LSAD

LECTURE-01
(ECOLOGY & SUSTAINABILITY)
Imbalance of Ecology

LEARNING OUTCOME :
Student will able to identify issue associated with environmental concerns,
assessment methods, energy consumption, construction materials, health,
economic, social concerns and management of resource.
Ecology and
Sustainability
 Introduction
Sustainability - The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in
order to maintain an ecological balance.

• Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the relations of

organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
or
The political movement concerned with protection of the environment.
 Methods to study Ecology
• Chemical and biochemical techniques

• Temperature data and heat mapping

• Remote sensing

• Long- Ter m Ecological Research (LTER)

 Methods to study Ecology
 Chemical and biochemical techniques:

• Used to determine pollutant concentrations and their effects.

• Heavy metal contamination due to industrial runoff.

• Tests for nitrates, phosphates, sulfates etc. which are commonly

associated w i t h urban pollutants.
 Methods to study Ecology
 Temperature data and heat mapping:
• Temperature data is the ability to correlate temperature w i t h
various factors t h a t m a y be affecting or occurring in the
environment.

• Data can be overlaid w i t h maps of land, urban features, and other

factors which effect areas to create the heat maps.

• These heat maps can be used to view trends and distribution over
t i me and space.
 Methods to study Ecology
 Remote Sensing:

• Remote sensing allows collection of data using satellites.

• Remote is the technique in which data is collected f r o m distant

locations through the use of satellite imaging, radar, and aerial
photographs.

• In urban ecology, r emot e sensing is used to collect dat a abou t

land, weather patterns, light, and vegetation.
 Methods to study Ecology
 Long-term ecological research (LTER):
• Long-term ecological research (LTER) sites are research sites
funded by the government t h a t have collected reliable l o n g - t e r m
data over an extended period of time.

• These sites provide l o n g - t e r m temporal and spatial data such as

average temperature, rainfall and other ecological processes.

• These l o n g - t e r m data sets can then be analyzed t o find trends

relating to the effects of the urban environment.
 Biodiversity
• Biodiversity is a t e r m used t o describe all living things and
the variation w i t h i n and between them.

• I t includes plants, animals and micro-organisms.

 Ecosystem services
• Biodiversit y pr ovides a wide range of ‘ecosyst em servic es’ t o
human populations which underpin human health and well-being.

• Within cities biodiversity can help to:

• Regulate climate

• Improve air quality

• Purify water

• Control storm water runoff

• Improve soil fertility

• Recycle wastes`
 Urban Effects on Environment
• U rban people change their environ m e n t t hrough their
consumption of food, energy, water, and land.

• Hum ans are the driving f orce behin d urban ecology and
influence the environment in a variety of ways.

• Such as m o d i fying land surfaces and w aterways, in t r od u cing

foreign species, and altering biogeochemical cycles.

• O ther effects can be m o re gradual such as t he change in

global climate due t o urbanization.
 Urban Effects on Environment
 Modification of land and waterways:
• Humans place high demand on land not only t o build urban
centers, but also t o build surrounding areas for housing.
• Expanding cities and sub-urban areas necessitate
corresponding deforestation t o meet the land-use and
resource requirements of urbanization.
 Urban Effects on Environment
 Trade, shipping, and spread of invasive species:
• Both local shipping and long-distance trade are required t o
meet the resource demands i m p o r t a n t in maintaining urban
areas.
• Carbon dioxide emissions f r o m the tr ansport of goods also
contribute t o accumulating polluted environment w i t h t h e
deposits in the soil and air of environment.
 Urban Effects on Environment
• Introduced or Invasive Alien species are populations of
organisms living in a range in which they did not naturally
evolve due t o intentional or inadvertent human activity.

• Invasive Alien species often have no natural predators and

pose a substantial t hr e at to the dynamics of existing
ecological populations in the new environment where they
are introduced.

• For example: Dengue comes t o Pakistan.

 Human Effects on biogeochemical
pathways
• Urbanization results in a large demand for chemical use by
industry, construction, agriculture, and energy providing services.

• Such demands have a substantial impact on biogeochemical cycles,

resulting in phenomena such as acid rain, eutrophication (excessive
richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to run-off from the

land, which causes a dense growth of plant life) , and global warming.

• Prevent nutrients from returning to the soil, water, and

atmosphere.
 Urban sustainability
• Most people worldwide live in cities and towns and their
numbers continue t o increase.
• Cities and towns offer an attractive living environment for
the m a j o r i t y of people.
• Needed t o understand h u m a n - n a t u r e interactions t o
improve research, design, planning, and management of
cities, towns and urban regions.
 Strategies to make urban sustainable
 Urban Gardening:
• Instead of depending wholly on grocery stores (and the high
prices of organic fruits and veggies), urbanites are resorting
t o their own methods of producing local food.
• whether it’s a restaurant growing vegetables in its backyard
or a neighbourhood taking over vacant lots for a com mun it y
garden.
• Through urban gardening, locals get fresh produce and
access t o high-quality fruits and vegetables a t an affordable
price.
 Strategies to make urban sustainable
 Food Forests:
• forests t h a t are created specifically t o produce food called
Food Forests.
• Food forests are an effective way of t ur n i n g under-used land
into self-sufficient, sustainable ecosystems.
• For Example: Communities in cities f r o m Los Angeles t o
London have created food forests t o help achieve their
agricultural needs.
 Strategies to make urban sustainable
 Investment in Downtowns:
• Encouraging businesses, non-profits, governments, and
cultural institutions t o locate their offices and other facilities
w i t h i n the urban core.
• Needed to encourage the preservation or rehabilitation of
historic properties or green spaces w i t h i n the urban core.
 Strategies to make urban sustainable
 Sustainable landscapes and Buildings:
• Decrease pavement areas.
• Implementing sustainable storm wat er techniques.
• Pla n tin g or preserving vegetation will all help
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions f r o m urban areas.
• Energy- efficient building technologies including green o r cool
roofs can help mitigate building emissions.
 Strategies to make urban sustainable
• Communities should also move t o w a r d energy conservation.
• Non-oil and coal based alternatives, such as solar, wind,
thermal, and biomass, which can reduce dependency on
non-renewable resources.
• Minimize air, water, and t her m al pollution.
 References
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmQby7adocM

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5r4loXPyx8

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V8oFI4GYMY

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_skrxnh7Ik