AE 130

Prepares by: ER Lapong, AE Department, MSU-GSC

ECOLOGY, ECOSYSTEM, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND

PROTECTION, POLLUTION, WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

Earth Science

- The study of planet Earth as a whole .

- It covers mining and interaction of minerals and gems, the prediction of weather
and earthquakes, the pollution of the atmosphere and the forces that shape the
physical world.

Environmental Science

- The study of the interaction among physical, chemical and biological

components of the environment (surroundings).

- It focuses on pollution and dreadful conditions of the environment related to

human activities and their impact on biodiversity and sustainability.

Ecosystem

- Is the interaction of living organisms with their sorroundings.

- On land, it ordinarily consist of an assemblage of animals and plants that
interact each other and with a set of soil, water and air resources,
producing a self-sustaining community.
- system composed of the flora, fauna and all non-living things in a single
place

Ecology

- The field of science that analyzes the functioning of the ecosystem.

When the interaction become unbalanced because of some disturbances,
the resultant displacement of the ecosystems linkages and relationship
may markedly reduced (degrade) the system lifes-supporting capabilities.
Chronic damage to soil, water, or air, as a result of some kind of human
disturbances re the most common causes of degradation.
- The study of the relationship among organisms and the environment in
which they live, including all living and non-living components.
Environmental Degradation

Is the process of the reduction of the ecosystems capacity to support a constant

quality of life.

FOUR (4) FACTORS IN MAINTENANCE OF A TERRESTIAL ECOSYSTEM

1. WATER QUALITY

- All familiar form of ife depend on hydrogen and oxygen, primarily obtained
from the splitting (hydrolizing) of water molecules.
- Water,stored in the forms of oceans,seas,lakes,rivers,covers more than
2/3 of the earths surface.It is also stored in polar icecaps and glaciers
(2nd largest water source), in subsurface grounwater, and in the
atmosphere (vapor and droplets).
- Water is the single most effecient solvent on earth,therefore,almost any
nutrients or pollutants can end up in water.

Excess Nutrients.
The two most widely cited indicators of water quality are the contained levels
of dissolved Nitrogen and Phosphorous.These two elements are required for the
successful photosynthesis.
Major source of excess nitrogen and phosphorous in the water supply is the
runoff of inorganic ,or mineral,and fertilizer from cultivated areas.

Bacteria
Bodies of water could also be degraded by abnormally high levels of certain
kinds of intestinal bacteria,known collectively as coliform bacteria ,usually due to
fecal contamination .Exceeding high coliform bacteria counts can result from
dumping of untreated sewage, runoff of bacteria-nourishing,chemicals from
residential and commercial activities, or runoff from land concerned with large
amount of animal droppings (boracay example).

Quantity

Although it is the chemical and biogical measurements generally defined

water quality, an equally important aspects is the quantity of an ecosystems water
resource.

Habitat drying always result from human activity, destruction of the natural
vegetative ground cover, and over-exploitation of groundwater through the needles
drilling and use of wells.
Water Quality Indicators

1. Physical Characteristics Sediments, Water Temperature, etc.

2. Dissolved oxygen constituents Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of

bio-degradable materials in water, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) for

complete chemical oxidation using strong oxidizing agents; COD can be
determined quickly since it does need bacterial action like in BOD

3. Presence of Other Chemicals Pesticides, etc.

4. Bacteriological Quality quantity of bacteria present

2. SOIL QUALITY
- 98% of the food in the world comes from the land.
- Soil quality maybe degraded by: a) urbanization b)erosion.

Urbanization - conversion of arable soil and farmlands for residential, commercial

and industrial use.

Erosion - effect of poor land management, and is the major factor in the
degradation of soil equality.

-removal of topsoil at 25 times the rate it can be found in natute, and

topsoil is where vital organic ompounds are stored until recycles by plant
life.

PRACTICES THAT LEADS TO EROSION:

1. Destructive cultivation
- practices as too frequent plowing, planting in step slope w/o tracing and
cultivating and exposing large areas of soil.

2. Overgrazing and Deforestation

-destruction of natures vegetative cover soil, leaving it unprotected fro wind
and water erosion.
-occur as responses to increase pressure to feed increasing population.

3. Salinization
-direct result of overuse of irrigation in areas that have high evaporation rate.
Salts that are naturally present in water are left behind as the water
dessipates.

4. Direct Chemical Contamination-

-toxic waste and landfill contmination due to leakage, illegal roadside dumping,
poor disposal of toxic waste, radioactive fallout.
3. AIR QUALITY
The earths atmosphere is a complex mixture of gases, including water, that
has evolved into present composition through uses of physical and chemical
reactions and boitic contributions.

The atmosphere also act as blanket, maintaining a life-supported temperature

range on earth, and as a shield, reducing or blocking radiation from space that
would otherwise be lethal to most life-forms.

a) Contamination- result of combustion-vapor and particular matter

suspended in smoke.
b) Emission of poison- most obvious kind of atmospheric degradation that
directly injure of destroy life. Release of CFCs used as acrosol propellants,
refrigerants, such as chlorine oxide and cleaning solvents.

4. BIODIVERSITY
Refers to the richness of species in a given area or period of time. A reduction
of biodiversity, that is, reduction in number of species forming the segments of
\n ecological web, is an indicator of envvironmenta degradation.

Natural Cycles Necessary for Environmental Stability

1. Water Cycle

2. Carbon Cycle

3. Nitrogen Cycle

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

-the future of environmental conservartion is on marginal ecosystem: wetlands,

arid habitats, and rain forest.

A) WETLANDS

- includes freshwater wetlands and coastal tidal zones (transition areas

between sea and shore ecosystem)

Tidal zones- marshes functions as nurseries for many marine animals. And
both tidal zones and freshwater wetland provide refuge for birds aalong seasonal
migration routes.

Wetlands also acts a filtration system for natural and synthetic pollutants and
toxins before contaminating water resources.

B) ARID (desert) and SEMI-ARID (sahel) HABITATS

 SAHEL- region that lies between severe arid regions and vegetated region
(savannah)

- Faces a great problem of desertification

Kinds of Vegetation

a. Rainforest- broadleaf anf needleleaf

b. Desert
c. Tundra- vast treeless plain in subpolar climatic zone
d. Grassland
Savannah-tropical grassland
Prairie-both tall and small grasses
Steppes- short and sparse grasses

C) RAIN FOREST

-the marginal habitat that represents the clearest case of global environmental
interdependence. Usually in South America (Brazil) and part of Southern Africa.
Rainforest play a major role in the maintenance of a livable atmosphere. Plants
naturally consumes CO2 and give off oxygen during photosyntheis. If the size of
rainforest is radically reduced, the cosequent changes in the proportion of these
gases in the atmosphere cold have a devastating effect on life. Rainforest
preservation maybe the best means of recycling excess carbons that has been
released into the atmosphere by pollution from industrial sources. Destruction is
usually due to harvesting of natural products, slash and burn farming, trees for
firewood, conversion into industrial and manufacturing sites.

Conservation effect:

1) cleaning the environment

2) proper waste disposal

3) allowing natural process of resource renewal

4) pollution control

5) sound management of resources

Climate Change Indicators

1. Global warming & heat wave

2. El Nio & La Nia phenomena
 3. Changing typhoon and flooding patterns
4. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes
5. Flora and fauna extinctions (fish kills, etc.)

OZONE HOLE:
Ozone layer is not truly a layer stratified into a seperate band. Ozone
molecules are present troughout the atmosphere at a ratio of 1:100,000 with other
molecules. They are abundant in the region 6-35 miles (10-40km) above earth
surface.

Ozone hole is somewhat imprecise term referring to reduction of ozone

molecules that take place in Antartica and Northern hemisphere.

Increase of Ultra Violet radiation may cause skin cancer, cataract in human, and
damage agricultural crops and natural ecosystems.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT & GLOBAL WARMINGS:

Tremendous amounts of carbon are released into the atmosphere through the
burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) and vegetation (firewood). Some of this
carbons remains in a particulate form, in minute particles that can block out sunlight,
reducing the light available for the process of photosynthesis. Much of the release
carbon binds with oygen, forming CO2, w/c not only reduces the amount of free
oxygen available to form ozone but also add to the heat- trapping capacity of the
atmosphere. The trapped heat raises the ambient temperature of the earth surface, a
phenomenon known as to Greenhouse Effect.

The greenhouse effect however is not new. An insulating blanket of

atmosphre has been a natural and essential part of earth life processes for more
than a billion years. It is estimated tht the natural greenhouse effect would keep the
earth an overall average of 59 degree Farenheit (33 degree celsius) warmer than it
would be w/o an insulating atmosphere.

Estimated carbon emission (industries, automobiles,burning) is estimated to

be at 7 billion tons/year, a 15% increase since 1958, thereby increasing the
atmosphere carbon dioxide from 30/100 of 1% to 35/10 of 1%.

Some mathematical models estimated (based with increased of carbon

dioxide and atmospheric carbon) or projected a realtively rapid average global
warming as high as 9F (5C) resulting over the next 100 years in the destruction of
natural habitats and agricultural regios, and in the melting of polar icecaps, with
consequent flooding in coastal cities.
ACID RAIN

Pure rain is slightly acidic because of the CO2, w/c when reacts to rainwater,
form a weak carbonic acid (pH of 5-6) which represent the eqilibrium between water
and the atmospheric concentration of CO2.

However, rain never has been truly pure nd actually has pH w/c varies from
4.9 to 6.5 with average 5.0 in temperate zones.

Acid Rainis generally defused as rain with an average pH less than 5.0
Atmospheric pollution with high levels of sulfur and nitrogen oxides can increase rain
acidity to pH of 4.0 which is below the point that most forms of life can tolerate.

Some Environmental Hazards and Their Management

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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS MANAGEMENT
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1. Farm waste - manure Biogas Production

2. Ozone layer depletion Reforestation*

Use of renewable energy systems
Reduced CFC usage

3. Global warming Reforestation

Controlled logging
Use of renewable energy systems
Reduced CFC usage
Urban greening

4. El Nio phenomenon Reforestation

Reduced CFC usage

5. La Nia phenomenon Reforestation

Reduced CFC usage

6. Soil erosion Cover cropping

Contour farming

7. Forest destruction Reduced slash & burn cultivation

Controlled logging

8. Acid rain Use of renewable energy systems

9. Smog (smoke and fog) Use of renewable energy systems

10. Land slides Controlled logging

Reforestation

11. Heat wave Reforestation

 Reduced CFC usage

12. Sea level rise Reforestation

Reduced CFC usage
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-- *Most effective environmental control

The 4 Rs in Environmental Management (Formerly 3 Rs)

1. Reduce - reduce usage of potential pollutants

2. Reuse - reuse and reuse until its unusable
3. Recycle - recycle unusable things
4. Refuse refuse usage of unnecessary materials (latest addition)