UNIT 3: Ecosystemsaditi.du.ac.in/uploads/econtent/Chapter3.pdf · UNIT 3: Ecosystems 3.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM 54 3.1.1 Understanding ecosystems 55 3.1.2 Ecosystem degradation 55

53Ecosystems

UNIT 3:Ecosystems

3.13.13.13.13.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEMCONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEMCONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEMCONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEMCONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM 54545454543.1.1 Understanding ecosystems 553.1.2 Ecosystem degradation 553.1.3 Resource utilisation 56

3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEMSTRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEMSTRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEMSTRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEMSTRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM 5656565656

3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERSPRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERSPRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERSPRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERSPRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERS 5757575757

3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEMENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEMENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEMENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEMENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM 58585858583.4.1 The water cycle 583.4.2 The Carbon cycle 593.4.3 The Oxygen cycle 603.4.4 The Nitrogen cycle 603.4.5 The energy cycle 613.4.6 Integration of cycles in nature 62

3.53.53.53.53.5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSIONECOLOGICAL SUCCESSIONECOLOGICAL SUCCESSIONECOLOGICAL SUCCESSIONECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION 6262626262

3.63.63.63.63.6 FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDSFOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDSFOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDSFOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDSFOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS 62626262623.6.1 The food chains 623.6.2 The food webs 633.6.3 The ecological pyramids 63

3.73.73.73.73.7 INTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSINTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSINTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSINTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSINTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS 63636363633.7.1 Forest ecosystem 653.7.2 Grassland ecosystem 703.7.3 Desert ecosystem 743.7.4 Aquatic ecosystems (ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, oceans) 75

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54 Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses

3.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM3.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM3.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM3.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM3.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM

An ‘Ecosystem’ is a region with a specific andrecognizable landscape form such as forest,grassland, desert, wetland or coastal area. Thenature of the ecosystem is based on its geo-graphical features such as hills, mountains,plains, rivers, lakes, coastal areas or islands. It isalso controlled by climatic conditions such as theamount of sunlight, the temperature and therainfall in the region. The geographical, climaticand soil characteristics form its non-living (abi-otic) component. These features create condi-tions that support a community of plants andanimals that evolution has produced to live inthese specific conditions. The living part of theecosystem is referred to as its biotic component.

Ecosystems are divided into terrestrial or land-based ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems inwater. These form the two major habitat condi-tions for the Earth’s living organisms.

All the living organisms in an area live in com-munities of plants and animals. They interactwith their non-living environment, and with eachother at different points in time for a large num-ber of reasons. Life can exist only in a small pro-portion of the earth’s land, water and its atmo-sphere. At a global level the thin skin of the earthon the land, the sea and the air, forms the bio-sphere.

At a sub-global level, this is divided into bio-bio-bio-bio-bio-geographical realms, geographical realms, geographical realms, geographical realms, geographical realms, eg. Eurasia called thepalaeartic realm; South and South-East Asia (ofwhich India forms a major part) is the Orientalrealm; North America is the Nearctic realm;South America forms the Neotropical realm;Africa the Ethiopian realm; and Australia theAustralian realm.

At a national or state level, this forms biogeo-biogeo-biogeo-biogeo-biogeo-graphic regions. graphic regions. graphic regions. graphic regions. graphic regions. There are several distinctivegeographical regions in India- the Himalayas, theGangetic Plains, the Highlands of Central India,

the Western and Eastern Ghats, the semi-ariddesert in the West, the Deccan Plateau, theCoastal Belts, and the Andaman and NicobarIslands. These geographically distinctive areashave plants and animals that have been adaptedto live in each of these regions.

At an even more local level, each area has sev-eral structurally and functionally identifiable eco-eco-eco-eco-eco-systemssystemssystemssystemssystems such as different types of forests, grass-lands, river catchments, mangrove swamps indeltas, seashores, islands, etc. to give only a fewexamples. Here too each of these forms a habi-tat for specific plants and animals.

Ecosystems have been formed on land and inthe sea by evolution that has created species tolive together in a specific region. Thus ecosys-tems have both non-living and living compo-nents that are typical to an area giving it its ownspecial characteristics that are easily observed.

Definition:Definition:Definition:Definition:Definition: The living community of plants andanimals in any area together with the non-liv-ing components of the environment such as soil,air and water, constitute the ecosystem.

Some ecosystems are fairly robust and are lessaffected by a certain level of human disturbance.Others are highly fragile and are quickly de-stroyed by human activities. Mountain ecosys-tems are extremely fragile as degradation offorest cover leads to severe erosion of soil andchanges in river courses. Island ecosystems areeasily affected by any form of human activitywhich can lead to the rapid extinction of sev-eral of their unique species of plants and ani-mals. Evergreen forests and coral reefs are alsoexamples of species rich fragile ecosystemswhich must be protected against a variety ofhuman activities that lead to their degradation.River and wetland ecosystems can be seriouslyaffected by pollution and changes in surround-ing landuse.

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55Ecosystems

3.1.1 Understanding ecosystems3.1.1 Understanding ecosystems3.1.1 Understanding ecosystems3.1.1 Understanding ecosystems3.1.1 Understanding ecosystems

Natural ecosystems include the forests, grass-lands, deserts, and aquatic ecosystems such asponds, rivers, lakes, and the sea. Man modifiedecosystems include agricultural land and urbanor industrial land use patterns.

Each ecosystem has a set of common featuresthat can be observed in the field:

• ‘What does the ecosystem look like?’One should be able to describe specific fea-tures of the different ecosystems in onesown surroundings. Field observations mustbe made in both urban and natural sur-roundings.

• What is its structure?Is it a forest, a grassland, a water body, anagricultural area, a grazing area, an urbanarea, an industrial area, etc.?

What you should see are its different char-acteristics. A forest has layers from theground to the canopy. A pond has differ-ent types of vegetation from the peripheryto its center. The vegetation on a mountainchanges from its base to its summit.

• What is the composition of its plant andanimal species?List the well-known plants and animals youcan see. Document their abundance andnumbers in nature: very common, common,uncommon, rare. Wild mammals will notbe seen in large numbers, cattle would becommon. Some birds are common – whichare the most common species? Insect spe-cies are very common and most abundant.In fact there are so many that they cannotbe easily counted.

• ‘How does the ecosystem work’?The ecosystem functions through severalbiogeochemical cycles and energy transfermechanisms. Observe and document thecomponents of the ecosystem which con-sists of its non-living or abiotic features suchas air, water, climate and soil. Its biotic com-ponents, the various plants and animals.Both these aspects of the ecosystem inter-act with each other through several func-tional aspects to form Nature’s ecosystems.Plants, herbivores and carnivores can beseen to form food chains. All these chainsare joined together to form a ‘web of life’on which man depends. Each of these useenergy that comes from the sun and pow-ers the ecosystem.

3.1.2 Ecosystem degradation3.1.2 Ecosystem degradation3.1.2 Ecosystem degradation3.1.2 Ecosystem degradation3.1.2 Ecosystem degradation

Ecosystems are the basis of life itself! The natu-ral ecosystems in the wilderness provide a vari-ety of products and are regions in which a num-ber of vital ecological processes are present,without which human civilization would not beable to exist.

Ecosystems are however frequently disrupted byhuman actions which lead to the extinction ofspecies of plants and animals that can live onlyin the different natural ecosystems. Some spe-cies if eliminated seriously affect the ecosystem.These are called ‘keystone’ species. Extinctionoccurs due to changes in land use. Forests aredeforested for timber, wetlands are drained tocreate more agricultural land and semi aridgrasslands that are used as pastures are changedinto irrigated fields. Pollution from industry andwaste from urban settings can also lead to ex-tinction of several species.

The reason for the depletion of natural resourcesis twofold – our rapidly exploding populationthat needs to sustain itself on resources, andthe growth of affluent societies, which consume

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and waste a very large proportion of resourcesand energy. Increasing extraction of resourcesis at the cost of natural ecosystems, leading to aderangement of their important functions. Eachof us in our daily lives use a variety of resources.If tracked back to their source, one finds thatthe resources were originally obtained fromnature and natural ecosystems. Our insensitiv-ity to using resources carefully has producedsocieties that nature can no longer sustain. Ifone thinks before wasting resources such as wa-ter, reusing and recycling paper, using less plas-tics that are non-degradable, culminatively thiscan have positive implications on the integrityof our natural resource base and conserve theresources that nature provides.

Ecosystems and man: Every region of our earthhas different ecosystems based on its climaticconditions and geographical feature. There areterrestrial ecosystems on land and aquatic eco-systems in water.

3.1.3 Resource utilisation3.1.3 Resource utilisation3.1.3 Resource utilisation3.1.3 Resource utilisation3.1.3 Resource utilisation

Most traditional societies used their environmentsustainably. Though inequality in resource utili-zation has existed in every society, the numberof individuals that used a large proportion ofresources was extremely limited. In recent timesthe proportion of ‘rich’ people in affluent soci-eties, grew rapidly. Inequality thus became a se-rious problem. Whereas in the past many re-sources such as timber and fuel wood from theforest were extracted sustainably, this patternhas drastically changed during the last century.The economically better off sections began touse greater amounts of forest products, whilethose people who lived in the forest becameincreasingly poor. Similarly the building of largeirrigation projects led to wealth in those areasthat had canals, while those who hand to re-main dependent on a constant supply of waterfrom the river itself, found it difficult to survive.

The key to this issue is the need for an ‘equi-table’ distribution of all types of natural re-sources. A more even sharing of resources withinthe community can reduce these pressures onthe natural ecosystems.

3.2 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN3.2 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN3.2 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN3.2 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN3.2 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF ANECOSYSTEMECOSYSTEMECOSYSTEMECOSYSTEMECOSYSTEM

Structural aspectsStructural aspectsStructural aspectsStructural aspectsStructural aspects

Components that make up the structural as-pects of an ecosystem include:

1) Inorganic aspects – C, N, CO2, H

2O.

2) Organic compounds – Protein, Carbo-hydrates, Lipids – link abiotic to bioticaspects.

3) Climatic regimes – Temperature, Mois-ture, Light & Topography.

4) Producers – Plants.

5) Macro consumers – Phagotrophs – Largeanimals.

6) Micro consumers – Saprotrophs, absorb-ers – fungi.

Functional aspectsFunctional aspectsFunctional aspectsFunctional aspectsFunctional aspects

1) Energy cycles.

2) Food chains.

3) Diversity-interlinkages between organ-isms.

4) Nutrient cycles-biogeochemical cycles.

5) Evolution.

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57Ecosystems

Since each ecosystem has a non-living and a liv-ing part that are linked to each other, one needsto look around us and observe this closely. Thisis an important aspect that is a vital part of ourlives.

The non-living components of an ecosystem arethe amount of water, the various inorganic sub-stances and organic compounds, and climaticconditions such as rainfall and temperature,which depend on geographical conditions andlocation which is also related to the amount ofsunlight. The living organisms in an ecosystemare inseparable from their habitat.

The living component of plant life ranges fromextremely small bacteria, which live in air, wa-ter and soil, algae which live in fresh and saltwater, to the terrestrial plants which range fromgrasses and herbs that grow after the monsoonevery year, to the giant long-lived trees of theforest. The plants convert energy from sunlightinto organic matter for their growth. They thusfunction as producers in the ecosystem. The liv-ing component of the animal world ranges frommicroscopic animals, to small insects and thelarger animals such as fish, amphibia, reptiles,birds and mammals. Man is just one of the 1.8million species of plants and animals that inhabitthe earth.

3.3 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOM-3.3 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOM-3.3 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOM-3.3 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOM-3.3 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOM-POSERSPOSERSPOSERSPOSERSPOSERS

Every living organism is in some way dependenton other organisms. Plantsare food for herbivorous ani-mals which are in turn foodfor carnivorous animals.Thus there are differenttropic levels in the ecosys-tem. Some organisms suchas fungi live only on deadmaterial and inorganic mat-ter.

Plants are the ‘producersproducersproducersproducersproducers’ in the ecosystem asthey manufacture their food by using energyfrom the sun. In the forest these form commu-nities of plant life. In the sea these include tinyalgal forms to large seaweed.

The herbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animals are primary consum-ers as they live on the producers. In a forest,these are the insects, amphibia, reptiles, birdsand mammals. The herbivorous animals includefor example hare, deer and elephants that liveon plant life. They graze on grass or feed on thefoliage from trees. In grasslands, there are her-bivores such as the blackbuck that feed on grass.In the semiarid areas, there are species such asthe chinkara or Indian gazelle. In the sea, there

Herbivores

Nectarivores

Frugivores

Gramnivores

are small fish that live on algae and other plants.

At a higher tropic level, there are carnivorouscarnivorouscarnivorouscarnivorouscarnivorousanimalsanimalsanimalsanimalsanimals, or secondaryconsumers, which liveon herbivorous ani-mals. In our forests,the carnivorous ani-mals are tigers, leop-ards, jackals, foxesand small wild cats. In

Grass

Carnivores

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the sea, carnivorous fish live on other fish andmarine animals. Animals that live in the searange in size from microscopic forms to giantmammals such as the whale.

Decomposers or detrivores Decomposers or detrivores Decomposers or detrivores Decomposers or detrivores Decomposers or detrivores are a group of or-ganisms consisting of small animals like worms,insects, bacteria and fungi, which break downdead organic material into smaller particles andfinally into simpler substances that are used byplants as nutrition. Decomposition thus is a vitalfunction in nature, as without this, all the nutri-ents would be tied up in dead matter and nonew life could be produced.

Most ecosystems are highly complex and con-sist of an extremely large number of individuals

is not widely distributed, it becomes extinct forall time.

3.4 ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM3.4 ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM3.4 ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM3.4 ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM3.4 ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM

Every ecosystem has several interrelated mecha-nisms that affect human life. These are the wa-ter cycle, the carbon cycle, the oxygen cycle,the nitrogen cycle and the energy cycle. Whileevery ecosystem is controlled by these cycles, ineach ecosystem its abiotic and biotic featuresare distinct from each other.

All the functions of the ecosystem are in someway related to the growth and regeneration ofits plant and animal species. These linked pro-

cesses can be depicted as the vari-ous cycles. These processes de-pend on energy from sunlight.During photosynthesis carbon di-oxide is taken up by plants andoxygen is released. Animals de-pend on this oxygen for their res-piration. The water cycle dependson the rainfall, which is necessaryfor plants and animals to live. Theenergy cycle recycles nutrientsinto the soil on which plant lifegrows. Our own lives are closelylinked to the proper functioningof these cycles of life. If human

activities go on altering them, humanity cannotsurvive on our earth.

3.4.1 The Water Cycle3.4.1 The Water Cycle3.4.1 The Water Cycle3.4.1 The Water Cycle3.4.1 The Water Cycle

When it rains, the water runs along the groundand flows into rivers or falls directly into the sea.A part of the rainwater that falls on land perco-lates into the ground. This is stored undergroundthroughout the rest of the year. Water is drawnup from the ground by plants along with thenutrients from the soil. The water is transpiredfrom the leaves as water vapour and returned

of a wide variety of species. In the species-richtropical ecosystems (such as in our country), onlya few species are very common, while most spe-cies have relatively few individuals. Some spe-cies of plants and animals are extremely rareand may occur only at a few locations. Theseare said to be ‘endemic’ to these areas.

When human activities alter the balance in theseecosystems, the “perturbation” leads to thedisappearance of these uncommon species.When this happens to an endemic species that

Detrivores

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59Ecosystems

to the atmosphere. As it is lighter than air, wa-ter vapour rises and forms clouds. Winds blowthe clouds for long distances and when theclouds rise higher, the vapour condenses andchanges into droplets, which fall on the land asrain. Though this is an end-less cycle on which life de-pends, man’s activities aremaking drastic changes inthe atmosphere throughpollution which is alteringrainfall patterns. This isleading to prolongeddrought periods extendingover years in countriessuch as Africa, while caus-ing floods in countries suchas the US. El Nino stormsdue to these effects havedevastated many places inthe last few years.

3.4.2 The Carbon cycle3.4.2 The Carbon cycle3.4.2 The Carbon cycle3.4.2 The Carbon cycle3.4.2 The Carbon cycle

The carbon, which occurs inorganic compounds, is in-cluded in both the abiotic andbiotic parts of the ecosystem.Carbon is a building block ofboth plant and animal tissues.In the atmosphere, carbonoccurs as carbon dioxide(CO

2). In the presence of sun-

light, plants take up carbondioxide from the atmospherethrough their leaves. Theplants combine carbon diox-ide with water, which is ab-sorbed by their roots from thesoil. In the presence of sun-light they are able to form car-bohydrates that contain car-bon. This process is known asphotosynthesis. Plants use thiscomplex mechanism for theirgrowth and development. Inthis process, plants release

oxygen into the atmosphere on which animalsdepend for their respiration. Plants thereforehelp in regulating and monitoring the percent-age of Oxygen and Carbon dioxide in the earth’satmosphere. All of mankind thus depends on

Carbon Cycle

Water Cycle

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the oxygen generated through this cycle. It alsokeeps the CO

2 at acceptable levels.

Herbivorous animals feed on plant material,which is used by them for energy and for theirgrowth. Both plants and animals release carbondioxide during respiration. They also return fixedcarbon to the soil in the waste they excrete.When plants and animals die they return theircarbon to the soil. These processes complete thecarbon cycle.

3.4.4 The Nitrogen Cycle3.4.4 The Nitrogen Cycle3.4.4 The Nitrogen Cycle3.4.4 The Nitrogen Cycle3.4.4 The Nitrogen Cycle

Carnivorous animals feed on herbivorous ani-mals that live on plants. When animals defecate,this waste material is broken down by wormsand insects mostly beetles and ants. These small‘soil animals’ break the waste material intosmaller bits on which microscopic bacteria andfungi can act. This material is thus broken downfurther into nutrients that plants can absorb anduse for their growth. Thus nutrients are recycledback from animals to plants. Similarly the bod-ies of dead animals are also broken down into

nutrients that are used by theplants for their growth. Thusthe nitrogen cycle on whichlife is dependent is com-pleted.

Nitrogen fixing bacteria andfungi in soil gives this impor-tant element to plants, whichabsorb it as nitrates. The ni-trates are a part of the plant’smetabolism, which help informing new plant proteins.This is used by animals thatfeed on the plants. The nitro-gen is then transferred to car-nivorous animals when they

feed on the herbivores. Thus our own lives are

Oxygen Cycle

3.4.3 The Oxygen Cycle3.4.3 The Oxygen Cycle3.4.3 The Oxygen Cycle3.4.3 The Oxygen Cycle3.4.3 The Oxygen Cycle

Oxygen is taken up by plants and ani-mals from the air during respiration.The plants return oxygen to the at-mosphere during photosynthesis. Thislinks the Oxygen Cycle to the CarbonCycle. Deforestation is likely to gradu-ally reduce the oxygen levels in ouratmosphere. Thus plant life plays animportant role in our lives which wefrequently do not appreciate. This isan important reason to participate inafforestation programs.

>

>>

>

>

NitrogenCycle

>

>

>

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61Ecosystems

closely interlinked to soil animals, fungi and evenbacteria in the soil. When we think of food webs,we usually think of the large mammals and otherlarge forms of life. But we need to understandthat it is the unseen small animals, plants andmicroscopic forms of life that are of great valuefor the functioning of the ecosystem.

3.4.5 The Energy Cycle3.4.5 The Energy Cycle3.4.5 The Energy Cycle3.4.5 The Energy Cycle3.4.5 The Energy Cycle

The energy cycle is based on the flow of energythrough the ecosystem. Energy from sunlight isconverted by plants themselves into growingnew plant material which includes leaves, flow-ers, fruit, branches, trunks and roots of plants.

Since plants can grow by converting the sun’senergy directly into their tissues, they are knownas producersproducersproducersproducersproducers in the ecosystem. The plants areused by herbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animals as food, whichgives them energy. A large part of this energy isused up for day to day functions of these ani-mals such as breathing, digesting food, support-ing growth of tissues, maintaining blood flowand body temperature. Energy is also used foractivities such as looking for food, finding shel-ter, breeding and bringing up young ones. Thecarnivorescarnivorescarnivorescarnivorescarnivores in turn depend on herbivorous ani-mals on which they feed. Thus the different plantand animal species are linked to one anotherthrough food chainsfood chainsfood chainsfood chainsfood chains. Each food chain has threeor four links. However as each plant or animal

can be linked to several other plants oranimals through many different link-ages, these inter-linked chains can bedepicted as a complex food webfood webfood webfood webfood web. Thisis thus called the ‘web of life’ that showsthat there are thousands of interrelation-ships in nature.

The energy in the ecosystem can be de-picted in the form of a food pyramid food pyramid food pyramid food pyramid food pyramid orenergy pyramidenergy pyramidenergy pyramidenergy pyramidenergy pyramid. The food pyramid hasa large base of plants called ‘produc-produc-produc-produc-produc-ersersersersers’. The pyramid has a narrower middlesection that depicts the number and bio-mass of herbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animalsherbivorous animals, which arecalled ‘first order consumersfirst order consumersfirst order consumersfirst order consumersfirst order consumers’. The apexdepicts the small biomass of carnivorouscarnivorouscarnivorouscarnivorouscarnivorousanimalsanimalsanimalsanimalsanimals called ‘second order consum-second order consum-second order consum-second order consum-second order consum-ersersersersers’. Man is one of the animals at theapex of the pyramid. Thus to supportmankind, there must be a large base ofherbivorous animals and an even greaterquantity of plant material.

When plants and animals die, this ma-terial is returned to the soil after beingbroken down into simpler substances bydecomposersdecomposersdecomposersdecomposersdecomposers such as insects, worms,bacteria and fungi so that plants canabsorb the nutrients through their roots.Energy Cycle

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Animals excrete waste products after digestingfood, which goes back to the soil. This links theenergy cycle to the Nitrogen cycle.

3.4.6 Integration of cycles in Nature3.4.6 Integration of cycles in Nature3.4.6 Integration of cycles in Nature3.4.6 Integration of cycles in Nature3.4.6 Integration of cycles in Nature

These cycles are a part of global life processes.These biogeochcemical cycles have specific fea-tures in each of the ecosystems. These cyclesare however linked to those of adjacent ecosys-tems. Their characteristics are specific to theplant and animal communities in the region. Thisis related to the geographical features of thearea, the climate and the chemical compositionof the soil. Together the cycles are responsiblefor maintaining life on earth. If mankind disturbsthese cycles beyond the limits that nature cansustain, they will eventually break down and leadto a degraded earth on which man will not beable to survive.

3.5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION3.5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION3.5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION3.5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION3.5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

Ecological succession is a process through whichecosystems tend to change over a period of time.Succession can be related to seasonal environ-mental changes, which create changes in thecommunity of plants and animals living in theecosystem. Other successional events may takemuch longer periods of time extending to sev-eral decades. If a forest is cleared, it is initiallycolonized by a certain group of species of plantsand animals, which gradually change throughan orderly process of community development.One can predict that an opened up area willgradually be converted into a grassland, ashrubland and finally a woodland and a forest ifpermitted to do so without human interference.There is a tendency for succession to produce amore or less stable state at the end of the suc-cessional stages. Developmental stages in theecosystem thus consist of a pioneer stage, aseries of changes known as serel stages, andfinally a climax stage. The successive stages are

related to the way in which energy flowsthrough the biological system. The most fre-quent example of successional changes occurin a pond ecosystem where it fluctuates from adry terrestrial habitat to the early colonisationstage by small aquatic species after the mon-soon, which gradually passes through to a ma-ture aquatic ecosystem, and then reverts backto its dry stage in summer where its aquatic liferemains dormant.

3.6 FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECO-3.6 FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECO-3.6 FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECO-3.6 FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECO-3.6 FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECO-LOGICAL PYRAMIDSLOGICAL PYRAMIDSLOGICAL PYRAMIDSLOGICAL PYRAMIDSLOGICAL PYRAMIDS

The transfer of energy from the source in plantsthrough a series of organisms by eating andbeing eaten constitutes food chains. At eachtransfer, a large proportion of energy is lost inthe form of heat. These food chains are not iso-lated sequences, but are interconnected witheach other. This interlocking pattern is knownas the food web. Each step of the food web iscalled a trophic level. Hence green plants oc-cupy the first level, herbivores the second level,carnivores the third level and secondary carni-vores the fourth level. These trophic levels to-gether form the ecological pyramid.

3.6.1 The food chains3.6.1 The food chains3.6.1 The food chains3.6.1 The food chains3.6.1 The food chains

The most obvious aspect of nature is that en-ergy must pass from one living organism to an-other. When herbivorous animals feed on plants,energy is transferred from plants to animals. Inan ecosystem, some of the animals feed on otherliving organisms, while some feed on dead or-ganic matter. The latter form the ‘detritus’ foodchain. At each linkage in the chain, a major partof the energy from the food is lost for daily ac-tivities. Each chain usually has only four to fivesuch links. However a single species may belinked to a large number of species.

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63Ecosystems

3.6.2 The food webs3.6.2 The food webs3.6.2 The food webs3.6.2 The food webs3.6.2 The food webs

In an ecosystem there are a very large numberof interlinked chains. This forms a food web. Ifthe linkages in the chains that make up the webof life are disrupted due to human activities thatlead to the loss or extinction of species, the webbreaks down.

3.6.3 The ecological pyramids3.6.3 The ecological pyramids3.6.3 The ecological pyramids3.6.3 The ecological pyramids3.6.3 The ecological pyramids

In an ecosystem, green plants – the producers,utilize energy directly from sunlight and convertit into matter. A large number of these organ-isms form the most basic, or first ‘trophic level’of the food pyramid. The herbivorous animalsthat eat plants are at the second trophic level

and are called primary consumers. The preda-tors that feed on them form the third trophiclevel and are known as secondary consumers.Only a few animals form the third trophic levelconsisting of carnivores at the apex of the foodpyramid. This is how energy is used by livingcreatures and flows through the ecosystem fromits base to the apex. Much of the energy is usedup in activities of each living organism.

3.7 INTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERIS-3.7 INTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERIS-3.7 INTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERIS-3.7 INTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERIS-3.7 INTRODUCTION, TYPES, CHARACTERIS-TIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONSTIC FEATURES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

Types of EcosystemsTypes of EcosystemsTypes of EcosystemsTypes of EcosystemsTypes of Ecosystems

Terrestrial EcosystemsTerrestrial EcosystemsTerrestrial EcosystemsTerrestrial EcosystemsTerrestrial Ecosystems Aquatic EcosystemsAquatic EcosystemsAquatic EcosystemsAquatic EcosystemsAquatic Ecosystems

Forest Pond

Grassland Lake

Semi arid areas Wetland

Deserts River

Mountains Delta

Islands Marine

TerrestrialFood Pyramid

AquaticFood Pyramid

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For each of these ecosystems we need to un-derstand 4 basic issues:

1. What is the nature of the ecosystem? Whatis its structure and its functions?

2. Who uses the ecosystem and for what pur-pose?

3. How are these ecosystems degraded?

4. What can be done to protect it from deterio-rating in the long-term? How can the ecosys-tem be conserved?

Ecosystem goods and servicesEcosystem goods and servicesEcosystem goods and servicesEcosystem goods and servicesEcosystem goods and services

Direct Values:Direct Values:Direct Values:Direct Values:Direct Values:These are resources that people depend upondirectly and are easy to quantify in economicterms.

• Consumptive Use Value - Non-marketvalue of fruit, fodder, firewood, etc.that are used by people who collectthem from their surrounds.]

• Productive Use Value - Commercialvalue of timber, fish, medicinal plants,etc. that people collect for sale.

Indirect Values:Indirect Values:Indirect Values:Indirect Values:Indirect Values:These are uses that do not have easy ways toquantify them in terms of a clearly definableprice.

• Non-consumptive use value - scientificresearch, bird-watching, ecotourism,etc.

• Option value - maintaining options forthe future, so that by preserving themone could reap economic benefits in thefuture.

• Existence value - ethical and emotionalaspects of the existence of wildlife andnature.

Terrestrial ecosystems Terrestrial ecosystems Terrestrial ecosystems Terrestrial ecosystems Terrestrial ecosystems in their natural state arefound in different types of forests, grasslands,semiarid areas, deserts and sea coasts. Wherethe land is intensively used, these have beengradually modified over several thousand yearsinto agricultural and pastoral regions. In the re-cent past they have been rapidly converted intointensively irrigated agricultural ecosystems orinto urban and industrial centers. Though thisThough thisThough thisThough thisThough thishas increased production of food and pro-has increased production of food and pro-has increased production of food and pro-has increased production of food and pro-has increased production of food and pro-vides the raw material for ‘consumer’ goodsvides the raw material for ‘consumer’ goodsvides the raw material for ‘consumer’ goodsvides the raw material for ‘consumer’ goodsvides the raw material for ‘consumer’ goodsthat we use, the overuse and misuse of landthat we use, the overuse and misuse of landthat we use, the overuse and misuse of landthat we use, the overuse and misuse of landthat we use, the overuse and misuse of landand natural ecosystems has led to a seriousand natural ecosystems has led to a seriousand natural ecosystems has led to a seriousand natural ecosystems has led to a seriousand natural ecosystems has led to a seriousdegradation of our environment. degradation of our environment. degradation of our environment. degradation of our environment. degradation of our environment. The unsus-tainable use of environmental goods such as soil,water, fuelwood, timber from forest, grassesand herbs from grasslands for grazing and re-peatedly burning the grass, degrades these natu-ral ecosystems. Similarly, improper use of re-sources can destroy the services that the natu-ral ecosystems provide. These processes of na-ture such as photosynthesis, climate control, pre-vention of soil erosion are disturbed by manyhuman activities. When our human populationwas small, most ecosystems could supply all ourneeds. Resources were thus used ‘sustainably’.sustainably’.sustainably’.sustainably’.sustainably’.As industrial ‘development’ led to a very greatincrease in consumption of resources, the shortterm economic gains for people became an in-dicator of progress, rather than long term eco-logical benefits. This has resulted in an ‘unsus-unsus-unsus-unsus-unsus-tainable use’ tainable use’ tainable use’ tainable use’ tainable use’ of natural resources. Forests thusdisappear, rivers run dry, deserts begin to spread,and air, water and soil become increasingly pol-luted as by-products of development. Humanwell being itself is then seriously affected.

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65Ecosystems

3.7.1 Forest ecosystem3.7.1 Forest ecosystem3.7.1 Forest ecosystem3.7.1 Forest ecosystem3.7.1 Forest ecosystem

Forests are formed by a community of plantswhich is predominantly structurally defined byits trees, shrubs, climbers and ground cover.Natural vegetation looks vastly different from agroup of planted trees, which are in orderlyrows. The most ‘natural’ undisturbed forests arelocated mainly in our National Parks and Wild-life Sanctuaries. The landscapes that make upvarious types of forests look very different fromeach other. Their distinctive appearance is a fas-cinating aspect of nature. Each forest type formsa habitat for a specific community of animalsthat are adapted to live in it.

What is a forest ecosystem?What is a forest ecosystem?What is a forest ecosystem?What is a forest ecosystem?What is a forest ecosystem?The forest ecosystem has two parts:

• The non-living or abiotic aspects of theThe non-living or abiotic aspects of theThe non-living or abiotic aspects of theThe non-living or abiotic aspects of theThe non-living or abiotic aspects of theforestforestforestforestforest::::: The type of forest depends upon theabiotic conditions at the site. Forests onmountains and hills differ from those alongriver valleys. Vegetation is specific to theamount of rainfall and the local tempera-ture which varies according to latitude andaltitude. Forests also vary in their plant com-munities in response to the type of soil.

• The living or the biotic aspects of the for-The living or the biotic aspects of the for-The living or the biotic aspects of the for-The living or the biotic aspects of the for-The living or the biotic aspects of the for-est:est:est:est:est: The plants and animals form commu-nities that are specific to each forest type.For instance coniferous trees occur in theHimalayas. Mangrove trees occur in riverdeltas. Thorn trees grow in arid areas. Thesnow leopard lives in the Himalayas whilethe leopard and tiger live in the forests ofthe rest of India. Wild sheep and goats livehigh up in the Himalayas. Many of the birdsof the Himalayan forests are different fromthe rest of India. Evergreen forests of theWestern Ghats and North East India aremost rich in plant and animal species.

The bioticbioticbioticbioticbiotic component includes both the large(macrophytes) and the microscopic plants andanimals.

PlantsPlantsPlantsPlantsPlants include the trees, shrubs, climbers,grasses, and herbs in the forest. These includespecies that flower (angiosperms), and non-flow-ering species (gymnosperms) such as ferns, bryo-phytes, fungi and algae.

The animalsanimalsanimalsanimalsanimals include species of mammals, birds,reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects and other in-vertebrates and a variety of microscopic animals.

As the plant and animal species are closely de-pendent on each other, together they form dif-ferent types of forest communities. Man is a partof these forest ecosystems and the local peopledepend directly on the forest for several naturalresources that act as their life support systems.People who do not live in the forest buy forestproducts such as wood and paper, which hasbeen extracted from the forest. Thus they useforest produce indirectly from the market.

Forest types in India: Forest types in India: Forest types in India: Forest types in India: Forest types in India: The forest type dependsupon the abiotic factors such as climate and soilcharacteristics of a region. Forests in India canbe broadly divided into Coniferous forests andBroadleaved forests.

They can also be classified according to the na-ture of their tree species – evergreen, decidu-ous, xerophytic or thorn trees, mangroves, etc.They can also be classified according to the mostabundant species of trees such as Sal or Teakforests. In many cases a forest is named afterthe first three or four most abundant tree spe-cies.

Coniferous forests grow in the Himalayan moun-tain region, where the temperatures are low.These forests have tall stately trees with needle-like leaves and downward sloping branches sothat the snow can slip off the branches. They

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Coniferous forest

Broadleaved forest

Evergreen forest

eral months. Some even get twomonsoons, such as in Southern In-dia. Evergreen plants shed a few oftheir leaves throughout the year.There is no dry leafless phase as in adeciduous forest. An evergreen for-est thus looks green throughout theyear. The trees overlap with eachother to form a continuous canopy.Thus very little light penetrates downto the forest floor. Only a few shadeloving plants can grow in the groundlayer in areas where some light fil-ters down from the closed canopy.The forest is rich in orchids and ferns.The barks of the trees are coveredin moss. The forest abounds in ani-mal life and is most rich in insect life.

have cones instead of seeds and arecalled gymnosperms.

Broadleaved forests have several types,such as evergreen forests, deciduousforests, thorn forests, and mangroveforests. Broadleaved forests have largeleaves of various shapes.

Evergreen forests grow in the high rain-fall areas of the Western Ghats, NorthEastern India and the Andaman andNicobar Islands. These forests grow inareas where the monsoon lasts for sev-

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67Ecosystems

called xerophytic species and areable to conserve water. Some ofthese trees have small leaves,while other species have thick,waxy leaves to reduce waterlosses during transpiration. Thornforest trees have long or fibrousroots to reach water at greatdepths. Many of these plantshave thorns, which reduce wa-ter loss and protect them fromherbivores.

Mangrove forests grow along thecoast especially in the river del-tas. These plants are able to grow

Deciduous forest

Deciduous forests are found in regionswith a moderate amount of seasonalrainfall that lasts for only a few months.Most of the forests in which Teak treesgrow are of this type. The deciduoustrees shed their leaves during the win-ter and hot summer months. In Marchor April they regain their fresh leaves justbefore the monsoon, when they growvigorously in response to the rains. Thusthere are periods of leaf fall and canopyregrowth. The forest frequently has athick undergrowth as light can penetrateeasily onto the forest floor.

Thorn forests are found in the semi- aridregions of India. The trees, which aresparsely distributed, are surrounded byopen grassy areas. Thorny plants are

Thorn forest

Mangrove

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in a mix of saline and fresh water. They growluxuriantly in muddy areas covered with silt thatthe rivers have brought down. The mangrovetrees have breathing roots that emerge fromthe mudbanks.

Forest utilisation: Forest utilisation: Forest utilisation: Forest utilisation: Forest utilisation: Natural forests provide localpeople with a variety of products if the forest isused carefully. Over-exploitation for fuel woodor timber, and conversion to monoculture plan-tations for timber or other products, impover-ishes local people as the economic benefit goesto people who live elsewhere. The entire re-source base on which local people have tradi-tionally survived for generations, is rapidly de-stroyed. Eventually the forest is completely de-graded.

Natural forest ecosystems play an important rolein controlling local climate and water regimes.It is well-known that under the canopy of a natu-ral forest, it is cooler than outside the forest.

During the monsoon, the forest retains mois-ture and slowly releases it through perennialstreams during the rest of the year. Plantationsfail to perform this function adequately. The lossof forest cover in the catchments of a river thusleads to irreversible changes such as excessivesoil erosion, large run-off of surface water dur-ing monsoons leading to flash floods, and ashortage of water once the monsoons are over.

Forest productsForest productsForest productsForest productsForest products that are collected by peopleinclude food such as fruit, roots, herbs and me-dicinal plants. People depend on fuelwood tocook food, collect fodder for domestic animals,cut building material for housing, collectmedicinal plants that have been known forgenerations for several ailments and use a vari-ety of non timer forest products such as fiber,cane, gum, to make household articles. Woodfrom different species of trees have special uses.For instance a soft wood is used for the yok of abullock cart while a very hard wood is used forits axil. These forest products are of great eco-

Forest communities:Forest communities:Forest communities:Forest communities:Forest communities:

Forest typeForest typeForest typeForest typeForest type Plants ExamplesPlants ExamplesPlants ExamplesPlants ExamplesPlants Examples Common Animal ExamplesCommon Animal ExamplesCommon Animal ExamplesCommon Animal ExamplesCommon Animal Examples Rare Animal ExamplesRare Animal ExamplesRare Animal ExamplesRare Animal ExamplesRare Animal Examples

Himalayan Coniferous Pine, deodar Wild goats and sheep, Snow leopard, Hangul,Himalayan black bear. Himalayan brown bear,

Musk deer, HimalayanHimalayan Broadleaved Maple, oak Wolf.

Evergreen North-east, Jamun, Ficus, Tiger, Leopard, Sambar, Malabar Pigmy Hog, Rhino,Western Ghats, Dipterocarpus whistling thrush, Malabar Pied Liontailed macaqueAndaman & Nicobar hornbill, tree frogs.

Deciduous – Dry Teak, Ain,Terminalia Tiger, Chital, Barking deer,

Babblers, Flycatchers, Hornbills.Moist Sal

Thorn and scrub, Babul, Ber, Neem Blackbuck, Chinkara, Fourhorned Wolf, Bustard, Florican,Semiarid forests antelope, Partridge, Monitor Bustards,

lizard.

Mangrove Delta Avicenia Crocodile, shorebirds – sandpipers, Water monitor lizard.Forests plovers, fish, crustacea.

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69Ecosystems

nomic value as they are collected, sold and mar-keted. Forest dwellers and agricultural peopleuse these goods directly. Other people get themindirectly from the market. Traditional types ofagriculture needs forest material such asbranches and leaves, which are burnt to formwood ash which acts as a fertiliser for crops suchas rice.

Urban people use these forest resources indi-rectly as all their food and other goods comefrom agricultural areas that are dependent onthe neighbouring forests.

ForestForestForestForestForest servicesservicesservicesservicesservices include the control of the flowof water in streams and rivers. Forest cover re-duces surface runoff of rainwater and allowsground water to be stored. Forests prevent ero-sion of soil. Once soil is lost by erosion, it cantake thousands of years to reform. Forests regu-late local temperature. It is cooler and moremoist under the shade of the trees in the forest.Most importantly, forests absorb carbon diox-ide and release oxygen that we breathe.

The wild relatives of our crop plants and fruittrees have special characteristics in their geneswhich are used to develop new crops and newervarieties of fruit. These newer varieties devel-oped from wild relatives give greater yields or

are more resistant to diseases. New industrialproducts are being produced from the wildplants of the forest. Many of our new medi-cines come from wild plants.

Direct uses of forest productsDirect uses of forest productsDirect uses of forest productsDirect uses of forest productsDirect uses of forest products

Fruits – mango, jamun, awla

Roots – Dioscoria

Medicine – Gloriosa, Foxglove

Fuelwood – many species of trees and shrubs

Small timber for building huts and houses

Wood for farm implements

Bamboo and cane for baskets

Grass for grazing and stall feeding livestock

Indirect uses of forest productsIndirect uses of forest productsIndirect uses of forest productsIndirect uses of forest productsIndirect uses of forest products

Building material for construction and furni-ture for the urban sector

Medicinal products collected and processedinto drugs

Gums and resins processed into a variety ofproducts

Raw material for industrial products andchemicals

Paper from bamboo and softwoods

What are the threats to the forest ecosys-What are the threats to the forest ecosys-What are the threats to the forest ecosys-What are the threats to the forest ecosys-What are the threats to the forest ecosys-tem?tem?tem?tem?tem?As forests grow very slowly, we cannot use moreresources than they can produce during a grow-ing season. If timber is felled beyond a certainlimit the forest cannot regenerate. The gaps inthe forest change the habitat quality for its ani-mals. The more sensitive species cannot surviveunder these changed conditions. Overutilizing

Forest Products

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forest resources is an unsustainable way of mis-using our limited forest resources. We are nowcreating more and more goods that are manu-factured from raw material from the forest. Thisleads to forest degradation and finally changesthe ecosystem into wasteland. Wood is illegallyextracted from many forests leading to a highlydisturbed ecosystem.

Developmental activities such as rapid popula-tion growth together with, urbanisation,industrialisation and the increasing use of con-sumer goods, leads to over utilisation of forestproduce. Forests are shrinking as our need foragricultural land increases. It is estimated thatIndia’s forest cover has decreased from about33% to 11% in the last century. The increasinguse of wood for timber, wood pulp for paperand the extensive use of fuelwood results incontinual forest loss. Forests are also lost bymining and building dams. As the forest re-sources are exploited beyond what they can pro-duce the forest canopy is opened up, the eco-system is degraded, and its wildlife is seriouslythreatened. As the forest is fragmented intosmall patches its wild plant and animal speciesbecome extinct. These can never be broughtback. Extinction is forever.

What if the forests disappear?What if the forests disappear?What if the forests disappear?What if the forests disappear?What if the forests disappear?When forests are cut down tribal people whodepend directly on them for food and fuelwoodand other products find it very difficult to sur-vive. Agricultural people do not get enoughfuelwood, small timber, etc. for making housesand farm implements. Urban people who de-pend on food from agricultural areas, which inturn depend on neighbouring forest ecosystemshave to pay a higher price for food as humanpopulation grows.

Insects that live and breed in the forest such asbees, butterflies and moths decrease in abun-dance once forests are degraded. As their num-bers decrease they are unable to effectively pol-

linate agricultural crops and fruit trees. This leadsto a decrease in agricultural yields.

The rain that falls on deforested land flows di-rectly into nearby rivers. Thus water is not re-tained under the ground. People thus do notget a sufficient quantity of water throughoutthe year. The exposed soil is rapidly washed awayduring the rains once the protective forest coveris removed. Thus agriculture is seriously affectedin such areas. In deforested areas, the water instreams is brown in colour as soil is washed awaywhile water in forested streams is crystal clear.

Wild animals lose their habitat. This leads toextinction of our precious species. Residual for-ests must be protected from being destroyedany further if all the diverse species of plantsand animals are to be kept for future genera-tions.

How can forest ecosystems be conserved?How can forest ecosystems be conserved?How can forest ecosystems be conserved?How can forest ecosystems be conserved?How can forest ecosystems be conserved?We can conserve forests only if we use its re-sources carefully. This can be done by using al-ternate sources of energy instead of fuelwood.There is a need to grow more trees than are cutdown from forests every year for timber. Affor-estation needs to be done continuously fromwhich fuelwood and timber can be judiciouslyused.

The natural forests with all their diverse speciesmust be protected as National Parks and Wild-life Sanctuaries where all the plants and animalscan be preserved.

3.7.2 Grassland ecosystems3.7.2 Grassland ecosystems3.7.2 Grassland ecosystems3.7.2 Grassland ecosystems3.7.2 Grassland ecosystems

A wide range of landscapes in which the veg-etation is mainly formed by grasses and smallannual plants are adapted to India’s various cli-matic conditions. These form a variety of grass-land ecosystems with their specific plants andanimals.

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71Ecosystems

What is a grassland ecosystem?What is a grassland ecosystem?What is a grassland ecosystem?What is a grassland ecosystem?What is a grassland ecosystem?Grasslands cover areas where rainfall is usuallylow and/or the soil depth and quality is poor.The low rainfall prevents the growth of a largenumber of trees and shrubs, but is sufficient tosupport the growth of grass cover during themonsoon. Many of the grasses and other smallherbs become dry and the part above theground dies during the summer months. In thenext monsoon the grass cover grows back fromthe root stock and the seeds of the previousyear. This change gives grasslands a highly sea-sonal appearance with periods of increasedgrowth followed by a dormant phase.

A variety of grasses, herbs, and several speciesof insects, birds and mammals have evolved sothat they are adapted to these wide-open grasscovered areas. These animals are able to live inconditions where food is plentiful after the rains,so that they can store this as fat that they useduring the dry period when there is very little toeat. Man began to use these grasslands as pas-tures to feed his livestock when he began todomesticate animals and became a pastoralistin ancient times.

Grassland Types in India: Grassland Types in India: Grassland Types in India: Grassland Types in India: Grassland Types in India: Grasslands form avariety of ecosystems that are located in differ-ent climatic conditions ranging from near desertconditions, to patches of shola grasslands thatoccur on hillslopes alongside the extremely moistevergreen forests in South India. In the Hima-layan mountains there are the high cold Hima-layan pastures. There are tracts of tall elephantgrass in the low-lying Terai belt south of theHimalayan foothills. There are semi-arid grass-lands in Western India, parts of Central India,and in the Deccan Plateau.

The Himalayan pasture beltHimalayan pasture beltHimalayan pasture beltHimalayan pasture beltHimalayan pasture belt extends upto thesnowline. The grasslands at a lower level formpatches along with coniferous or broadleavedforests. Himalayan wildlife require both the for-est and the grassland ecosystem as importantparts of their habitat. The animals migrate up

into the high altitude grasslands in summer andmove down into the forest in winter when thesnow covers the grassland. These Himalayanpastures have a large variety of grasses andherbs. Himalayan hill slopes are covered withthousands of colourful flowering plants. Thereare also a large number of medicinal plants.

The TeraiTeraiTeraiTeraiTerai consists of patches of tall grasslandsinterspersed with a Sal forest ecosystem. Thepatches of tall elephant grass, which grows to aheight of about five meters, are located in thelow-lying waterlogged areas. The Sal forestpatches cover the elevated regions and the Hi-malayan foothills. The Terai also includesmarshes in low-lying depressions. This ecosys-tem extends as a belt south of the Himalayanfoothills.

Himalayan Pastures

Terai grassland

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The Semi-arid plains of Western India, Cen-Semi-arid plains of Western India, Cen-Semi-arid plains of Western India, Cen-Semi-arid plains of Western India, Cen-Semi-arid plains of Western India, Cen-tral India and the Deccantral India and the Deccantral India and the Deccantral India and the Deccantral India and the Deccan are covered by grass-land tracts with patches of thorn forest. Severalmammals such as the wolf, the blackbuck, thechinkara, and birds such as the bustards andfloricans are adapted to these arid conditions.The Scrublands of the Deccan Plateau are cov-ered with seasonal grasses and herbs on whichits fauna is dependent. It is teaming with insectlife on which the insectivorous birds feed.

patches of forest that occur along the streamsand in depressions. The grasslands are relatedto repeated fires that do not permit the forestto grow.

The grasses are the major producers of biomassin these regions. Each grassland ecosystem hasa wide variety of species of grasses and herbs.Some grass and herb species are more sensitiveto excessive grazing and are suppressed if thearea is over grazed. Others are destroyed by re-peated fires and cannot regenerate. Thus over-used or frequently burnt grasslands are de-graded and are poor in plant species diversity.

How are grasslands used?How are grasslands used?How are grasslands used?How are grasslands used?How are grasslands used?Grasslands are the grazing areas of many ruralcommunities. Farmers who keep cattle or goats,as well as shepherds who keep sheep, are highlydependent on grasslands. Domestic animals aregrazed in the ‘common’ land of the village. Fod-der is collected and stored to feed cattle whenthere is no grass left for them to graze in sum-mer. Grass is also used to thatch houses andfarm sheds. The thorny bushes and branches ofthe few trees that are seen in grasslands areused as a major source of fuelwood.

Overgrazing by huge herds of domestic livestockhas degraded many grasslands. Grasslands havediverse species of insects that pollinate crops.There are also predators of these insects suchas the small mammals like shrews, reptiles likelizards, birds of prey, and amphibia such as frogsand toads. All these carnivorous animals help tocontrol insect pests in adjoining agriculturallands.

What are the threats to grassland ecosys-What are the threats to grassland ecosys-What are the threats to grassland ecosys-What are the threats to grassland ecosys-What are the threats to grassland ecosys-tems?tems?tems?tems?tems?In many areas grasslands have been used forcenturies by pastoral communities.Overutilization and changes in landuse of the

Semiarid grassland

Shola grassland

The Shola grasslandsShola grasslandsShola grasslandsShola grasslandsShola grasslands consist of patches onhillslopes along with the Shola forests on theWestern Ghats, Nilgiri and Annamalai ranges.This forms a patchwork of grassland on theslopes and forest habitats along the streams andlowlying areas.

Grasslands are not restricted only to low rainfallareas. Certain grassland types form when clear-ings are made in different forest types. Someare located on the higher steep hill slopes with

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‘common grazing lands’ of rural communitieshas lead to their degradation. The grasslandcover in the country in terms of permanent pas-tures now covers only 3.7 percent of land. Amajor threat to natural grasslands is the con-version of grasslands into irrigated farmlands.In the Deccan, grasslands have been altered toirrigated farms and are now mainly used to growsugarcane. After continuous irrigation such landbecomes saline and useless in a few years. Morerecently many of these residual grassland tractshave been converted into industrial areas. Thisprovides short-term economic gains but resultin long-term economic and ecological losses.

Grasslands have a limited ability to support do-mestic animals and wildlife. Increasing this pres-sure by increasing the number of domestic ani-mals reduces the ‘naturalness’ of the grasslandecosystem leading to its degradation.

Most grassland ecosystems are highly modifiedby human activities. Cattle, sheep and goat graz-ing, and lighting repeated fires affects grasslandsadversely. Changing the grasslands to otherforms of landuse such as agriculture, tree plan-tations and industrialisation forms a seriousthreat to this highly productive ecosystem. Thussome of the grassland patches which are in aless disturbed state and have retained their spe-cial plants and animals need to be urgently pro-tected.

Degradation of grasslands due to over grazingby cattle, sheep and goats occurs if more thana critical number of domestic animals are presentin the grasslands. When animals overgraze thearea, the grasses are converted into flat stubswith very little green matter. Degraded grass-lands have fewer grass species as the nutritiousspecies are entirely used up by the large num-ber of domestic animals. They are thus unableto regenerate.

When fires are lit in the grasslands in summer,the burnt grass gets a fresh flush of small green

shoots which the domestic animals graze on. Ifthis is done too frequently the grasslands beginto deteriorate. Finally grasslands become bare,the soil is solidly compacted by trampling, or iswashed away during the monsoon by rain andwhipped into dust storms during the hot drysummer. The land is degraded, as there is nograss to hold the soil in place. It becomes awasteland.

Why are our grassland species vanishing?Why are our grassland species vanishing?Why are our grassland species vanishing?Why are our grassland species vanishing?Why are our grassland species vanishing?Most people feel that it is only our forests andits wildlife that is disappearing. However, othernatural ecosystems such as grasslands are dis-appearing even more rapidly.

Many of the grassland species have disappearedfrom several parts of India in which they werefound 50 or 60 years ago. The Cheetah is ex-tinct in India. The Wolf is now highly threatened.Blackbuck and chinkara are poached for meat.Birds such as the beautiful Great Indian Bustardsare vanishing. Unless grassland species are pro-tected they will vanish from their shrinking habi-tat, as natural and undisturbed grasslands areleft in very few locations. If these animals andbirds are killed or their habitat is reduced fur-ther, their extinction will rapidly follow.

What if our grasslands disappear?What if our grasslands disappear?What if our grasslands disappear?What if our grasslands disappear?What if our grasslands disappear?If our grasslands are lost we will lose a highlyspecialised ecosystem in which plants and ani-mals have been adapted to these habitat condi-tions over millions of years. Local people will notbe able to support their livestock herds.

The extinction of species is a great loss to Man-kind. The genes of wild grasses are extremelyuseful for developing new crop varieties. Newmedicines could well be discovered from wildgrassland plants. It is possible that genes fromwild herbivores such as wild sheep, goats andantelopes may be used for developing newstrains of domestic animals.

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• Keeping grasslands alive is a National prior-ity.

3.7.3 Desert ecosystem3.7.3 Desert ecosystem3.7.3 Desert ecosystem3.7.3 Desert ecosystem3.7.3 Desert ecosystem

Desert and semi arid lands are highly specialisedand sensitive ecosystems that are easily de-stroyed by human activities. The species of thesedry areas can live only in this specialised habi-tat.

What is a desert or a semi-arid ecosystem?What is a desert or a semi-arid ecosystem?What is a desert or a semi-arid ecosystem?What is a desert or a semi-arid ecosystem?What is a desert or a semi-arid ecosystem?Deserts and semi arid areas are located in West-ern India and the Deccan Plateau. The climatein these vast tracts is extremely dry. There arealso cold deserts such as in Ladakh, which arelocated in the high plateaus of the Himalayas.The most typical desert landscape that is seenin Rajasthan is in the Thar Desert. This has sanddunes. There are also areas covered with sparsegrasses and a few shrubs, which grow if it rains.In most areas of the Thar the rainfall is scantyand sporadic. In an area it may rain only onceevery few years. In the adjoining semi arid tractthe vegetation consists of a few shrubs andthorny trees such as kher and babul.

The Great and Little Rann of Kutch are highlyspecialised arid ecosystems. In the summers theyare similar to a desert landscape. However as

How can grassland ecosystems be conserved?How can grassland ecosystems be conserved?How can grassland ecosystems be conserved?How can grassland ecosystems be conserved?How can grassland ecosystems be conserved?Grasslands should not be overgrazed and areasof 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 closedevery year so that a rotational grazing pattern isestablished. Fires must be prevented and rap-idly controlled. In hilly areas soil and water man-agement in each micro-catchment helps grass-lands to return to a natural highly productiveecosystem.

To protect the most natural undisturbed grass-land ecosystems, Sanctuaries and National Parksmust be created. Their management should fo-cus on preserving all their unique species ofplants and animals. Thus they should not beconverted into plantations of trees. The opengrassland is the habitat of its specialised fauna.Planting trees in these areas reduces the natu-ral features of this ecosystem resulting in thedestruction of this unique habitat for wildlife.

What should we do?What should we do?What should we do?What should we do?What should we do?• There is a need to preserve the few natural

grassland areas that still survive by creatingNational Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries inall the different types of grasslands.

• Animals such as the wolf, blackbuck,chinkara and birds such as bustards andfloricans have now become rare all over thecountry. They must be carefully protectedin the few National Parks and Wildlife Sanc-tuaries that have natural grassland habitatsas well as outside these Protected Areas.

• We need to create an awareness amongpeople that grasslands are of great value. Ifwe are all concerned about our disappear-ing grasslands and their wonderful wildlife,the Government will be motivated to pro-tect them.

Desert and Semi arid eco systems

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these are low-lying areas near the sea, they getconverted to salt marshes during the monsoons.During this period they attract an enormousnumber of aquatic birds such as ducks, geese,cranes, storks, etc. The Great Rann is famous,as it is the only known breeding colony of theGreater and Lesser Flamingos in our country.The Little Rann of Kutch is the only home of thewild ass in India.

Desert and semi arid regions have a number ofhighly specialized insects and reptiles. The rareanimals include the Indian wolf, desert cat,desert fox and birds such as the Great IndianBustard and the Florican. Some of the com-moner birds include partridges, quails andsandgrouse.

How are desert and semi-arid ecosystemsHow are desert and semi-arid ecosystemsHow are desert and semi-arid ecosystemsHow are desert and semi-arid ecosystemsHow are desert and semi-arid ecosystemsused?used?used?used?used?Areas of scanty vegetation with semi-arid scru-bland have been used for camel, cattle and goatgrazing in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and for sheepgrazing in the Deccan Plateau.

Areas that have a little moisture, such as alongthe watercourses, have been used for growingcrops such as jowar, and bajra. The naturalgrasses and local varieties of crops have adaptedto growing at very low moisture levels. Thesecan be used for genetic engineering and devel-oping arid land crops for the future.

What are the threats to desert ecosystems?What are the threats to desert ecosystems?What are the threats to desert ecosystems?What are the threats to desert ecosystems?What are the threats to desert ecosystems?Several types of development strategies as wellas human population growth have begun toaffect the natural ecosystem of the desert andsemi arid land. Conversion of these landsthrough extensive irrigation systems haschanged several of the natural characteristicsof this region. The canal water evaporates rap-idly bringing the salts to the surface. The regionbecomes highly unproductive as it becomes sa-line. Pulling excessive groudwater from tube

wells lowers the water table creating an evendrier environment. Thus human activities destroythe naturalness of this unique ecosystem. Thespecial species that evolved here over millionsof years may soon become extinct.

How can desert ecosystems be conserved?How can desert ecosystems be conserved?How can desert ecosystems be conserved?How can desert ecosystems be conserved?How can desert ecosystems be conserved?Desert ecosystems are extremely sensitive. Theirecological balance that forms a habitat for theirplants and animals is easily disturbed. Desertpeople have traditionally protected their mea-gre water resources. The Bishnois in Rajasthanare known to have protected their Khejdi treesand the blackbuck antelope for several genera-tions. The tradition began when the ruler of theirregion ordered his army to cut down trees forhis own use. Several Bishnois were said to havebeen killed while trying to protect their trees.

There is an urgent need to protect residualpatches of this ecosystem within National Parksand Wildlife Sanctuaries in desert and semi aridareas. The Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan isdestroying this important natural arid ecosys-tem, as it will convert the region into intensiveagriculture. In Kutch, areas of the little Rann,which is the only home of the Wild Ass, will bedestroyed by the spread of salt works.

Development Projects alter the desert and aridlandscape. There is a sharp reduction in the habi-tat available for its specialised species bringingthem to the verge of extinction. We need a sus-tainable form of development that takes thespecial needs of the desert into account.

3.7.4 Aquatic ecosystems3.7.4 Aquatic ecosystems3.7.4 Aquatic ecosystems3.7.4 Aquatic ecosystems3.7.4 Aquatic ecosystems

The aquatic ecosystems constitute the marineenvironments of the seas and the fresh watersystems in lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands.These ecosystems provide human beings with awealth of natural resources. They provide goodsthat people collect for food such as fish and

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crustaceans. Natural aquatic systems such as riv-ers and seas break down chemical and organicwastes created by man. However, this functionhas limitations, as the aquatic ecosystem can-not handle great quantities of waste. Beyond acertain limit, pollution destroys this natural func-tion.

If aquatic ecosystems are misused or over uti-lized, their ability to provide resources suffers inthe long term. Over-fishing leads to a fall in thefish catch. River courses that are changed bydams to provide electricity affect thousands ofpeople who do not get a continuous supply ofwater downstream for their daily use. Whenwetlands are drained, their connected rivers tendto cause floods. These are all examples of un-sustainable changes in the use of natural re-sources and nature’s ecosystems that are de-pendent on hydrological regimes.

Water is an important factor in all our ecosys-tems. Several ecosystems exist in freshwater and

marine salt water. There is very little fresh wa-ter on earth, which is a key resource for peopleall over the world.

What is an aquatic ecosystem?What is an aquatic ecosystem?What is an aquatic ecosystem?What is an aquatic ecosystem?What is an aquatic ecosystem?In aquatic ecosystems, plants and animals livein water. These species are adapted to live indifferent types of aquatic habitats. The specialabiotic features are its physical aspects such asthe quality of the water, which includes its clar-ity, salinity, oxygen content and rate of flow.Aquatic ecosystems may be classified as beingstagnantstagnantstagnantstagnantstagnant ecosystems, or running waterrunning waterrunning waterrunning waterrunning water eco-systems. The mud gravel or rocks that form thebed of the aquatic ecosystem alter its charac-teristics and influence its plant and animal spe-cies composition. The aquatic ecosystems areclassified into freshwaterfreshwaterfreshwaterfreshwaterfreshwater, brackishbrackishbrackishbrackishbrackish and marinemarinemarinemarinemarineecosystems, which are based on the salinity lev-els.

The fresh water ecosystems that have runningwater are streams and rivers. Ponds, tanks andlakes are ecosystems where water does not flow.Wetlands are special ecosystems in which thewater level fluctuates dramatically in differentseasons. They have expanses of shallow waterwith aquatic vegetation, which forms an idealhabitat for fish, crustacea and water birds.

Marine ecosystems are highly saline, while brack-ish areas have less saline water such as in riverdeltas. Coral reefs are very rich in species and

Types of Aquatic ecosystemsTypes of Aquatic ecosystemsTypes of Aquatic ecosystemsTypes of Aquatic ecosystemsTypes of Aquatic ecosystems

Fresh water ecosystemsFresh water ecosystemsFresh water ecosystemsFresh water ecosystemsFresh water ecosystems Marine ecosystemsMarine ecosystemsMarine ecosystemsMarine ecosystemsMarine ecosystems

Flowing waterFlowing waterFlowing waterFlowing waterFlowing water Still waterStill waterStill waterStill waterStill water Brackish waterBrackish waterBrackish waterBrackish waterBrackish water Saline waterSaline waterSaline waterSaline waterSaline water

Streams Rivers Ponds, Deltas Coastal Deep oceanwetlands, shallows,lakes Coral reefs

Aquatic ecosystems

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are found in only a few shallow tropical seas.The richest coral reefs in India are around theAndaman and Nicobar islands and in the gulf ofKutch.

Brackish water ecosystems in river deltas arecovered by mangrove forests and are amongthe world’s most productive ecosystems in termsof biomass production. The largest mangroveswamps are in the Sunderbans in the delta ofthe Ganges.

The Pond ecosystemThe Pond ecosystemThe Pond ecosystemThe Pond ecosystemThe Pond ecosystem

The pond is the simplest aquatic ecosystem toobserve.

There are differences in a pond that is tempo-rary and has water only in the monsoon, and alarger tank or lake that is an aquatic ecosystemthroughout the year. Most ponds become dryafter the rains are over and are covered by ter-restrial plants for the rest of the year.

When a pond begins to fill during the rains, itslife forms such as the algae and microscopicanimals, aquatic insects, snails, and worms comeout of the floor of the pond where they haveremained dormant in the dry phase. Graduallymore complex animals such as crabs frogs andfish return to the pond. The vegetation in the

water consists of floating weeds and rooted veg-etation on the periphery which grow on themuddy floor under water and emerge out ofthe surface of the water.

As the pond fills in the monsoon a large num-ber of food chains are formed. Algae is eatenby microscopic animals, which are in turn eatenby small fish on which larger carnivorous fishdepend. These are in turn eaten by birds suchas kingfishers, herons and birds of prey. Aquaticinsects, worms and snails feed on the wastematerial excreted by animals and the dead ordecaying plant and animal matter. They act onthe detritus, which is broken down into nutri-ents which aquatic plants can absorb, thus com-pleting the nutrient cycle in the pond. The tem-porary ponds begin to dry after the rains andthe surrounding grasses and terrestrial plantsspread into the moist mud that is exposed. Ani-mals such as frogs, snails and worms remain dor-mant in the mud, awaiting the next monsoon.

Lake ecosystemLake ecosystemLake ecosystemLake ecosystemLake ecosystem

A lake ecosystem functions like a giant perma-nent pond. A large amount of its plant materialis the algae, which derives energy from the sun.This is transferred to the microscopic animals,which feed on the algae. There are fish that areherbivorous and are dependent on algae and

aquatic weeds. The small animals such assnails are used as food by small carnivo-rous fish, which in turn are eaten by largercarnivorous fish. Some specialised fish,such as catfish, feed on the detritus on themuddy bed of the lake.

Energy cycles through the lake ecosystemfrom the sunlight that penetrates the wa-ter surface to the plants. From plants en-ergy is transferred to herbivorous animalsand carnivores. Animals excrete wasteproducts, which settle on the bottom ofthe lake. This is broken down by small ani-

Pond

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mals that live in the mud in the floor of the lake.This acts as the nutrient material that is used byaquatic plants for their growth. During this pro-cess plants use Carbon from CO

2 for their

growth and in the process release Oxygen. ThisOxygen is then used by aquatic animals, whichfilter water through their respiratory system.

Stream and River ecosystemsStream and River ecosystemsStream and River ecosystemsStream and River ecosystemsStream and River ecosystems

Streams and rivers are flowing water ecosystemsin which all the living forms are specially adaptedto different rates of flow. Some plants and ani-mals such as snails and other burrowing ani-mals can withstand the rapid flow of the hillstreams. Other species of plants and animalssuch as water beetles and skaters can live onlyin slower moving water. Some species of fish,such as Mahseer, go upstream from rivers tohill streams for breeding. They need crystal clearwater to be able to breed. They lay eggs only inclear water so that their young can grow suc-cessfully.

As deforestation occurs in the hills the water inthe streams that once flowed throughout theyear become seasonal. This leads to flash floodsin the rains and a shortage of water once thestreams dry up after the monsoon.

The community of flora and fauna of streamsand rivers depends on the clarity, flow and oxy-gen content as well as the nature of their beds.The stream or river can have a sandy, rocky ormuddy bed, each type having its own species ofplants and animals.

Marine ecosystemsMarine ecosystemsMarine ecosystemsMarine ecosystemsMarine ecosystems

The Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bayof Bengal constitute the marine ecosystemsaround peninsular India. In the coastal area thesea is shallow while further away, it is deep. Boththese are different ecosystems. The producers

in this ecosystem vary from microscopic algaeto large seaweeds. There are millions of zoop-lankton and a large variety of invertebrates onwhich live fish, turtles and marine mammals.

The shallow areas near Kutch and around theAndaman and Nicobar Islands are some of themost incredible coral reefs in the world. Coralreefs are only second to tropical evergreen for-ests in their richness of species. Fish, crustacea,starfish, jellyfish and the polyps that deposit thecoral are a few of the thousands of species thatform this incredible world under the shallow sea.

Deforestation of adjacent mangroves leads tosilt being carried out to sea where it is depos-ited on the coral which then dies. There aremany different types of coastal ecosystemswhich are highly dependent on the tide.

The marine ecosystem is used by coastalfisherfolk for fishing which forms their livelihood.In the past, fishing was done at a sustainablelevel. The marine ecosystem continued to main-tain its abundant supply of fish over many gen-erations. Now with intensive fishing by usinggiant nets and mechanised boats, fish catch inthe Indian Ocean has dropped significantly.

Seashore ecosystemsSeashore ecosystemsSeashore ecosystemsSeashore ecosystemsSeashore ecosystems

Beaches can be sandy, rocky, shell covered ormuddy. On each of these different types, thereare several specific species which have evolvedto occupy a separate niche. There are differentcrustacea such as crabs that make holes in thesand.

Various shore birds feed on their prey by prob-ing into the sand or mud on the sea shore.

Several different species of fish are caught byfishermen. In many areas the fish catch has de-creased during the last decade or two.

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How are aquatic ecosystems used?How are aquatic ecosystems used?How are aquatic ecosystems used?How are aquatic ecosystems used?How are aquatic ecosystems used?Man uses aquatic ecosystems for the clean fresh-water on which his life is completely dependent.We need clean water to drink and for otherdomestic uses. Water is essential for agriculture.Fisherfolk use the aquatic ecosystems to earn alivelihood. People catch fish and crabs. They alsocollect edible plants. This is used locally as foodor for sale in the market. Over fishing leads to aserious decline in the catch and a long-term lossof income for fisherfolk.

Marshes and wetlands are of great economicimportance for people who live on their fish,crustacea, reeds, grasses and other produce.

Modern man impounds water in dams to be ableto store it throughout the year. Agriculture andindustry are highly dependent on large quanti-ties of water. However this leads to problemsfor tribal people who have lived there beforethe dams were built as they are displaced tobuild large dams. These dams make rich peoplericher in the farmland and supports people inlarge urban centres that use enormous quanti-ties of water. The poor tribal folk become evenpoorer as the natural resources they depend onare taken away as their lands are submergedunder the water of the dam.

Dams are built across rivers to generate elec-tricity. A large proportion of this energy is usedby urban people, by agriculturists in irrigatedfarmlands and in enormous quantities for indus-try. Large dams have serious ill effects on natu-ral river ecosystems. While water from damsused for irrigation has lead to economic pros-perity in some areas, in semiarid areas that areartificially irrigated the high level of evaporationleads to severe salinisation as salts are broughtup into the surface layers of the soil. This makessuch lands gradually more and more saline andunproductive.

What are the threats to aquatic ecosystems?What are the threats to aquatic ecosystems?What are the threats to aquatic ecosystems?What are the threats to aquatic ecosystems?What are the threats to aquatic ecosystems?Water pollution occurs from sewage and poorlymanaged solid waste in urban areas when itenters the aquatic ecosystem of lakes and riv-ers. Sewage leads to a process called eutrophi-cation, which destroys life in the water as theoxygen content is severely reduced. Fish andcrustacea cannot breathe and are killed. A foulodour is produced. Gradually the natural floraand fauna of the aquatic ecosystem is destroyed.

In rural areas the excessive use of fertiliserscauses an increase in nutrients, which leads toeutrophication. Pesticides used in adjacent fieldspollute water and kills off its aquatic animals.Chemical pollution from industry kills a largenumber of life forms in adjacent aquatic eco-systems. Contamination by heavy metals andother toxic chemicals affects the health of peoplewho live near these areas as they depend onthis water.

CASE STUDYCASE STUDYCASE STUDYCASE STUDYCASE STUDY

Threats to wetlands in AssamThreats to wetlands in AssamThreats to wetlands in AssamThreats to wetlands in AssamThreats to wetlands in Assam

Almost 40% of all wetlands in Assam areunder threat. A survey conducted by theAssam Remote Sensing Application Center(ARSAC), Guwahati, and the Space ResearchCenter, Ahemadabad, has revealed that1367 out of 3513 wetlands in Assam areunder severe threat due to invasion ofaquatic weeds and several developmentalactivities. The wetlands of Assam form thegreatest potential source of income for theState in terms of fisheries and tourism.Though the wetlands of Assam have the ca-pacity of producing 5,000 tones of fish perhectare per year, around 20,000 tones offish have to be imported to meet local de-mands. This is primarily due to poor wetlandmanagement.

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How can aquatic ecosystems be conserved?How can aquatic ecosystems be conserved?How can aquatic ecosystems be conserved?How can aquatic ecosystems be conserved?How can aquatic ecosystems be conserved?For sustainable use of an aquatic ecosystem,water pollution must be prevented. It does notmake sense to allow water to be polluted andthen try to clean it up.

Changing the nature of the aquatic ecosystemfrom a flowing water ecosystem to a static eco-system destroys its natural biological diversity.Thus dams across rivers decrease the popula-tion of species that require running water, whilefavouring those that need standing water.

Aquatic ecosystems, especially wetlands, needprotection by including them in Sanctuaries orNational Parks in the same way in which weprotect natural forests. These sanctuaries inaquatic ecosystems protect a variety of formsof life as well as rare fish which are now highlyendangered such as the Mahseer. WetlandSanctuaries and National Parks are of greatestimportance as this is one of the most threat-ened of our ecosystems. As the proportion ofthe earth’s surface that is naturally covered bywetlands is very small compared to forests orgrasslands, the wetland ecosystems are veryhighly threatened.

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Documents

UNIT 3: Ecosystemsaditi.du.ac.in/uploads/econtent/Chapter3.pdf · UNIT 3: Ecosystems 3.1 CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM 54 3.1.1 Understanding ecosystems 55 3.1.2 Ecosystem degradation 55