case-study-marcopper-disaster in the philippines.pdf
Protecting aquatic ecosystems
1. Protecting aquatic ecosystems:
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of
water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each
other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems.
Aquatic ecosystems perform many important environmental
functions. For example, they recycle nutrients, purify water,
attenuate floods, recharge ground water and provide habitats for
wildlife. Aquatic ecosystems are also used for human recreation,
and are very important to the tourism industry, especially in
coastal regions. Lakes,ponds etc. come under this ecosystems.
Lakes are important ecological features of most landscapes. They
occur naturally, but are often threatened by human development,
wildlife overpopulation, and climate change. Many biologists and
earth scientists believe that lakes need to be maintained and
2. healthy in order for different areas to remain in balance. Even
small lakes can have a big impact when it comes to the provision
of fresh water, the growth of plants, and the sustainability of soil
and nearby land.
However degradation of the ecosystem is experiencing a
rise.This is mainly due to the over-exploitation of its resources.
There are ways of protecting the ecosystem;they are
Clean up efforts are one of the most basic forms of lake
conservation.
Lake Aeration.
To restore a lake or lake to a healthy condition, we must
restore the natural processes that allow them to assimilate
the nutrient load that it receives.
Ideally, nutrient inputs should be reduced or eliminated
wherever possible. Only use phosphorus-free fertilizers on
lawns.
Preventing nutrients from flowing down storm sewers is a
good way to prevent pollution.
To protect and restore our lakes, rivers, wetlands, and
estuaries, we must consider the watershed processes that
occur outside these ecosystems.
Organizing groups for conservation of lakes.
Educating people about the ill effects of destroying the
ecosystem by creating awareness.
Projects lead by the government for cleaning up lakes and
also build up new strategies to counter threats posed by
3. them.
By doing this we can atleast reduce the risk of losing the
ecosystem .We must also ensure that all existing lakes of high
nature conservation value are protected and this means that
we must have a good indication of the nature of the lake
resource. With many thousands of lakes across the country it
will be essential to relate the quality of lakes to land-use.
Living things in lake ecosystems:
4. Frogs:
Frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied,
tailless amphibians composing the order Anura.
The oldest “proto frog” appeared in the early Triassic of
Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their origins
may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago.
Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to
subtropics regions, but the greatest concentration of species
diversity is found in tropical rainforests. There are
approximately 4,800 recorded species, accounting for over
85% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five
most diverse verberate orders.
Lily pads:
5. The lily pads are collectable blocks found growing on water in
swamplands. They can be acquired by fishing, which makes
them a renewable resource. Lily pads can be used to make
paths over water without having to build bridges or use full
blocks. This is helpful for crossing large water surfaces, and
especially helpful for movement in farms. Lily pads can only be
placed on top of water. Lily pads occupy the block above water
and are not part of the water block itself.
Fish:
6. A fish is any member of a paraphyletic group of organisms that
consist of all gill –bearing aquatic craniates animals that lack
limbs with digits. Fish are abundant in most bodies of water. They
can be found in nearly all aquatic environments, from high
mountain streams (e.g., char and gudgeon) to the abyssal and
even hadal depths of the deepest oceans (e.g., gulpers and
anglerfish). At 32,000 species, fish exhibit greater species
diversity than any other group of vertebrates.
Algae:
Algae are a very large and diverse group of eukaryotic
organisms, ranging from unicellular genera such as Chlorella and
the diatoms to multi-cellular forms such as the giant kelp, a
large brown algae that may grow up to 50 meters in length. Most
are autotrophic and lack many of the distinct cell and tissue types
found in land plants such as stomata, xylem and phloem. The
largest and most complex marine algae are called seaweeds.