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SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019

TS-5 ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM
Course Code: TS-5
Assignment Code: TS-5/TMA/2019
Maximum Marks: 100
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Q1 DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS TYPES OF BIOMES IN THE WORLD.

ANSWER:-
VARIOUS TYPES OF BIOMES IN THE WORLD:
1. Desert Biome:
A desert usually has less than 25 cm of rain per year. Desert are also characterized by intense
sunshine and very hot days (40°C and upward) at least during summer; and the evaporation
rate is very high. Nights are generally cold, even in summers, and daily variations in
temperature reach extremes found in no other environment. Desert life is usually well adapted
to the dry weather.
2. Grassland Biome:
In a grassland biome, the vegetation is dominated by grasses, which may grow to about 2 m in
the moist areas and 0.2 m in arid regions of the grassland biome. It is not an exclusively
tropical biome but extends into much of the temperate zone as well. The more or less
synonymous terms “prairie” (in North America), “pampas” (South America), “steppes” (in
Central Asia) “puszta” (Hungary) and many other regional terms underscore the wide
distribution of this biome.
3. Rain Forest Biome:
They occur in those tropical and subtropical parts where torrential rains fall practically every
day and where a well-defined rainy season characterizes the winter. Rain forests exhibit a
communal coexistence of up to several hundred different species of trees. They cover much

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of Central Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America.

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However, in contrast to rain forests in the tropics, the species diversity of temperate rain
forests is quite low. A tropical rain forest generally has a hundred or more species of trees, and
as many as 500 have been observed m one such forest. Two trees of the same species seldom
stand near each other. However, the actual species present may be totally different in rain
forests found in widely separated regions of the earth.
4. Deciduous Forest Biome:
In the temperate zones such as Europe, eastern Asia, southern Canada and eastern part of
United States, the most characteristic biome is the deciduous forest. Tropical deciduous
forests also occur in many tropical parts of the world. The fundamental climatic conditions of a
deciduous forest biome are cold winters, warm summers, and well spaced rains bringing about
75 to 100 cm of precipitation per year. The biome is also characterized by seasonal
temperature variations, which are greater than daily variations.

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Winter makes the growing season discontinuous, and the flora is adapted to this. The
temperate deciduous forests cover many parts of the United States, the British Isles, Central
Europe, China and south-eastern Siberia. Similar forests also occur in the Temperate Zone of
South America, but they are not so widespread there.
5. Taiga Biome:
North of the deciduous forests and the grasslands across northern Europe, Siberia, and
Canada, stretches the taiga (northern coniferous forest biome). It is also called the boreal
forest biome. This is a biome of long, severe winters and of growing seasons limited largely to
the few months of summer. The vegetation is extremely frost-tolerant, as temperatures may
fall to – 60° C during the winter. The precipitation is in the range of 40-100 cm. Hardy conifers,
spruce in particular, are most representative of the flora; and moose, wolves, and bears of the
fauna.
6. Tundra Biome:
In Asia, Europe, and North America a vast northern zone encircling the Arctic Ocean is known
as the tundra. This biome lies north of the taiga. The tundra has the arctic climate, which is
cold, and there may be continuous night during the winter season and continuous daylight, of
comparatively low intensity, during the summer. Some distance below the surface, the ground
is permanently frozen.
Q2 WHAT IS RESOURCE PARTITIONING? EXPLAIN ITS ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
ANSWER:-
RESOURCE PARTITIONING:
When species divide a niche to avoid competition for resources, it is called resource
partitioning. The timed entry tickets or bunk beds are similar to the way other species share
food supplies or space in the wild. Animals and plants may evolve to reproduce at different
times of the year, feed at different times of the day or night, or use a different part of a forest
or different depths of a lake.
Scientists disagree on how resource partitioning should be viewed, however. Some believe
that having a special adaptation, such as a habit of eating at night, or an extra-long tongue that
can reach the biggest termites in a termite mound, is part of the definition of resource
partitioning. Some would say partitioning is partitioning regardless of how it became that way.
Not all competition in nature is alike. Competition between species is called interspecific

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competition. An example of that would be two species of hummingbirds in a tropical

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rainforest, each using flower nectar as their main source of food. But, individuals of the same
species can compete with each other also. That is intraspecific competition. Two tigers
defining and defending their territories would be a good example of how individuals of the
same species compete. Both the hummingbirds and the tigers are partitioning the resource
they are competing for.
Examples of Resource Partitioning
Resource partitioning helps to explain how so many species of animals and plants can live in
places like tropical rain forests. Many species have very specific ways they use a resource; so
while it seems like many would be directly competing for the same things, they are often
adapted for a very narrow piece of the resource pie.
On the island of Puerto Rico, two species of Anolis lizards compete for food or insects. Anolis
evermanni and Anolis gundlachi both share the forest and the insects, but one species,

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gundlachi, hangs out within a couple meters of the ground, and the evermanni generally feeds
in the branches above two meters.
The concept of resource partitioning, as originally developed, relates to evolutionary change in
species in response to selection pressures generated by interspecific competition. More
recently it has taken on another meaning, one that is not defined in terms of evolutionary
function, and which refers simply to differences in resource use between species regardless
of the origins of the differences. Such a shift in usage has several drawbacks for ecological
theory, which are discussed. Of most practical significance to ecologists is the inappropriate
justification conferred on the continued use of a category that contains characters that are
not equivalents. Ecologists are therefore frequently in the position of explaining the presence
of species in an area by reference to the by-products of their adaptive evolution.
Where resources in an environment are limited, different species have evolved to "share" the
specific resource, for example: large herbivores such as zebra and wildebeest will live together
in herds in the African bushveld. They are both grazers, but feed on different parts of the grass
plants. Space may also be shared in a similar way.
Q3 HOW IS TOURISM RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT? EXPLAIN THE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE
TWO.
ANSWER:-
Physical impacts of tourism development
 Construction activities and infrastructure development
The development of tourism facilities such as accommodation, water supplies, restaurants and
recreation facilities can involve sand mining, beach and sand dune erosion, soil erosion and
extensive paving. In addition, road and airport construction can lead to land degradation and
loss of wildlife habitats and deterioration of scenery.
 Deforestation and intensified or unsustainable use of land
Construction of ski resort accommodation and facilities frequently requires clearing forested
land. Coastal wetlands are often drained and filled due to lack of more suitable sites for
construction of tourism facilities and infrastructure. These activities can cause severe
disturbance and erosion of the local ecosystem, even destruction in the long term.

Physical impacts from tourist activities

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Trampling Tourists using the same trail over and over again trample the vegetation and soil,

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eventually causing damage that can lead to loss of biodiversity and other impacts. Such
damage can be even more extensive when visitors frequently stray off established trails.
 Anchoring and other marine activities
In marine areas (around coastal waters, reefs, beach and shoreline, offshore waters, uplands
and lagoons) many tourist activities occur in or around fragile ecosystems. Anchoring,
snorkeling, sport fishing and scuba diving, yachting, and cruising are some of the activities that
can cause direct degradation of marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, and subsequent
impacts on coastal protection and fisheries.
 Alteration of ecosystems by tourist activities
Habitat can be degraded by tourism leisure activities. For example, wildlife viewing can bring
about stress for the animals and alter their natural behavior when tourists come too close.
Safaris and wildlife watching activities have a degrading effect on habitat as they often are
accompanied by the noise and commotion created by tourists as they chase wild animals in

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their trucks and aircraft. This puts high pressure on animal habits and behaviors and tends to
bring about behavioral changes. In some cases, as in Kenya, it has led to animals becoming so
disturbed that at times they neglect their young or fail to mate.
Tourism contributes both positively and negatively to the environment, and conservationists
are still trying to figure its net effect on the environment. Negative effects of tourism include
increased pollution, an increased carbon footprint and the stress placed on the native plants,
animals and ecosystems. Positive benefits of tourism include increased awareness of the
plight of many species and increase in capital that flows into conservation organizations.
Tourism imparts different stresses on different geographic locations. Tourists who travel to
cities with high populations do not cause much of a noticeable effect on the environment, as
the relative impact created by the tourists is low. By contrast, when tourists travel to isolated
and sparsely populated areas, they create a relatively high impact on the location. For
example, a group of 10 tourists that visit New York City have little to no effect on the crowded
metropolis, but a group of 10 tourists that visit a small island country may cause a significant
effect on the local habitats.
Tourists increase the amount of pollution in any given habitat. Additionally, the tourists draw
resources away from the location, especially the local water and food. Tourists also consume
significant amounts of fuel in their travels, in the form of taxis, boats and planes.
Q5 WRITE A DETAILED NOTE A POLITICS ON ENVIRONMENT.
ANSWER:-
Politics greatly affects the environment.
The government can control a lot of ways we affect the environment:

It controls what land we may use. It can parcel out millions of acres as national parks, or
incentivize people to develop land.
Certain parties favor development, while others are more ecological
 The government can favor certain industries, through tariffs, subsidies, and regulations.
Certain industries pollute more than others. Certain industries directly reduce pollution.
 The government can set environmental standards.
Again, this can be a partisan issue. What should we regulate? Which industries should we
target? Should we even bother?

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 Environmental and climate treaties can be signed with other nations

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These require negotiations between nations, citizens, and business to work. And there are
many conflicts present
 Direct emissions controls can be enacted
How will this be enforced? How draconian will this be? And of course, certain parties don’t
support this.
The government can control a lot of our actions, whether we like it or not. The question is what
will it control, and how the controlling will be done. This last question is answered through
politics.
There are quite a few definitions of the word Environment. But all can be affected by politics.
1, Social Environment.
What is accepted and not accepted can be altered by what politicians say ans what laws are
passed.
2, Political Environment

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The opinions of everyone from janitors to businessmen can be inspired by the rhetoric of well
spoken politicians, while those with bad rhetoric are forgotten. Both inspiration and forget can
lead to a change in the minds of voters for democracies and the minds of the appointers for
other systems.
3, “Environment Environment”
Probably the one intended in the answer. Politics can dictate land usage, pollution, regulations,
bans, and allowances for individuals and corporations. Thus endangered species can be
protected in national parks, if desired, or purposefully hunted down, if desired. Politics
determine the laws citizens passively act by, and politics can create active action too.
4, Economic Environment
Politics can alter schooling, give opportunities to the poor, and help develop those less
privileged so that they have a better environment for success. Furthermore, recession,
regulation, and workers’ rights can also alter the environment one finds them-selves in
regarding economic endeavors.
Collectively speaking, assemblies of humans, or governments, are currently engaged in
affecting the web of lifeforms that we call the “environment.” Since politics affects the
disposition of governments, and how those governments can and will affect the environment,
it is important for all human beings on the planet to voluntarily influence governments to act
responsibly when it comes to ensuring a future that includes a healthy environment.
Q6 WRITE SHORT NOTE ON:
A. BIODIVERSITY
ANSWER:-
Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity typically measures
variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. Terrestrial biodiversity is usually greater
near the equator, which is the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity.
Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth, and is richest in the tropics. These tropical
forest ecosystems cover less than 10 percent of earth's surface, and contain about 90 percent
of the world's species. Marine biodiversity is usually highest along coasts in the Western
Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest, and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans.
There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity. Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in
hotspots, and has been increasing through time, but will be likely to slow in the future.

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"Biodiversity" is most commonly used to replace the more clearly defined and long established

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terms, species diversity and species richness.
B. ECO-TONE
ANSWER:-
An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes. It is where two communities meet and
integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest)
or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems). An ecotone may appear
on the ground as a gradual blending of the two communities across a broad area, or it may
manifest itself as a sharp boundary line.

The word ecotone was coined from a combination of eco-tone, from the Greek tonos or
tension – in other words, a place where ecologies are in tension.
There are several distinguishing features of an ecotone. First, an ecotone can have a sharp
vegetation transition, with a distinct line between two communities. For example, a change in

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colors of grasses or plant life can indicate an ecotone. Second, a change in physiognomy
(physical appearance of a plant species) can be a key indicator. Water bodies, such as
estuaries, can also have a region of transition, and the boundary is characterized by the
differences in heights of the macrophytes or plant species present in the areas because this
distinguishes the two areas' accessibility to light.
C. FOOD CHAIN
ANSWER:-
A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms (such
as grass or trees which use radiation from the Sun to make their food) and ending at apex
predator species (like grizzly bears or killer whales), detritivores (like earthworms or woodlice),
or decomposer species (such as fungi or bacteria). A food chain also shows how the
organisms are related with each other by the food they eat. Each level of a food chain
represents a different trophic level. A food chain differs from a food web, because the
complex network of different animals' feeding relations are aggregated and the chain only
follows a direct, linear pathway of one animal at a time. Natural interconnections between
food chains make it a food web. A common metric used to the quantify food web trophic
structure is food chain length. In its simplest form, the length of a chain is the number of links
between a trophic consumer and the base of the web and the mean chain length of an entire
web is the arithmetic average of the lengths of all chains in a food web.
D. WETLANDS
ANSWER:-
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is inundated by water, either permanently or seasonally,
where oxygen-free processes prevail. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from
other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to
the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a number of functions, including water purification, water
storage, processing of carbon and other nutrients, stabilization of shorelines, and support of
plants and animals. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all
ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life. Whether any individual
wetland performs these functions, and the degree to which it performs them, depends on
characteristics of that wetland and the lands and waters near it. Methods for rapidly assessing
these functions, wetland ecological health, and general wetland condition have been

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developed in many regions and have contributed to wetland conservation partly by raising

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public awareness of the functions and the ecosystem services some wetlands provide.

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