CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Microclimates nurture wide varieties of plants and animals. Preivously it was established that microclimate is important to plant for different activities like germination, growth and reproduction.Necessary to plant species for germination, growth and ecological processes, such as photosynthesis, evapotranspiration, nutrient cycling (Rosenberg et al., 1983). Biotic and abiotic process rates are effected by soil temperature and moisture, such as nutrient availability, soil carbon sequestratio, and microbial activity (Fisher and Binkley, 2000). Active microbes and invertebrates along with high temperature and moisture, can also lead to a faster litter decomposition and thus enhance vegetation (Godefroid et al., 2006).
The most important thing in protection and management of habitats and wildlife is vegetation (Ahmad et al., 2012). With the rapid shifting in distribution of species and wide-ranging resulting from ongoing global environmental change, it is probable that in few decades few plant communities will completely disappear and appearance of entirely novel communities will occur (Jennings et al., 2009).
The change of environemetnal conditions may lead to either growth or reduction in the number of species and to changes in floral complosition. (Zielinska, 2007). One of the most important major factors that defines stability and efficient functioning of forest ecosystem is diversity that is required to maintain biodiversity for forest management (Polykov et al., 2008).One the other hand major threat to biodiversity is habitat loss (Mac Donald, 2003) Therefore it is the basic need to assess biodiversity to determine the effects (Agosti et al., 2000). Criteria required to maintain health forest ecosyste...
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...tic conditions measured in localized areas near earth’s surface makes the microclimate (Geiger, 1965). Shirley (1929, 1945) stresses that microclimate is major determinant of all the processes in plant and animal species. Significance of microclimate in influencing ecological processes has gained lot of importance and lead ecological research to new dimensions (Perry, 1994).
1.4 HYPOTHESIS
(a) Flora Species density and diversity are affected by micro climatic variation.
(b) Anthropogenic activities affect the vegetation cover.
1.5 OBJECTIVES
(a) To assess the effect of micro climatic variation on flora species diversity and density.
(b) To study the effect of anthropogenic activities on vegetation cover.
(C) To compare the selected baseline (2009) with the present scenario to extrapolate the modification trends for future management of flora diversity and densities.
Global change is taking place every day; therefore, it is important to understand how human activities and behavior alters the biodiversity and functions of ecosystems. Alien species is a stimulator of major changes in ecosystems (Vila et al. 2011). An invasive species, is a non-native plant, animal, or fungus that moves to a new ecosystem in a foreign environment. Invasive ecology explores how the invasive species affect the economic, environmental, and human health on the new environment. For example, invasive ecology studies how an invasive species tends to crowd out and sometimes replace a native species (Richardson and Pysek 2008).
Landscape fragmentation contributes to loss of migratory corridors, loss of connectivity and natural communities, which all lead to a loss of biodiversity for a region. Conservation of biodiversity must include all levels of diversity: genetic, species, community, and landscape (CNHP 1995). Each complex level is dependent upon and linked to the other levels. In addition, humans are linked to all levels of this hierarchy. A healthy natural and human environment go hand in hand (CNHP 1995). An important step in conservation planning, in order to guarantee both a healthy natural environment as well as a healthy human environment, is recognizing the most endangered elements.
Climate change refers to shifts in the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period of decades or longer (Ziervogel and Zermoglio, 2009). It is the change in average atmospheric behavior, and change in the patterns of variation around this behavior (Rumbach and Kudva, 2011). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared that climate change is unequivocal as evidenced by observed changes in several global and regional climatic indicators (IPCC, 2007). At the country level, climate change refers to observable changes and permutations (undefined geographic variations) of temperature, rainfall and extreme climate events and their single or collective impacts on various agricultural production (Lasco, et al., 2009).
Through millions of years of evolution, well-balanced habitats have co-evolved to provide for the wide variety of species and their needs. Trees have adapted to weeds, weeds have adapted to the predation from herbivores, and so on up the food chain. Similar scenarios are seen throughout the world. Through the process of natural selection, specific species or broad species families will go extinct. However, these occurrences have largely been due to the natural flow and evolution of time. It wasn’t until recently that dominant species, such as humans, have taken the course of nature into their own hands.
Denissen, J. A., Butalid, L., Penke, L., & van Aken, M. G. (2008). The effects of weather on
Climate, weather, and meteorology are 3 words that seem to be the same but in reality differ significantly. Two of these concepts pertain to the atmosphere but differ in what time and place they are studied in, and the last one is studying these concepts.
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the various components of different ecosystems in a smaller representation and study the conditions required for the ecosystem’s sustainability as well as the connections between
One of the most predominate ecosystems is the forest community. Covering about one-fourth of the land area on Earth, forests consist mainly of trees and other woody vegetation, growing closely together. The trees can be large and densely packed, as they are in the coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest, or they can be relatively small and sparsely scattered, as they are in the dry tropical forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Forests are complex ecosystems that also include “soils and decaying organic matter, fungi and bacteria, herbs and shrubs, vines and lichens, ferns and mosses, insects and spiders, reptiles and amphibians, birds and mammals, and many other organisms” (Audesirk, 2003). All of these components constitute an intricate web with many biological interconnections. A bird may depend on the upper branches of a tree for nesting, while the tree may depend on the fungi surrounding its roots to obtain water and nutrients. A forest performs a number of vital environmental services, such as cleansing the air, moderating the climate, filtering water, cycling nutrients, providing a habitat for animals and provides humans with recreation and beautiful scenery. Resources from the forest supply raw materials, such as lumber, paper products, greenery and pharmaceuticals. Some of the developing issues today concerning forests are fires and what we as a society can do to restore the natural ecosystems within the forests around our world. Many aspects are to be considered when looking at the ecology and bioremediation of forests such as, human activities, wildlife, endangerment and environmental changes. This paper will discuss the effect wildfires have on the forest ecosystem.
This dense and luxuriant rainforest has the greatest diversity than any other in Australia and many in the world. The Daintree is also the home of rare and threatened extinct plant and animal species. The importance of this ecosystem is the very high. This ecosystem contributes to the overall health of this plant in many ways. Diversity contributes to the breakdown of pollution and helps to control the climate to name a few.
On the first level, when foreign, but previously non-invasive species is first introduced to a new area, the new species may play a role in a community that was previously unfulfilled; it may fill a vacant niche in the ecosystem. Originally this new species may be seen as a useful contributor to its new surroundings because it has only (temporarily) increased biodiversity in the area (Meinesz, 2003).
Climate Change is any substantial change in climate that lasts for an extended period of time. One contributor to current climate change is global warming, which is an increase in Earth’s average temperature. Plants and animal species throughout the world are being affected by rising temperatures. Many plants are flowering earlier now than they once did; animals, such as the yellowbellied marmot, are emerging from hibernation earlier; and many bird and butterfly species are migrating north and breeding earlier in the spring than they did a few decades ago, all because of slight changes in temperature cues. (Shuster)
In many parts of the world, ecosystems’ temperatures begin to rise and fall to extreme levels making it very difficult for animals and plants to adapt in time to survive. Climate has never been stable here on Earth. Climate is an important environmental influence on ecosystems. Climate changes the impacts of climate change, and affects ecosystems in a variety of ways. For instance, warming could force species to migrate to higher latitudes or higher elevations where temperatures are more conducive to their survival. Similarly, as sea level rises, saltwater intrusion into a freshwater sys...
Loss of biodiversity is an environmental issue that is causing a lot of global concern. Some of the main causes for loss in biodiversity are alteration of habitats, increasing levels of pollution and human population growth. There are measures that are being taken worldwide to prevent loss of biodiversity. Many wildlife sanctuaries have been built worldwide to preserve the lives of various endangered species. However, it is important to remember that every individual has a role in the protection of wildlife and biodiversity. Every human being should play his part of the role by following simple rules such as stopping others from the hunting of endangered species, preventing deforestation, encouraging reforestation and creating awareness among fellow human beings.
The Earth is far and away the most biodiverse planet in our solar system, with about 8.7 million more unique species than the other 8 planets (UNEP). However, the Earth’s commanding lead is shrinking; not because the other planets are increasing biodiversity, but because Earth’s is decreasing. According to the World Wildlife Fund, we as a planet are losing 1,000 to 10,000 more species than the natural rate. Since the total number of species is hard to pin down, this can mean anywhere from 200 to 10,000 species going extinct per year (World Wildlife Fund). This obscenely high extinction rate is dangerous not just to ecosystems directly affected by the loss, but also creates a domino effect that circles around the globe and up and down the food
Today biodiversity is being depleted by the loss of habitat, fragmentation of habitat, over exploitation of resources, human sponsored ecosystems , climatic changes, shifting cultivation, poaching of wild life etc. Biodiversity includes various other important things and services such as cultural, recreational, and spiritual nourishment that play a major role in maintaining our personal life as well as social life and since the human beings are enjoying all the benefits from biodiversity, they should take proper care for the preservation of biodiversity in all its form and good health for the future generation. We should conserve biodiversity because of its benefit for example services and biological resources which are essential to live our life on earth and maintain it at its threshold level and derive sustainable benefits for the present and future generation. Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach for preservation of biodiversity. Ever since the Conservation of Biodiversity has gained tremendous importance worldwide, steps have been taken for its