India. The Wolf is now highly
threatened.
• Blackbuck and chinkara are poached for meat.
• Birds such as the beautiful Great Indian Bustards are
vanishing. Unless grassland species are protected they will
vanish from their shrinking habitat, as natural and undisturbed
grasslands are left in very few locations. If these animals and
birds are killed or their habitat is reduced further, their
extinction will rapidly follow.

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 If Grassland Disappear
• If our grasslands are lost we will lose a highly specialised
ecosystem in which plants and animals have been adapted to
these habitat conditions over millions of years.
• Local people will not be able to support their livestock herds.
• The extinction of species is a great loss to Mankind.
• The genes of wild grasses are extremely useful for developing
new crop varieties. New medicines could well be discovered
from wild grassland plants. It is possible that genes from wild
herbivores such as wild sheep, goats and antelopes may be
used for developing new strains of domestic animals.

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How can grassland ecosystems be conserved?

• Grasslands should not be overgrazed and areas of the grasslands should

be closed for grazing.
• It is better to collect grass for stall feeding cattle. A part of the grassland
in an area must be closed every year so that a rotational grazing pattern is
established. Fires must be prevented and rapidly controlled. In hilly areas
soil and water management in each micro-catchment helps grasslands to
return to a natural highly productive ecosystem.
• To protect the most natural undisturbed grassland ecosystems,
Sanctuaries and National Parks must be created. Their management
should focus on preserving all their unique species of plants and animals.
Thus they should not be converted into plantations of trees. The open
grassland is the habitat of its specialised fauna.
• Planting trees in these areas reduces the natural features of this
ecosystem resulting in the destruction of this unique habitat for wildlife.

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 Protection of grass land
• There is a need to preserve the few natural grassland areas
that still survive by creating National Parks and Wildlife
Sanctuaries in all the different types of grasslands.
• Animals such as the wolf, blackbuck, chinkara and birds
such as bustards and floricans have now become rare all
over the country. They must be carefully protected in the
few National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries that have
natural grassland habitats as well as outside these Protected
Areas.
• We need to create an awareness among people that
grasslands are of great value. If we are all concerned about
our disappearing grasslands and their wonderful wildlife,
the Government will be motivated to protect them.
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 Desert Ecosystem
• Desert and semi arid lands are highly specialised and sensitive
ecosystems that are easily destroyed by human activities. The
species of these dry areas can live only in this specialised habitat.
• Deserts and semi arid areas are located in Western India and the
Deccan Plateau. The climate in these vast tracts is extremely dry.
There are also cold deserts such as in Ladakh, which are located in
the high plateaus of the Himalayas.
• The most typical desert landscape that is seen in Rajasthan is in the
Thar Desert. This has sand dunes. There are also areas covered
with sparse grasses and a few shrubs, which grow if it rains.
• In most areas of the Thar the rainfall is scanty and sporadic. In an
area it may rain only once every few years. In the adjoining semi
arid tract the vegetation consists of a few shrubs and thorny trees
such as kher and babul.
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 Desert Ecosystem

• The Great and Little Rann of Kutch are highly specialised arid
ecosystems. In the summers they are similar to a desert
landscape. As these are low-lying areas near the sea, they get
converted to salt marshes during the monsoons.
• During this period they attract an enormous number of aquatic
birds such as ducks, geese, cranes, storks, etc. The Great Rann
is famous, as it is the only known breeding colony of the
Greater and Lesser Flamingos in our country.
• The Little Rann of Kutch is the only home of the wild ass in
India.

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• Desert and semi arid regions have a number of highly
specialized insects and reptiles. The rare animals include the
Indian wolf, desert cat, desert fox and birds such as the Great
Indian Bustard and the Florican. Some of the commoner birds
include partridges, quails and sandgrouse.

https://www.thinglink.com/scene/971117902134509571
87
 How are desert and semi-arid ecosystems
used?
• Areas of scanty vegetation with semi-arid scrubland have
been used for camel, cattle and goat grazing in Rajasthan
and Gujarat, and for sheep grazing in the Deccan Plateau.
• Areas that have a little moisture, such as along the
watercourses, have been used for growing crops such as
jowar, and bajra. The natural grasses and local varieties of
crops have adapted to growing at very low moisture levels.
These can be used for genetic engineering and developing
arid land crops for the future.

88
 Threats to Desert Ecosystems
• Several types of development strategies as well as human
population growth have begun to affect the natural ecosystem of
the desert and semi arid land.
• Conversion of these lands through extensive irrigation systems has
changed several of the natural characteristics of this region.
• The canal water evaporates rapidly bringing the salts to the surface.
The region becomes highly unproductive as it becomes saline.
• Pulling excessive groudwater from tube wells lowers the water
table creating an even drier environment.
• Thus human activities destroy the naturalness of this unique
ecosystem. The special species that evolved here over millions of
years may soon become extinct.

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 How can desert ecosystems be conserved?

• Desert people have traditionally protected their meagre water

resources.
• The Bishnois in Rajasthan are known to have protected their
Khejdi trees and the blackbuck antelope for several generations.
• The tradition began when the ruler of their region ordered his
army to cut down trees for his own use. Several Bishnois were
said to have been killed while trying to protect their trees.
• There is an urgent need to protect residual patches of this
ecosystem within National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in
desert and semi arid areas. The Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan
is destroying this important natural arid ecosystem, as it will
convert the region into intensive agriculture. In Kutch, areas of
the little Rann, which is the only home of the Wild Ass, will be
destroyed by the spread of salt works.

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 Aquatic Ecosystems

• The aquatic ecosystems constitute the marine environments

of the seas and the fresh water systems in lakes, rivers,
ponds and wetlands.
• These ecosystems provide human beings with a wealth of
natural resources. They provide goods that people collect for
food such as fish and crustaceans. Natural aquatic systems
such as rivers and seas break down chemical and organic
wastes created by man. However, this function has
limitations, as the aquatic ecosystem cannot handle great
quantities of waste. Beyond a certain limit, pollution
destroys this natural function.

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 Aquatic Ecosystems

• If aquatic ecosystems are misused or over utilized, their

ability to provide resources suffers in the long term. Over-
fishing leads to a fall in the fish catch.
• River courses that are changed by dams to provide
electricity affect thousands of people who do not get a
continuous supply of water downstream for their daily use.
• When wetlands are drained, their connected rivers tend to
cause floods.
• These are all examples of unsustainable changes in the use
of natural resources and nature’s ecosystems that are
dependent on hydrological regimes.

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 Aquatic Ecosystems
• In aquatic ecosystems, plants and animals live in water.
These species are adapted to live in different types of
aquatic habitats. The special abiotic features are its physical
aspects such as the quality of the water, which includes its
clarity, salinity, oxygen content and rate of flow.
• Aquatic ecosystems may be classified as being stagnant
ecosystems, or running water ecosystems. The mud gravel
or rocks that form the bed of the aquatic ecosystem alter its
characteristics and influence its plant and animal species
composition. The aquatic ecosystems are classified into
freshwater, brackish and marine ecosystems, which are
based on the salinity levels.

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 Types of Aquatic Ecosystem

• Fresh water ecosystem

– Flowing water
• Streams, rivers
– Still water
• Ponds, wetlands, lakes
• Marine ecosystems
– Brakish water
• Deltas
– Saline water
• Coastal shallow, coral reefs, deep ocean

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 Pond Ecosystem

• There are differences in a pond that is temporary and has

water only in the monsoon, and a larger tank or lake that is
an aquatic ecosystem throughout the year. Most ponds
become dry after the rains are over and are covered by
terrestrial plants for the rest of the year.
• When a pond begins to fill during the rains, its life forms
such as the algae and microscopic animals, aquatic insects,
snails, and worms come out of the floor of the pond where
they have remained dormant in the dry phase. Gradually
more complex animals such as crabs frogs and fish return to
the pond.

95
 https://www.tutorvista.com/
biology/pond-ecosystem-
animals

• Water consists of floating weeds and rooted vegetation on the periphery

which grow on the muddy floor under water and emerge out of the
surface of the water
• Algae is eaten by microscopic animals, which are in turn eaten by small
fish on which larger carnivorous fish depend. These are in turn eaten by
birds such as kingfishers, herons and birds of prey.
• Aquatic insects, worms and snails feed on the waste material excreted by
animals and the dead or decaying plant and animal matter. They act on
the detritus, which is broken down into nutrients which aquatic plants
can absorb, thus completing the nutrient cycle in the pond.
• Animals such as frogs, snails and worms remain dormant in the mud,
awaiting the next monsoon.

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 Lake Ecosystem

• A lake ecosystem functions like a giant permanent pond. A

large amount of its plant material is the algae, which
derives energy from the sun.
• This is transferred to the microscopic animals, which feed
on the algae. There are fish that are herbivorous and are
dependent on algae and aquatic weeds. The small animals
such as snails are used as food by small carnivorous fish,
which in turn are eaten by larger carnivorous fish. Some
specialised fish, such as catfish, feed on the detritus on the
muddy bed of the lake.

97
 Lake Ecosystem

• Energy cycles through the lake ecosystem from the sunlight

that penetrates the water surface to the plants. From plants
energy is transferred to herbivorous animals and carnivores.
Animals excrete waste products, which settle on the bottom
of the lake. This is broken down by small animals that live
in the mud in the floor of the lake.
• This acts as the nutrient material that is used by aquatic
plants for their growth. During this process plants use
Carbon from CO2 for their growth and in the process
release Oxygen. This Oxygen is then used by aquatic
animals, which filter water through their respiratory system.

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 Lake Ecosystem

http://aed.see.uwa.edu.au/research/models/GLM/overview.html
99
 Stream and River ecosystems
• Streams and rivers are flowing water ecosystems in which all the living
forms are specially adapted to different rates of flow. Some plants and
animals such as snails and other burrowing animals can withstand the
rapid flow of the hill streams. Other species of plants and animals such
as water beetles and skaters can live only in slower moving water. Some
species of fish, such as Mahseer, go upstream from rivers to hill streams
for breeding. They need crystal clear water to be able to breed. They lay
eggs only in clear water so that their young can grow successfully.
• As deforestation occurs in the hills the water in the streams that once
flowed throughout the year become seasonal. This leads to flash floods
in the rains and a shortage of water once the streams dry up after the
monsoon.
• The community of flora and fauna of streams and rivers depends on the
clarity, flow and oxygen content as well as the nature of their beds.

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 Stream and River Ecosystem

https://www.indianetzone.com/31/ecological_significance_river_godavari_indian_river.htm

101
 Marine ecosystems
• The Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal
constitute the marine ecosystems around peninsular India. In the
coastal area the sea is shallow while further away, it is deep.
Both these are different ecosystems.
• In this ecosystem, the producers vary from microscopic algae to
large seaweeds. There are millions of zooplankton and a large
variety of invertebrates on which live fish, turtles and marine
mammals.
• The shallow areas near Kutch and around the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands are some of the most incredible coral reefs in the
world. Coral reefs are only second to tropical evergreen forests in
their richness of species. Fish, crustacea, starfish, jellyfish and
the polyps that deposit the coral are a few of the thousands of
species that form this incredible world under the shallow sea.

102
 Marine ecosystems
• Deforestation of adjacent mangroves leads to silt being carried out to sea
where it is deposited on the coral which then dies. There are many different
types of coastal ecosystems which are highly dependent on the tide.

https://www.sciencelearn.o
rg.nz/image_maps/32-
marine-ecosystem

103
 How are aquatic ecosystems used
• Man uses aquatic ecosystems for the clean freshwater on which
his life is completely dependent. We need clean water to drink and
for other domestic uses. Water is essential for agriculture.
Fisherfolk use the aquatic ecosystems to earn a livelihood. People
catch fish and crabs. They also collect edible plants. This is used
locally as food or for sale in the market. Over fishing leads to a
serious decline in the catch and a long-term loss of income for
fisherfolk.
• Agriculture and industry are highly dependent on large quantities
of water.
• Large dams have serious ill effects on natural river ecosystems.
While water from dams used for irrigation has lead to economic
prosperity in some areas, in semiarid areas that are artificially
irrigated the high level of evaporation leads to severe salinisation
as salts are brought up into the surface layers of the soil. This
makes such lands gradually more and more saline and
unproductive.

104
 What are the threats to aquatic ecosystems

https://coyotegulch.blog/2017/03/21/webcast-stormwater-contaminants-of-
emerging-concern-thecwpinc/
105
• Water pollution occurs from sewage and poorly managed solid
waste in urban areas enters the aquatic ecosystem of lakes and
rivers.
• Sewage leads to a process called eutrophication, which destroys
life in the water as the oxygen content is severely reduced. Fish
and crustacea cannot breathe and are killed. A foul odour is
produced. Gradually the natural flora and fauna of the aquatic
ecosystem is destroyed.
• In rural areas the excessive use of fertilisers causes an increase in
nutrients, which leads to eutrophication. Pesticides used in
adjacent fields pollute water and kills off its aquatic animals.
• Chemical pollution from industry kills a large number of life
forms in adjacent aquatic ecosystems.
• Contamination by heavy metals and other toxic chemicals affects
the health of people who live near these areas as they depend on
this water.
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 How can aquatic ecosystems be conserved?

• Water pollution must be prevented

• Changing the nature of the aquatic ecosystem from a
flowing water ecosystem to a static ecosystem destroys its
natural biological diversity.
• Thus dams across rivers decrease the population of species
that require running water, while favouring those that need
standing water.
• Aquatic ecosystems, especially wetlands, need protection by
including them in Sanctuaries or National Parks in the same
way in which we protect natural forests.

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 Reference

• Erach Bharucha, Text book for ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES for

undergraduate courses of all branches of higher education, UGC New Delhi
and Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research,
Pune

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