NATURE CONSERVATION

BFC 10202

Part 2 : Learn about natural environment : Living environment

Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering

INTRODUCTION Part 2

Learn about natural environment :

Living environment

To learn about living components of planet

earth

I. Biodiversity definition, levels, examples

II. To learn about some interactions, values

III. Issues, threats and how to overcome

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Created 4-6bill yrs ago no living thing

The big bang life

Microbes plants animals + man

(evolutionary approach)

Biosphere atmosphere, lithosphere,

hydrosphere

The earth - Biosphere

PHYSICAL COMPONENTS

What are they? Characteristics?

How are they important to human life

and welfare?

a. Soil rocks

b. Water

c. Air

Soil

All kinds of rocks

Weathering becomes soil

Medium for plant growth

Support living and non-living things,

natural and man-made things

Provide areas for construction of

buildings

Water

Very important for life processes

Body of living things comprise mainly of

water eg human >70% water

>70% of planet earth covered with water

Early medium for evolution

Determine climate (eg rainfall/humidity)

Air

Oxygen needed for breathing process

Carbon dioxide for photosynthesis,

carbohydrates

Nitrogen a composition of protein

Upih Guling Endau Rompin, Johor

I. LIVING COMPONENTS

Characteristics and examples

Importance

a. Monera a-f : they form

b. Protista BIODIVERSITY

c. Fungi

d. Plants

e. Animals

f. Man

BIODIVERSITY

Defn : CBD 1991

The variability among living

organisms from all sources including

inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other

aquatic ecosystems and the

ecological complexes of which they

are part; this includes diversity within

species, between species and of

ecosystems (CBD, 1992).

Values of diversity

Utilitarian values : food, medicines, material

structure

Ecological service value : pollinators,

decomposers, watershed, replenishing

oxygen, icon of tourism

Aesthetic value: green color to emotional

development, beauty

Moral value: every living things has the right to

live, uniqueness

Cultural,releigous value: elephant , cow to

hinduism

BIODIVERSITY

Levels : genetic, species, ecosystems

Groups of organisms

Distribution, Endemism

Interactions : Ecological stability

Issues and threats

What do we do?

Level 1 :GENETIC DIVERSITY

Variation at genetic level due to different

arrangement of chromosome

Occur naturally or altered by man

Eg. Brassica oleracea (cabbage)

genetically modified by genetic

engineering cabbage, cauliflower,

broccoli, brussel sprout

White cabbage, purple cabbage

diversity

Genetic

diversity

Level 2 : SPECIES DIVERSITY

Chromosome:Different number & arrangement

About 1.8mill species recorded/named

Estimated 100mill working figure 10mill

Not discovered are mainly small sized

organisms (microbes) eg bacteria, viruses,

algae

Difficult to access habitats eg deep ocean,

canopy

Species diversity

Level 3 :ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY

More diverse eg.Tropical vs arboreal forest

Involve diversity in interactions

More diversity, more interactions more stable

In Malaysia : forest, mangrove, mountain

Types of ecosystems tropical, temperate, polar

Vegetation determine diversity determine

diversity of animals

Vegetation autotrophic depends on solar

radiation for photosynthesis

Ecosystem

diversity

Distribution

Tropics higher diversity than temperate

Lowland higher diversity than highlands

Tropical rainforest 7% global land mass

harbour >50% biodiversity

Marine ecosystems in tropic higher

primary productivity higher diversity

Pic to show tropical rainforest

Distribution of tropical rainforest in the world

Endemism

Certain species of living things only

found in restricted geographical areas

endemics

Eg. Orang utan (Borneo and Sumatra)

Probosis monkey (Borneo)

Zebra (Africa); Panda (China)

Kangaroo (Australia)

Orang utan Pongo pygmaeus Probosis monkey Larvatus

nasalis

ENDEMIC TO BORNEO

Zebra is endemic in Africa

Giraffe is endemic to Africa