ENVIROMENTAL

INTERRELATIONSHIPS
BHEA CLARIZE RICALDE
 ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS:
• ECOLOGY:
The study of ways of organisms interacts with each other and with their
surroundings.
• ENVIRONMENT:
Everything that affects an organism during its lifetime is collectively known as
its environment, which contains abiotic (nonliving) and biotic (living) factors.

ABIOTIC FACTORS: BIOTIC FACTORS:

Nonliving things that influence an Include all forms of life with
organism, including energy, nonliving which it interacts.
matter, living space, and process that
involves the interactions of nonliving
matter and energy.
• ENERGY:
Required by all organisms to maintain
themselves.
LIMITING FACTORS:
• ULTIMATE SOURCE: Sun A shortage or absence of a factor
• PLANTS: can restrict the success of the
species is known as a limiting
Directly use sun by photosynthesis of sugar.
factor, which may be abiotic or
• ANIMALS: biotic and can be quite different
Obtain energy by eating plant. from one species to the other
species.
• MATTER:
Provide the structural framework of organisms,
which obtain these materials from environment. Example:
• ATOMS: • PLANTS
• ANIMALS
In form of matter, which become part of an
organism’s body structure for a short period and • AQUATIC SPECIES
eventually all of them are returned to the
environment through respiration, excretion, or
death and decay.
• SPACE:
The place organisms inhabit that has a
particular structure and location.
 INTERACTIONS
ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANISMS
• Habitat: The place an organism lives
• Niche: The functional role an organism has in its surroundings.
• Genes: The distinct pieces of DNA that determines the
characteristics an individual display.
• Population: Organisms of the same kind found within a specific
geographic region. Individuals will have very similar sets of
genes but there are some variations. Genes are passed from one
generation to the next by reproduction.
• Species: A population of all the organisms potentially capable of
reproducing naturally among themselves or interbreeding and
having fertile offspring. Usually requires specific conditions.
•  Extinction: The loss of an entire species and is a common
feature of the evolution of organisms.
 ECOSYSTEM:
A define space in which interactions take place between a
community, with all its complex interrelationship and the
physical environment. The physical world has a major impact
on what kinds of plants and animals can live in an area.

COEVOLUTION:
The concept that two or more species of organisms can
reciprocally influence the evolution of other organisms.
• Predation
• Competition
 Symbiotic Relationship
 MAJOR TYPES OF COMMUNITY
INTERACTION
PREDATION
• is a relationship in which members of one
species (the predator) consume members
of other species (the prey).
• Predators may or may not kill their prey
prior to feeding on it, but the act of
predation often results in the death of the
prey and the eventual absorption of the
prey's tissue through digestion.
• Predation refers to an interaction between
two organisms, predator and prey, where
there is a flow of energy from one to
another. The prey usually suffers a loss of
energy and fitness, with a commensurate
gain in energy for the predator.
 PREDATION
Intraspecific Competition

Intraspecific Competition:
Competition between members of the species.
• Ex. Intraspecific competition for sunlight among
pine trees results in the tall, straight trunks.
Interspecific Competition:
Competition between members of different
species.
• Ex. Hawks, foxes, owls, and coyotes may
compete the same prays.
 COMPETITION

• is a relationship between
organisms that strive for the same
limited resources. The resources
might be food, nesting sites, or
territory.
• both within and between species is
an important topic in ecology,
especially community ecology.
• among members of the same
species is known as intraspecific
competition, while competition
between individuals of different
species is known as interspecific
competition.
 SYMBIOSIS
• is a close association between
two species in which at least
one species benefits. For the
other species, the outcome of
the association may be positive,
negative, or neutral.
• any type of a close and long-
term biological
interaction between two
different biological organisms,
be
it mutualistic, commensalistic,
or parasitic.
MUTUALISM
• is a symbiotic relationship in which both
species benefit.
• In such in mutuaslitic relationship, the two
partners are often referred to as the
symbionts
COMMENSALISM
• is a symbiotic relationship in which one
species benefits while the other species is not
affected.
• one animal typically uses another for a
purpose other than food.
PARASITISM
• a symbiotic relationship in which one species
(the parasite) benefits while the other species
(the host) is harmed.
 MAJOR ROLES OF ORGANISMS IN ECOSYSTEMS

PRODUCERS: Organisms that able to use sources of energy to make

complex, organic molecules from simple inorganic substances in their
environment.
Ex. Plants, algae, phytoplankton, etc.
CONSUMERS: Organisms that require organic matters as a source of food
to provide themselves with energy and the organic molecules necessary to build
their own bodies.
Primary consumers (i.e. HERBIVORES): animals that eat producers as a
source of food. (Cows, horses, etc.)
Secondary consumers (i.e. CARNIVORES): animals that eat other animals.
(Eagles, lions, etc.)
OMNIVORES: Animals that eat both plants and animals.
SCAVENGER: Eats meat but often gets it from dead animals.
PARASITES: Living in or on another organisms and gets food from it.
DECOMPOSERS: Organisms that use nonliving organic matter as a source of
energy and raw materials to build their bodies. (Bacteria, fungi, small animals,
etc.)
 PRODUCERS
• Organisms that are able to make their
own food using abiotic elements in the
ecosystem.
• PRODUCERS are the source of all food in
a ecosystem
• They use sunlight to make a food
CONSUMERS

HERBIVORE
- An organism that eats plants only

CARNIVORE
- An organism that eats other animals only

OMNIVORE
- An organism that eats both plants and animals
 FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB
• Food Chain: A series of organisms
occupying different tropic levels through
which energy passes as a result of one
organism consuming another.
 Food Web: When several food chains
overlap and intersect.
 THE ROLE OF PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS

1) Construct proteins, DNA, and other important

nitrogen-containing compounds.
2) When herbivores eat plants, the plant protein
molecules are broken down to amino acid, a
smaller building block.
3) Amino acids are reassembled to form proteins
typical for the herbivores.
4) Same process is repeated throughout the food
chain.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Human-Environmental Interactions

ELDEN RICK TANES

 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE:
- It is all the problems we have are
considered to be problems globally.

CAR EXHAUST DESTRUCTION OF COAL BURNING

FOREST
 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CONCERNS:

Biosphere
The layer on the earth where life exists. The region is 8 Km
above the earth's surface. and 8 Km below the earth's surface
(about 5 miles above and 5 miles below). This layer is very fragile
to environmental problems.
Developed Countries
Countries that are highly industrialize, have high incomes
and well structured governments and medical facilities. Ex.
USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Western
Europe
Developing Countries
Countries that are not industrialized, relatively low income,
low medical facilities, poor governments. Ex. Malaysia, Mexico,
and South Korea
 TWO ROOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS:
Population Crisis: This is where the population grows beyond what
the earth can support.

Consumption Crisis: We are using up, wasting, or polluting our

natural resources faster then they can be renewed, replaced or
cleaned.
 TROPICAL RAINFOREST- A
SPECIAL CASE?
WHAT IS TROPICAL RAINFOREST?
- The Tropical Rainforest is a forest occurring in tropical areas of heavy rainfall. It is
abundant with many species of wildlife and vegetation. Rainforests cover less than two
percent of the Earth's surface. They are home to some 50 to 70 percent of all life forms on
our planet. Rainforests are the most productive and most complex ecosystems on Earth.

WHERE ARE TROPICAL RAINFOREST FOUND?

Tropical rainforests are located around the equator where temperatures stay near 80
degrees year round. Rainforests receive 160 to 400 inches (400-1000 cm) of rain each
year. The largest rainforests are in Brazil (South America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia
(South East Asia). Other tropical rainforest places are in Hawaii and the islands of the
Pacific & Caribbean.
 TROPICAL STRUCTURE OF
RAINFOREST MAP VEGETATION IN THE
GUIDE RAINFOREST
 What is the impact of humans on the
tropical rainforest?
Deforestation (cutting down trees) is a major problem caused by humans
in the tropical rainforest. Global Rates of Deforestation:
• 2.47 acres (1 hectare) per second: equivalent to two U.S. football fields
• 150 acres (60 hectares) per minute
• 214,000 acres (86,000 hectares) per day: an area larger than New York City
• 78 million acres (31 million hectares) per year: an area larger than Poland
PROTECTING OLD GROWTH TEMPERATE
RAINFOREST OF THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST
Forests contribute to the
A major benefit of old- atmosphere in two ways: they
growth forests is clean actively remove carbon through
water that is low in photosynthesis as they
sediments or simultaneously release oxygen,
contaminant such as the and they store enormous
herbicides commonly amounts of carbon in their
used in industrial biomass.
forestry. Shaded, cold After the enactment of the
water provides perfect Northwest Forest Plan, and with
habitat for fish. the subsequent reduction of
logging on federal lands,
northwestern forests changed
from a source of atmospheric
carbon pollution to a carbon
sink that removes carbon from
the atmosphere and safely
stores it in old forests.
Logging
Commercial logging is the major cause of primary rainforest destruction in South
East Asia and Africa. World wide, it is responsible for the destruction of 5 million ha. per
year. Logging roads enable landless people to enter the forest. In Africa, 75% of land being
cleared by peasant farmers is land that has been previously logged.

Slash and burn

Most clearances are still by the local people and tribes needing land on which to
grow crops. They clear the forest by ‘slash and burn’. Vegetation is cut down and then
burned. The ash acts like a fertilizer adder nutrients to the soil. When the soil begins to turn
infertile (usually after 3-5 years) the people move on. This is called shifting cultivation. It is
a sustainable method of farming in the rainforest. It ensures the forest will recover.

Mining
The mining of iron ore, bauxite , gold, oil and other minerals have benefited
many LEDCs. However, it has also devastated large areas of rainforest e.g. The Amazon.
 Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Temperate deciduous forests are located in the mid-
latitude areas which means that they are found
between the polar regions and the tropics. The
deciduous forest regions are exposed to warm and
cold air masses, which cause this area to have four
seasons. The temperature varies widely from season
to season with cold winters and hot, wet summers.
The average yearly temperature is about 10°C. The
areas in which deciduous forests are located get
about 750 to 1,500 mm of precipitation spread fairly
evenly throughout the year.
• During the fall, trees change color and then lose
their leaves. This is in preparation for the winter
season. Because it gets so cold, the trees have
adapted to the winter by going into a period of
dormancy or sleep. They also have thick bark to
protect them from the cold weather. Trees flower
and grow during the spring and summer growing
season.
 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS
Fire and Pathogen Threats
Parasites and pathogens can have large scale effects on life forms of all types including
deciduous forests. For example, the EPA reports that a chestnut blight once "completely restructured
North American temperate deciduous forests." Pathogens may also cause the loss of some or all
members in a native species. Wildlife recreation and other human activities near forests may lead to
fire which could cause pathogen levels in forests to increase.
Climate Change Changes Things
Thirty three percent of the country's land consists of forests. Climate change affects the growth
of those forests and can impact their productivity. Warming from higher atmospheric carbon dioxide
levels can make growing seasons longer and cause some areas to experience more droughts. Warmer
weather may also change the rate at which insect infestations, and cause destructive storms occur.
While some forests may recover from these types of problems others may not. Wild fires resulting
from warmer weather are also a threat, especially during drought.
Deciduous Forest Facts
In addition to deforestation and overgrazing, agricultural practices have deciduous forests exist
around the world. They were also some of the first forests that people converted to agricultural use.
Broad leaves on trees in temperate deciduous forests help provide shade for shrubs and other plants
on the ground. While a wide variety of animals and birds found homes in these forests, their
populations dwindle as humans continue to remove the trees and use the land for other purposes.
 NORTHERN CONIFEROUS FOREST:
The northern coniferous forest biome
occupies a vast area below the tundra, extending
completely across Canada and into interior
Alaska. The biome is also referred to as the boreal
forest or taiga.
Compared to the arctic tundra, the climate of
the boreal forest is characterized by a longer and
warmer growing season. Precipitation averages
20 inches per year, but ranges from 40 inches in
the eastern regions to 10 inches in interior Alaska.
The diversity of tree species in the boreal forest is
quite low, with black spruce (Picea mariana), larch
or tamarack (Larix laricina), and white spruce (P.
glauca) the most common species. The former
two species generally occupy wet sites with
poorly drained mineral or organic soils, while
white spruce is the climatic climax species on sites
that are drier and higher in nutrient content.
Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) is a dominant tree
species in the eastern half of the biome.
 MAJOR AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS:
MARINE ECOSYSTEM
Are among the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. Examples include salt marshes,
intertidal zones, estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, coral reefs, the deep sea, and the sea
floor. They can be contrasted with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt
content. Marine ecosystems usually have a large biodiversity and are therefore thought
to have a good resistance against invasive species. However, exceptions have been
observed, and the mechanisms responsible in determining the success of an invasion are
not yet clear.

coral reefs lagoons

 FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM:
Are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes and ponds,
rivers, streams, springs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with
marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. Current biomonitoring
techniques focus mainly on community structure or biochemical oxygen demand.
Responses are measured by behavioral changes, altered rates of growth,
reproduction or mortality. Macroinvertebrates are most often used in these
models because of well known taxonomy, ease of collection, sensitivity to a range
of stressors, and their overall value to the ecosystem. Most of these
measurements are difficult to extrapolate on a large scale.

Lakes Ponds Wetlands

 NON NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS:
Non-native species have been either intentionally or accidentally introduced
to Maine by humans or their activities. Non-native species do not cause
environmental or economic harm. An important, not-to-be-missed distinction
between non-native species and invasive species is that non-native species do not
disrupt the natural functions and processes of our native ecosystems.

Eurasian watermilfoilVariable-leaf watermilfoil Brazilian egeria Curly-leaf pondwe

 ECOSYSTEM LOSS IN NORTH AMERICA
Due to massive development in the northern america, u.S. Forests and
associated wood products currently absorb and store the equivalent of about
16% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by fossil fuel burning in the U.S. Each
year. Climate change, combined with current societal trends in land use and
forest management, is projected to reduce this rate of forest CO2 uptake and
present-day oil and gas extraction practices drive the large-scale loss of
ecosystem services across the North American Great Plains.
Human-Environmental
Interactions
ELDEN RICK TANES
Human-Environmental Interactions
Human Environmental Interactions can be
defined as interactions between the human
social system and (the “rest” of) the
ecosystem.
Human social systems and ecosystems are
complex adaptive system. Complex because
ecosystems and human social systems have
many parts and many connections between
these parts. Adaptive because they have
feedback structures that promote survival in
a constantly changing environment.
 Human Social System
The type of society strongly influences
peoples attitude towards nature, their
behavior and therefore their impact on
ecosystems. Important characteristics
of human social systems are
population size, social organization,
values, technology, wealth, education,
knowledge and many more. Especially
values and knowledge strongly
influence peoples “view of life” and
consequently define the way people
act. The choice of possible actions is
then limited by the available
technology.
People modify the environment
for their purposes and obtain
benefits (Ecosystem Services)
from it. These Ecosystem
Services are essential
for human well-being and
include for example the
provision of resources like water,
timber, food, energy,
information, land for farming
and many more. Obviously by
using these resources people
affect the environment in a lot
of ways. Furthermore people
often reorganize existing
ecosystems to achieve new ones
that seem to be more effective
in serving their needs.
 ECOSYSTEM:

An ecosystem consists of all the living and non living things

in a specific natural setting. Plants, animals, insects,
microorganisms, rocks, soil, water and sunlight are major
components of many ecosystems.
CATEGORIES OF ECOSYSTEM

1 . Te r r e s t r i a l 2 . Aq u a t i c
Ecosystem ecosystem
ECOSYSTEM
ENERIA, KATE MARIE
TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM
 D ES ERT ECOSYS TEM

While desert are dry, they can be found all around the
world. While we may think of a desert as a hot, dry piece of
land, it can be cold as well. Regardless of the region, any
desert is usually cold at night and receives very little
rainfall. However, they do produce plants, which have
adapted to such living conditions.
 GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM

A biological community that contains few trees or shrubs, is

characterized by mixed herbaceous(non-woody) vegetation cover,
and is dominated by grasses or grass like plants.
 FOREST ECOSYSTEM

A forest ecosystem is
the basic ecologic unit in
a particular forest that
exists as "home" for a
community of both
native and introduced
classified organisms.
In other words, a forest
ecosystem is typically
associated with land
masses covered in trees
and those trees are
often classified by
foresters into forest
cover type.
 TROPICAL RAINFOREST

Tropical
rainforests occur in areas
of tropical rainforest
climate in which there is
no dry season – all
months have an
average precipitation of
at least 60 mm – and
may also be referred to
as lowland equatorial
evergreen rainforest.
 Tr o p i c a l D r y F o r e s t

The tropical dry forest is

located at tropical and
subtropical latitudes. Though
these forests occur in climates
that are warm year-round,
and may receive several
hundred centimeters of rain
per year, they have long dry
seasons which last several
months and vary with
geographic location.
 TUNDRA ECOSYSTEM

Tundra
ecosystems are
treeless regions
found in the Arctic
and on the tops of
mountains, where
the climate is cold
and windy and
rainfall is scant.
 F R E S H WAT E R E CO SY S T E M

Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's

aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes and ponds, rivers,
streams, springs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with
marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content.
 MARIN E ECOSYSTEM

Marine ecosystems are among the largest of Earth's

aquatic ecosystems. Examples include salt marshes, intertidal zones,
estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, coral reefs, the deep sea, and the sea
floor. They can be contrasted with freshwater ecosystems, which
have a lower salt content.
 TYPES OF
ECOSYSTEM AND
COMMUNITIES
ENERIA, KATE MARIE
 Succession

Ecological succession refers to the progressive

succession of a group of species or community over
time. In this regard, there is usually
one dominant type of species or community thriving
in an ecosystem and where a stable climax
community is established.
 Primary Succession
Primary succession is one of two types of
biological and ecological succession of plant life,
occurring in an environment in which
new substrate devoid of vegetation and other
organisms usually lacking soil, such as a lava flow
or area left from retreated glacier, is deposited. In
other words, it is the gradual growth of an
ecosystem over a longer period.
 Secondary Succession
Secondary succession is one of the two types
of ecological succession of plant life. As opposed to the
first, primary succession, secondary succession is a
process started by an event that reduces an already
established ecosystem to a smaller population of species,
and as such secondary succession occurs on
preexisting soil whereas primary succession usually
occurs in a place lacking soil.
 • DETRITIVORE • DECOMPOSER
An organism that feeds on large parts An organism that consumes and break down
of decaying plant and animal matter dead organisms or waste matter into simple
and on waste material substance
 KEYSTONE SPECIES
• a species that has a disproportionately large effect on
its environment relative to its abundance
• a plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem
functions. Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically
different or cease to exist altogether.
• The role that a keystone species plays in its ecosystem is analogous to the
role of a keystone in an arch. While the keystone is under the least pressure
of any of the stones in an arch, the arch still collapses without it.
 EXAMPLES (PREDATOR)

WEEVIL -EUHRYCHIOPSIS LECONTEI AGELAIA VICINA

PURPLE SEA URCHIN SEA OTTER

 EXAMPLES (MUTUALISTS)

BANKSIA PRIONOTES CASSOWARY

FLOW OF ENERGY
 BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE
• is a pathway by which a chemical
substance moves through biotic
(biosphere) and abiotic (lithosphere,
atmosphere, and hydrosphere)
compartments of Earth.
• The term biogeochemical is a contraction
that refers to the consideration of the
biological, geological, and chemical
aspects of each cycle.
• can be classed as gaseous, in which the
reservoir is the air or the oceans
(via evaporation), and sedimentary, in
which the reservoir is Earth’s crust.
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE
 NUTRIENT CYCLE
• is the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into
the production of matter. unidirectional and noncyclic pathways, whereas the
movement of mineral nutrients is cyclic.
• mineral cycles include carbon cycle, sulfur cycle, nitrogen cycle, water
cycle, phosphorus cycle, oxygen cycle, among others that continually recycle along
with other mineral nutrients into productive ecological nutrition.

1. The Carbon Cycle

2. Nitrogen Cycle
3. Phosphorus Cycle
4. Sulfur Cycle
 THE CARBON CYCLE

• it is contained
in proteins, carbohydrates; indeed all
organic molecules contain carbon. So
it is the most important nutrient in an
ecosystem.
• The carbon cycle involves several
stages of carbon
being fixed (incorporated as part of)
by plants from the atmosphere. This
carbon is transferred to consumers by
eating, or it becomes fossil fuel
in fossilization.
 Process Bacteria Explanation

NITROGEN CYCLE This is the removal of

an amine group and hydrogen
Deamination Saprophytic fungi and bacteria to make ammonia. This is

• Nitrogen is also a very important

similar to the process
where urea is made.

compound for an ecosystem. Nitrification Nitrifying bacteria

Two processes where NH4+ is
first converted to nitrite (NO2-)
Despite its abundance in the then nitrate (NO3-).

atmosphere (79% of air is Here, nitrogen from the

nitrogen), it is often in very atmosphere is taken and
incorporated as NH3. Legumes
limited supply. (bean family) have a mutalistic
relationship with nitrogen-

• is the biogeochemical cycle by

Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
fixing bacteria which provides
them with nitrate whilst the
which nitrogen is converted into bacteria get sugar and
protection. Nitrogen fixation
multiple chemical forms as it can also occur as a result
of lightening - the electricity
circulates among breaks N≡N bonds from

the atmosphere , terrestrial , and nitrogen in the air and nitrate

dissolves in the rain.
marine ecosystems.
This is the loss of nitrogen into
the atmosphere: NO3- N2.
Denitrifying bacteria are
Dentrification Dentrifying bacteria. anaerobes so tend to live in
oxygen starved areas, such as
waterlogged soil and stagnant
water.
NITROGEN CYCLE
 PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
• is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through
the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Unlike many other biogeochemical
cycles, the atmosphere does not play a significant role in the movement of
phosphorus, because phosphorus and phosphorus-based compounds are usually
solids at the typical ranges of temperature and pressure found on Earth. The
production of phosphine gas occurs in only specialized, local conditions.
• On the land, phosphorus gradually becomes less available to plants over thousands of
years, because it is slowly lost in runoff. Low concentration of phosphorus
in soils reduces plant growth, and slows soil microbial growth - as shown in studies of
soil microbial biomass. Soil microorganisms act as both sinks and sources of available
phosphorus in the biogeochemical cycle.[1] Locally, transformations of phosphorus
are chemical, biological and microbiological: the major long-term transfers in the
global cycle, however, are driven by tectonicmovements in geologic time.
 SULFUR CYCLE
• The sulfur cycle is the collection of processes by which sulfur moves to and
from rock, waterways and living systems. Such biogeochemical cycles are
important in geology because they affect many minerals. Biochemical cycles
are also important for life because sulfur is an essential element, being a
constituent of many proteins and cofactors.

Steps of the sulfur cycle are:

• Mineralization of organic sulfur into inorganic forms, such as hydrogen
sulfide (H2S), elemental sulfur, as well as sulfide minerals.
• Oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, sulfide, and elemental sulfur (S)
to sulfate (SO42−).
• Reduction of sulfate to sulfide.
• Incorporation of sulfide into organic compounds (including metal-containing
derivatives).
• Structure of 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate, a key intermediate in
the sulfur cycle.
• .
 How Humans Influence Nutrient Cycles

• As described , nutrients are

continuously recycled in a natural
ecosystem.
• With harvesting crops, nutrients
are removed from the soil.
• agriculture also influences
the nutrients cycle in another
way: agriculture accelerates land
erosion

Nutrient removal by harvesting crops. Source: (unknown)

 PHOSPATE MINING IN NAURU
• Nauru is the smallest country in the world, with an area of 21 km2 and population of roughly
13,000. Located in Micronesia, this small island state is heavily dependent on international
aid due to its colonial history and excessive mining of phosphate. “The government
estimates that the secondary phosphate deposits have a remaining life of about 30 years”
(BBC 2017).
• The economy of Nauru has been almost wholly dependent on phosphate, which has led
to environmental catastrophe on the island, with 80% of the nation’s surface having
been strip-mined. The island's phosphate deposits were virtually exhausted by 2000
although some small-scale mining is still in progress.
CHAPTER 2
DESACULA, CAREN E.
 ETHICS

• Ethics is one branch of philosophy; it seeks to define what is right and what is
wrong.
• Ethics can help us understand what actions are considered wrong and why
they are considered wrong.
 EXAMPLE OF ETHICS
• charity

• conservationism

• respectful, egalitarian, empathic or good-intentioned social behaviour.

• loving, caring or friendly behaviour.

• responsible consumption (e.g. non-wasteful, recycling, fair trade,

sustainable, ethical production, etc.)
 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

• environmental ethics is the philosophical discipline that considers the moral

and ethical relationship of human beings to the environment.
• environmental ethics helps define man's moral and ethical obligations
toward the environment.
 ETHICAL DECISIONS THAT HUMAN BEINGS
MAKE WITH RESPECT TO THE ENVIRONMENT

• should humans continue to clear cut forests for the sake of human consumption?

• why should humans continue to propagate its species, and life itself?

• should humans continue to make gasoline-powered vehicles?

• what environmental obligations do humans need to keep for future generations?

• is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of a species for the
convenience of humanity?

• how should humans best use and conserve the space environment to secure and
expand life?
 PHILOSOPHICAL
APPROACHES TO
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
 ANTHROPOCENTRIM
(HUMAN CENTERED)

• this view holds that all environmental

responsibility is derived from human
interests.

• – assumes that only humans are

morally significant.
• – assumes nature is an instrument for
human manipulation.
 ECOCENTRISM
• this view maintains that the environment deserves direct moral
consideration, not consideration derived from human or animal
interests.
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• sustainable development is the

organizing principle for meeting
human development goals while at
the same time sustaining the ability
of natural systems to provide the
natural resources and ecosystem
services upon which the economy
and society depend.
 EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT

• wind energy • efficient water fixtures

• solar energy • green space

• crop rotation • sustainable forestry

• sustainable construction • sustainable fishing practices

 ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES

• environmental attitudes (ea), a

crucial construct in environmental
psychology, are a psychological
tendency expressed by evaluating
the natural environment with some
degree of favour or disfavour.
 INDIVIDUAL ENVIRONMENTAL
ETHICS

• environmental ethics take into consideration the

moral obligations human beings have concerning the
environment. learn how environmental ethics and
human values affect our ability to understand and
solve environmental problems.
• environmental ethics helps define man's moral and
ethical obligations toward the environment.
 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
environmental justice emerged as a concept in the united states in the early 1980s.
the term has two distinct uses: the first, and more common usage, describes
a social movement that focuses on the fair distribution of environmental benefits
and burdens, while the other is an interdisciplinary body of social science literature
that includes theories of the environment and justice, environmental laws and their
implementations, environmental policy and planning and governance for
development and sustainability, and political ecology.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
an endangered species is
a species which has been
categorized as very likely
to become extinct.
endangered (en), as
categorized by
the international union
for conservation of
nature (iucn) red list, is
the second most
severe conservation
status for wild
populations in the iucn's
schema after critically
endangered
TOP 5 ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 FOOD
• food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support
for an organism. it is usually of plant or animal origin, and
contains essential nutrients, such
as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. the
substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the
organism's cells to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate
growth.

• 1.plants- many plants and plant parts are eaten as food and
around 2,000 plant species are cultivated for food. example:
fruits and vegetables

• 2. animals- meats, milk, eggs

 NATURE
• nature, in the broadest sense, is the natural, physical, or
material world or universe. "nature" can refer to
the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in
general. the study of nature is a large part of science. although
humans are part of nature, human activity is often understood
as a separate category from other natural phenomena.
 OIL

• an oil is any neutral, nonpolar chemical substance that is

a viscous liquid at ambient temperatures and is both hydrophobic
(immiscible with water, literally "water fearing") and lipophilic
(miscible with other oils, literally "fat loving").

• ORGANIC OILS are produced in remarkable diversity by plants,

animals, and other organisms through
natural metabolic processes. lipid is the scientific term for the fatty
acids, steroids and similar chemicals often found in the oils
produced by living things, while oil refers to an overall mixture of
chemicals.
• MINERAL OILS, crude oil, or petroleum, and its refined
components, collectively termed petrochemicals, are crucial
resources in the modern economy.
 APPLICATIONS OF OIL

• COOKING. several edible vegetable and animal oils, and also fats,
are used for various purposes in cooking and food preparation.

• COSMETICS. oils are applied to hair to give it a lustrous look, to

prevent tangles and roughness and to stabilize the hair to promote
growth. see hair conditioner.

• RELIGION. oil has been used throughout history as a religious

medium. it is often considered a spiritually purifying agent and is
used for anointing purposes. as a particular example, holy anointing
oil has been an important ritual liquid for judaism and christianity.
 APPLICATIONS OF OIL
• PAINTING. colour pigments are easily suspended in oil, making it suitable
as a supporting medium for paints.
• HEAT TRANSFER. oils are used as coolants in oil cooling, for instance in
electric transformers. heat transfer oils are used both as coolants (see oil
cooling), for heating (e.g. in oil heaters) and in other applications of heat
transfer.
• LUBRICATION. given that they are non-polar, oils do not easily adhere to
other substances. this makes them useful as lubricants for various
engineering purposes. mineral oils are more commonly used as machine
• FUEL. some oils burn in liquid or aerosol form, generating light,
and heat which can be used directly or converted into other forms of
energy such as electricity or mechanical work.
 WATER
• water is a transparent and nearly colorless chemical
substance that is the main constituent of earth's streams,
lakes, and oceans, and the fluids of most
living organisms.

fishing , household uses , agriculture, entertainment

 Makah Whaling – A Gift from the Sea
(The Gray Whales of Neah Bay)
• Whaling and whales are central to
Makah culture. The event of a whale
hunt requires rituals and ceremonies
which are deeply spiritual.
• Makah whaling the subject and
inspiration of Tribal songs, dances,
designs, and basketry. For the
Makah Tribe, whale hunting
provides a purpose and a discipline
which benefits their entire
community.
 Issues-Analysis: Antarctica-
Resource or Refuge?

• Whatever transpires in terms of the economic uses of

Antarctica— whether it is with the public goods, peace
and science, or the private goods, fishing and tourism—is
viewed in the analysis presented here as secondary to the
primary goal of preserving the globally strategic
atmospheric, oceanic, and wilderness commons
resources of the continent.
 The Antarctic Treaty System
• The Treaty was signed in • The Antarctic Treaty
Washington on 1 System is the whole
December 1959 and complex of
entered into force on 23 arrangements made
June 1961. for the purpose of
regulating relations
among states in the
Antarctic.