Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering

NATURE CONSERVATION
BFC 10202
Part 2 : Learn about natural
environment : Living environment

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?

rocks
b. Water
c. Air
a. Soil

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

Distribution of tropical rainforest in the world

Pic to show tropical rainforest

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)

ENDEMIC TO BORNEO

Orang utan Pongo pygmaeus Probosis monkey Larvatus

nasalis

Zebra is endemic in Africa

Giraffe is endemic to Africa

6 GROUPS OF LIVING THINGS

1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

Monera: prokaryote - bacteria, viruses

Protista: eukaryote, one celled - protozoa,
algae
Fungi : autotrophic (make own food), no
chlorophyll; enzymes digest food
(decomposing organic matter) - mushroom
Plantae autotrophic, mostly + chlorophyll
Animalia heterotrophic
MAN

1. MONERA : bacteria, viruses

Prokaryotic ancient/early cell (nucleus
unbounded)
No apparent nucleus (just nucleoid), no
nuclear membrane
Organelles not bound by membranes (eg:
mitochondria, chloroplast)
Bacteria, virus

Eg : Esterichia coli dysentery

Salmonella food poisoning
Eg: HIV - AIDS

Prokaryote
Cell with no nuclear membrane
Nucleoplasma dispersed all over
cell in cytoplasma

Various kinds of bacteria as shown

when using Gram + and Gram - stain

FROM : Brum & McKane 1989)

2. PROTISTA

Eurokaryotic, one celled organisms

Nucleus bound by membrane
Organelle bound by membrane
Able to do all life functions (eat, digest,
breathe, reproduce, moves)
Egs :
Plant-like (Volvox),
Animal-like (Paramecium)
In between (Euglena)

Eukaryote

Nucleus bound by a membrane

Volvox

Protozoa (eg. Euglena)

(from Brum & McKane 1989)

paramecium

Importance of Protista
Carry diseases
Trypanosoma sleeping sickness
vector tzetze flies, Africa
Plasmodium malaria, vector
mosquitoes (Anophelese)
Entamoeba histolytica hemoraging
dysentery

glossina

3: FUNGI
Plant-like (not mobile/attached; autotrophic)
No chlorophyl, enzymes digest food
Food : decomposing organic materials eg.
Rotting wood
Body parts : root-like (mycorrhiza), trunk or
stem-like (hypha), fruit body containing
spores
Some poisonous

Importance of Fungi
Decomposers in various ecosystems
Food button mushroom, oyster
mushroom
Medicines Penicillium (medicine for
infections, found on rotting bread/mold)
Biotechnology yeast in fermentation

Fungi

Edible fungi

4. PLANTAE (Plants)
Lower plants (reproduction : spores)
Non-vascular mosses (Bryophyta)
Vascular- Ferns (Pteridopyta)
Higher plants (reproduction : seeds)
Gymnospermae (naked seeds)
Angiospermae (flower to cover seed)
Monocotyledonae (one seed body)
Dicotyledonae (two seed body)

Gymnospermae (naked seeds)

Plants
Green with chlorophyll
Photosynthesise to make
food and produce
Oxygen as waste product
With leaves, flower,
roots, stem or the likes

Lower plants : BRYOPHYTA

(mosses, liverworts, horn mosses)

Mosses, liverworts, horn mosses

24,000sp (15,000 mosses; 9,000 liverworts
and 100 horn mosses)
No leaves, stem, flower, fruit and roots
Rhizoid root-like (to grasp surface)
Water : male spore female spore
Important as resource for small organisms eg
tiny beetles, fish and in preventing erosion,
cover plant, store/provide water to ecosystem
Interacts with other organisms

Lower plants : Mosses important

indicator of humidity

15000 world ; 5000 tropics; 775 Mt Kinabalu;

168 ER

Lower plants : PTERIDOPHYTA

(ferns)
Vascular lower plants
12,000sp (67% tropical)
Ancient 375-400 million years ago
Non-flowering, with spore
Food, medicinal values
Handicraft
Succession ecological in betweens

12000 worldwide; 608 Mt Kinabalu; 98 ER

Higher plants : TRACHEOPHYTA

Fruiting plants
Naked seed Gymnospermae
Covered seed Angiospermae
(fruits/flowers)
Mostly terrestrial
Tolerance to dryness
Reproduction using specific organs

Tongkat Ali

Pitchers plant
(Nepenthes)
A unique plant with
huge
potential as tourism
product

Ulu Kimanis, Sabah

GYMNOSPERMAE (no flower/seed)

Cycads ancient plants (Jurassic,
Dinosaur period) palm-like (at present as
ornamentals)
Ginko ancient plant eg. Ginko biloba
(strenthen memory)
Gnetophytum retain water in stem
(liana) eg Gnetum
Cornifer Pinus (Casuarina ru)

liana

Casuarina (Ru)

ANGIOSPERMAE (flowers & seed)

Flower protect seed
Monocotyledon and dicotyledon (egs)
Important as economic resources
Food, construction materials, paper,
medicines

Flowers (bunga tahi ayam)

Fruits of the dipterocarp (meranti)

MONOCOTYLEDONAE
Egs : Coconut tree, oil palm
One cotyl (germinating body) in seed
Leaves : parallel vein
Vascular bundles : scattered
Root : fibrous

Coconut tree
monocot

DICOTYLEDONAE
Eg : Durian tree, long beans, peanuts
Two cotyls (germinating bodies) in a
seed
Leaves : complex venation
Vascular bundles : arranged
Root : with main root system

Wild durian

Wild
durianwi

5. ANIMALIA (Animals)
Heterotrophic does not make own
food, consume various kinds of food (no
chlorophyll)
Mobile (with appendage legs, wings)

From : Brum & McfKane 19

Eg. PROTOZOA
One celled animals (mono-celled)
Able to perform all live activities eg.
move, feed, reproduce, react, breathe,
excrete etc.
Egs : Euglena, Paramecium
Importance : caused diseases

PROTOZOA

From : Bru & McKane 1989

Eg. PORIFERA (Sponges)

Sponges are multi-celled
Single cell may be able to survive but
tend to aggregate
Mainly marine animals
Importance commercial and medical
Egs. Glass sponges, bath sponges

Sponges (from Miller & Harley, 2007)

Eg. CNIDARIA/COELENTARATA
Tissue cells form layers and have
specific function
Two layers epidermis and
gastrodermis from two germs layers
(ectoderma and endoderma) diploblastic
Eg : Hydra, Corals, Sea anemone
Symetry - Radial

CNIDARIA/COELENTERATA
hydra, jelly fish, anemone

(from Brum & Mc Kane 1989)

CNIDARIA/COELENTERATA
corals
(IMR2011)

PLATYHELMINTHES
Flat worms
Triploblastic 3 layers of tissue epidermis,
muscles, gut layers (from 3 germ layers
ectodermis, mesodermis and endodermis)
Organs mouth, gut, reproductive organs
Acoelemate no coelom
Some movement; Symetry: bilateral
Importance: caused diseases eg tape worms

PLATYHELMINTHES - flatworm

Tape worm - pig

From Brum & McKane 1989)

NEMATODA
Triploblastic, with organs
Cylindrical with strong muscles
Pseudocoelomate
Eg. Round worms, Filaria, Hook worm
Symetry: bilateral
Movement limited - endoparasite

Filariasis worms
infection

MOLLUSCA
Triploblastic, developed organs
Snails, shell-fishes (oyster, mussels,
octopus and squids)
True coelom
Movement more active directional
Importance food, pearls, source of
calsium carbonate
Used in research (vision)

MOLLUSCA snails, bivalves,

squid
(From Brum & McKane 1989)

Diversity of sea shells

The various
shapes of
land snails

ANNELIDA
Triploblastic, true coelomate, directional
movement with some forms of organs for
movement
Egs. Earthworms, polycheates, leeches
Decomposers, medical

ANNELIDA : Earthworm &

polycheates (bristle worms)

leeches

ARTHROPODA
Appendage for movement clearly
segmented, invade land
Symetry : bilateral
Egs : insects, millipedes, spiders,
scorpions, centipedes, prawns, crabs
Importance : many (food, pollinators,
decomposers, vectors, carriers of
pathogenic microbes)

Spiders and centipedes

(From : Brum & McKane 1989)

Most diverse animal, beetles

400,000 spp?

Insects

(From Brum & McKane 1989)

ECHINODERMATA
Another line of evolution formation of mouth,
cleavage
Animals with pentamerous radial arms
Symetry : bilateral and radial (matures forms)
Starfishes, sea urchin, sea ferns, sand dollars
Mainly marine
Uses : food (sea urchin, sea cucumber),
medicine (sea cucumber/gamat), decorations

Starfishes, sea urchin

CHORDATA
Higher animals with backbones
(notochord)
5 Classes Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia,
Aves, Mammalia
Importance food, tourism,
transportation, furs and feathers,
medical, hides, fat sources , dairy
products

Class 1 : PISCES (Fish)

Fish with cartilage bones (sharks, rays)
and real bones (mackerels, sole, puffer
fish, tuna)
Threats over harvesting, unsustainable
methods, coral fish, whales
Fresh water fish 9,000spp
Marine fish 13,000spp
Total fish species 22,000

Class 2 : AMPHIBIA (Frogs/toads,

salamanders/cecilia)
Frogs and toads 4,500spp
Salamanders - not found in Malaysia
Cecilian rare
Indicators threats, global warming
caused extinction
Evolutionary importance in between
fish and reptiles

AMPHIBIA

KATAK/KODOK

salamander

SESILIA

Frogs indicator of climatic

changes

Class 3 : Reptilia (snakes,

crocodiles, lizards, tortoises)
Land animals - Shelled eggs
Coarse skins dehydration
Importance skin industry, food, medical
(vaccines)
Threats over consumption eg. turtles
eggs, snake skin

REPTILIA MONITOR LIZARD

:

Reptiles an important
evolutionary organism

Reptiles: 268/69(25%) Malaysia : 6500 (4%) World

Class 4 : AVES (Birds)

Fying and non-flying (wings)
Domesticated food (chicken, ducks,
ostrich)
Bird watching
Seed dispersers

Birds: 736/11(1.5%) Malaysia : 9672 (8%) wo

AVES
-

BIRDS

Birds evolved from reptiles, shows

evolutionary advancement
ability to fly

KINGFISHER

Halcyon
symrnensis

Class 5 : MAMMALIA
Land and air and aquatic
Fur as protection
No eggs stage (except monotremes)
Placentals and milk feeding

Mammals: 1. as source of protein

2. as tourism attraction

Adha my p

II. INTERACTIONS
When two or more organisms interact with
one another resulting in some effects.
Eg: cow eats grass (herbivory); owl eat
rats predation
Eg: worms in human stomach feeding on
digested food - parasitism
Eg: ants feed on honey produced by
aphids, ants protect aphids - mutualism

INTERACTIONS some
examples
+ + : Mutualism
0 0 : Amensalism
+ - : Parasitism, Predation, Herbivory
+ 0: Epiphytic

Effects of interactions
Interdependency low to high degree
Increase & decrease of organism populations
Leads to ecological balance
More interactions more stable (ecosystems)
eg. Tropics: high biodiversity more interactions
- ecosystems more stable
Disturbance to one components disturb the
balance

Parasitic plant
and plant

Parasitic aphid
and corn

VALUES OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Utilitarian values : food, medicines,
structural materials
2. Intrinsic/ecological /services values :
pollinators, decomposers (insects),
watershed, replenishing oxygen, tourism
3. Aesthetical values : beauty, green
colour to emotional development
4. Moral values : right to live, uniqueness
5. Cultural, religious values : Elephant,
Cow to Hinduism,

Optional values for future uses eg.

Wildlife in tourism

Uses of
biodiversity

IMR

Fruits and
vegetables
IMR

STAPLE FOODS

IMR

Tapioca and rice :

carohydrates
IMR

FOOD :
PROTEIN

IMR

Cattle and fowl

IMR

Construction materials

Panelling for houses

Tree provides water

Trees provide
oxygen

Aesthetic value
economic
values

Simply beautiful

Tourism icon

Tapir endemic to penisular Malaysia

III. ISSUES IN BIODIVERSITY

1. We do not know what we have

poor documentation how it

affects implication (Not enough
surveys)
Not enough basic studies focus on
applied studies
No supporting infra eg bioinformatics

2. We do not know much about

traditional uses poor
documentation how it affects
Traditional uses of plants in healthcare
not enough documentation
Loss of TK Takako & Maryati 2004

3. Rich biodiversity poor

technology implication
Slow advance in new technologies
Still depend on old technologies
Case of Bitangor : Sarawak has
Bintangor (has potential to cure HIV) but
need technology from America to help
process

4. Overharvesting
Using unsustainable methods of
harvesting
Killing progenies, wasteful
Eg fish bombing, poisoning, clear cutting

5. IPR, invasive species, PAs

IPR and ABS not clear cut
Took too long time for patenting
Invasive species
Protected Areas not many and not
networked

Mikania micrantha weed

suffocating plants especially
cover crop legumes
(kekacang)
Costing millions of RM

Crows are invasive species

IMR

THREATS

Conversion of land use from forest to

agricultural, settlements (new townships etc),
basic facilities (schools, offices etc),
Pollution (air, soil, freshwater and marine
environment form agrochemicals pollution,
siltation, oil spills)
Erosion of traditional knowledge (some
plant wild varieties are not looked after and
now extinct because traditional knowledge on
use of these varieties was not practiced)

Unsustainable harvesting of natural

resources (such as using fine meshed
nets when catching fishes), fish bombing
and poisoning
Climatic change and global warming
(biodiversity has specific life regime, over
which will cause death)

Poor documentation of traditional knowledge

eg. Herbal uses

IMR

WHAT DO WE DO
Enhance discovery of biodiversity
Enhance discovery of uses of biodiversity
Document traditional knowledge
Enhance knowledge based industry
(education/tourism/publication/multimedia)
Enhance conservation ethics

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT IN

PART 2?
The living component of planet earth
BIODIVERSITY

Define biodiversity
Go through the major groupings
Interactions
Values
Threats
How to overcome the threat

Thank you

Terima kasih

Lojing 29May 2008

Terima kasih