- 2071 Shrawan · 7 marks
Ecosystem, interventions, conservation and preservation
Short answer
An ecosystem is a functional unit of living organisms interacting with their environment. Main causes of human interventions include population growth, deforestation, urbanization, industrialization, over-exploitation and poverty. Conservation is wise sustainable use of resources, while preservation protects nature from any use, keeping it untouched.
What is ecosystem? What are the main causes of human interventions in the ecosystem? Make clear the term conservation and preservation of natural resources.
An ecosystem is a natural unit in which living organisms (biotic components) interact with one another and with their physical environment (abiotic components: sunlight, air, water, soil, minerals) through energy flow and cycling of matter. Examples: forest, lake, river, grassland, desert.
Components:
- Abiotic – sunlight, temperature, water, soil, nutrients.
- Producers – green plants that make food by photosynthesis.
- Consumers – herbivores (primary), carnivores (secondary/tertiary), omnivores.
- Decomposers – bacteria and fungi that break dead matter into nutrients.
Energy flows one way (sun → producers → consumers, with about 90% lost as heat at each trophic level), while nutrients cycle again and again.
Main causes of human interventions in the ecosystem
- Rapid population growth – more demand for food, land, water and housing.
- Deforestation for agriculture, settlement, timber and firewood.
- Urbanisation and infrastructure – roads, airports, hydropower dams and transmission lines cut habitats and change rivers.
- Industrialisation and mining – raw material extraction and discharge of gases, effluents and solid waste.
- Modern agriculture – chemical fertilisers, pesticides, monoculture, irrigation.
- Energy demand – burning of fossil fuels and biomass.
- Over-exploitation – overgrazing, poaching, over-fishing, sand and stone mining from rivers.
- Poverty, unemployment and lack of awareness, and weak enforcement of laws.
Conservation of natural resources
Conservation means the wise and sustainable use of natural resources so that they meet present needs while remaining available for future generations. Use is allowed, but in a planned way.
- Examples: community forestry with controlled harvesting, rotational grazing, rainwater harvesting, recycling, energy efficiency, sustainable fishing.
Preservation of natural resources
Preservation means protecting a resource or area from human use, keeping it in its original, untouched state for its own value and for science.
- Examples: core areas of national parks (Chitwan, Sagarmatha), strict nature reserves, protecting an endangered species like the one-horned rhino, seed banks.
| Basis | Conservation | Preservation |
|---|---|---|
| Idea | Sustainable use | No use, keep untouched |
| Human activity | Allowed with control | Excluded or very limited |
| Focus | Resource for people, now and future | Nature for its own sake |
| Example | Community forest, buffer zone | Core zone of national park |
| Approach | Management | Protection |
Both are needed: preservation for critical habitats and species, conservation for the resources people depend on daily.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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