ENVIROMENTAL STUDIES

GLS648

ECOLOGY and
ECOSYSTEM:
CONCEPT,
EXAMPLES and
HUMAN INFLUENCE

1
 What we will learn?
•What is meant by an ecosystem
•The biotic and abiotic community and
interaction.
•Food chains, trophic levels, ecological
pyramid
•Benefits from ecosystem services
•Human impact to ecosystem
 The Needs of Living Things

All living things from spiders, to sunflowers,

to humans need…
Food
Water
Habitat
Air (gas exchange)
 Definition:Ecology
The scientific study of the relation of
living organisms to each other and their
surroundings.
How living and non-living things affect
each other in their environment.
The study of the distribution and
abundance of organisms and the flows
of energy and materials between
abiotic and biotic components of
ecosystems.
 Ecology
Ecosystem - a web, community, or
network of individuals that arrange
into a self-organized and complex
hierarchy of pattern and process.
Ecosystems - is formed by the
interactions between all biotic and
abiotic things.
 What is an ecosystem?

System = regularly interacting

and interdependent components
forming a unified whole
Ecosystem = an ecological
system;
= a community and its physical
environment treated together
as a functional system
 Ecology & ecosystem
Ecologists: study ecosystems by
sampling a certain number of
individuals that are representative of a
population.
Ecosystems:
•consist of communities interacting
with each other and the environment.
•Communities are created by the
interaction of the populations of
different species in an area
 Interactions Between Living
Things in an Ecosystem
Symbiosis: Occurs when two species live
closely together in a relationship that lasts
over time.

Can you think of any examples??

 3 Types of Symbiosis

Mutualism: Each partner benefits from the

relationship!
e.g. The remora fish uses suckers on its head
to attach itself to a shark. It then eats the
bacteria living on the shark’s skin.
Other examples??
 Continued…

Parasitism: One partner benefits from the

relationship and the other is harmed.
Which is which?? Parasite or host??

Examples: tapeworm, mosquito, leech

 Continued…

Commensalism: One partner benefits and the

other appears to be unaffected
The orchid plant lives high up attached to the trunks
of trees. The orchid benefits by having a safe place
to live, the tree does not benefit or suffer.
Other Examples???
 Impacts on Ecosystems

Relationships exist between the living and non-

living. These can have a major impact on an
environment.
The beaver can have a dramatic impact on water and
change the environment around them by building dams.
Other examples??
 Ecosystems:
Fundamental Characteristics

•Structure:
Living (biotic)
Nonliving (abiotic)
• Process:
Energy flow
Cycling of matter (chemicals)
• Change:
Dynamic (not static)
Succession
 Ecosystems

An ecosystem is the interactions between living and

non-living things in a particular environment.

E.g. A rotting log is an example of an ecosystem. The organisms living in

and on the log and the soil, temperature, and other non-living features
around the log are interacting.
 Energy flow: Trophic Levels
•A trophic level is the position occupied by an organism in a food
chain.
•Trophic levels can be analyzed on an energy pyramid.
•Producers are found at the base of the pyramid and compromise
the first trophic level.
•Primary consumers make up the second trophic level.
•Secondary consumers make up the third trophic level.
•Tertiary consumers make up the top trophic level.
Role of Geomatics
in
NATURAL
RESOURCES
Sustainable development and
management of what ?Natural resources
India rich in resources that include not only land and
nature but also the people.

Sustainability –Good management and preservation

Slower exploitation
Over a considerable period of time, the mankind has not been
able to manage natural resources effectively due to the
population growth, reduced access to a number of
resourcesand over-use of the rest of natural resources.
Degradation of Normally Renewable
Natural Resources and Services
 Introduction

 Malaysia is experiencing a strong developmental

phase and, coupled with global concerns, is at a
crossroads where both sustainable development
and unsustainable transgression are possible as a
result of this turbulent evolutionary process.

 Malaysia needs to be guided by policies which

maximise the efficiency of their extensive natural
resources to the benefit of the population,
without negatively impacting on the biological
environment or long-term resource supply.
 .
 Geomatics and Sustainable Development

Sustainable development: “Geomatics is the science of

Economic growth and Human expansion acquisition, management, modeling,

analysis and representation of
along with preservation of the spatial data and processes under
natural environment, and specific consideration of the
problems related to spatial planning,
planet Earth as a whole.
for Natural Resource Management

Fusing the two concepts

will give a better understanding on
Role Geomatics plays in sustainable development
 Geomatics
Geo- for earth: Matics – for information

• It refers to all the means used

for the measurement
analysis,and visualization of
features or phenomena on
Earth.
• Compared with traditional this
approach is accurate, timely
and cost-effective and include
different tools like:
• (RS) Remote Sensing
• (GIS)Geographical
Information System
• (GPR)Ground Penetrating
Radar
• (GPS)Global Positioning
Systems
 How sustainable development can be
achieved using Geospatial approach?

• By Integration of complete
information related to any
resource and generating
logical decision for the same i.e
action plan or policy .

• This is precisely done by

GEOMATICS

HOW ?
 Non-Conventional studies by Geomatics

The first tool Remote Sensing (RS)

• RS often results in more timely information on
different resources:
• Early detection and management of
problems related to any resource

• Enables assessment of large areas with high

detail without disturbing the component.

• Cost effective efficient and more spatially

detailed information than field sampling.
 Remote Sensing and its principle

Principle and Application:

Remote sensors collect data by detecting the energy that is

reflected from Earth.

These sensors can be on satellites on aircraft or hand held.

Image showing mixed pixels of forest classes

Open Forest

Degraded Forest

Sparse Tree Cover

with Agriculture

Closed Forest
 B an d _2 _3 B and_1_3 B and_1_2

B an d _2 _3 B and_1_3 B and_1_2

---Closed forest ---Agriculture ---Degraded Forest

---Open forest ---Sparse Tree Cover with Agriculture

Plate showing spectral overlap of different forest classes

 IMAGING CAPABILITY

…TOWARDS

• EVERY22 DAYSIMAGING • EVERY5 DAYSIMAGING • LOCALAREAIMAGING

• 1:50K SCALES • 1:12500 SCALES • 1:2000/4000/1:8000 SCALES
•DETAILED RESOURCES • LARGESCALEMAPPING • STEREOCAPABILITY
SURVEY
• STEREOCAPABILITY
 DIFFERENT TYPES SPATIAL DATA
OPTICAL,HYPERSPECTRAL AND MICROWAVE

• Day Coverage as requires • Day Coverage as requires • Day/night coverage.

sun energy sun energy • Complementary information to
• Broad band s • Narrow band s that in optical and IRregions.

OPTICAL HYPERSPECTRAL MICROWAVE

 Geographical Information System (GIS)

It works on the principle of geocoding -

The process of converting implicit
geographic data into explicit or map-
form images

GIS
 Geographical Information System (GIS)

• A powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving

at will, transforming and displaying spatial data from
the real world (Burrough, 1986).

facilities

transport

topography

geology

wells
 What is GIS?

Spatial Data Descriptive Data

GIS
G is the IS
Integration of Spatial and Descriptive Data
 Attaining
Role ofSustainable Development
Geomatics in Sustainable through
development
GIS

 accurate and timely information that

would be the basis for better
decisions or informed decisions.
 The equation for this is the
integration and processing of data to
get information, which is the end-
product of a GIS.
 Sustainable development also
requires this end-product of GIS as a
by-product to support decision-
making processes.
 The good news today is most
institutions in India are beginning to
understand these concepts and
appreciate the powerful role
information plays in our decision
making.
 Role of Geomatics in Sustainable
Global Position Systemdevelopment
(GPS)

 It is used to collect ground data

 Is also a powerful navigation tool that can guide us anywhere in the world.
 There are many types of GPS, which differ in their accuracy, memory capacity
and price.
 Ground
RolePenetrating
of Geomatics in Radar (GPR)
Sustainable development

• Since ground penetrating radar (GPR)

gives scientists a picture of what’s
beneath the Earth’s surface, this
technology can play a valuable role in
protecting our environment for future
generations. One of the most
important applications of ground
penetrating radar is the location of
hazards that could potentially cause
detrimental effects on the
environment and vulnerable species of
plants and animals.
• With regards to the environment, GPR
can:
• Map the extent of contaminant
plumes
• Determine direction of
contaminant migration
• Assess landfill limits
• Find buried drums
Introduction
Soil moisture governs: infiltration and runoff, evaporation, energy exchanges with
atmosphere, plant growth (food & energy production), contamination

Tutorvista.com
 Human activities, but also natural
processes, lead to soil degradation
worldwide: erosion, compaction,
pollution, desertification, sealing,
salinization, nutrient depletion

5
from observations to optimal and
sustainable
Observation:soil and water
soil characterization management
and monitoring

Soil:
Process understanding and modeling - Inaccessibility
- High variability

Bridging the scale gaps

Management strategies and decision support
between observations,
modeling, and
management
Soil moisture determination Local
scale
Field scale

Soil sampling
Dielectric sensors
Catchment scale

Advantages: Geophysical methods

- Easy to use (ground-penetrating radar)
Disadvantages:
- Laborious (intrusive)
- Local characterization Advantages:
(100 -500 cm³)
Remote sensing
- Non-invasive
- Shallow characterization (airborne, spaceborne)
- Real-time mapping
(5-20 cm) - Root zone characterization
Disadvantages: Advantages:
- Complex data processing - Large scale characterization
- Cost of equipment Disadvantages:
- Shallow characterization (0-5 cm)
- Availability of remote sensing data
- Accuracy limitations
Example of soil moisture variability at the 1 m² scale

Local sensors are usually not representative of the larger scale moisture
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) basic principles

Radar
system • Dielectric permittivity  wave velocity
electronics
Tx Rx • Electric conductivity σ wave attenuation
• Magnetic permeability µ
1, σ1, µ1
Electromagnetic contrasts
2, σ2, µ2
Reflection, transmission
3, σ3, µ3

GPR operates by transmitting microwave electromagnetic energy down into the

ground through an antenna. The transmitted energy is reflected from various
electromagnetic interfaces. An antenna then receives the reflectedsignal.
 Ground-penetrating radar

 c
f
10
Subsurface imaging
principles

11
Example of GPR measurements in a
vineyard (Saint-Emilion, France)
Sand layer
Clay layer
Management of city infrastructures: project
control, monitoring and maintenance
Roads, underground pipes and cables
Buried tanks

Tunnels Bridge decks

13
 Arche
ology

Geology

14
 Security

Forensics

15
High-resolution, real-time mapping
of soil moisture
Handheld system Automated platforms

(e.g., EU-FP7 DIGISOIL, SENSAR projects)

Radarsat

(Minet et al., 2011) Catchment scale

Towards digital soil mapping – improving remote sensing data products

High-resolution, real-time mapping
of soil moisture
Field-scale applications

Test site in Bologna (Italy)

400 MHz GSSI antenna

Time-lapse monitoring
Comparison between three
radar configurations
 Attaining
Role ofSustainable Development
Geomatics in Sustainable through
development
GIS

 accurate and timely information that

would be the basis for better
decisions or informed decisions.
 The equation for this is the
integration and processing of data to
get information, which is the end-
product of a GIS.
 Sustainable development also
requires this end-product of GIS as a
by-product to support decision-
making processes.
 The good news today is most
institutions in India are beginning to
understand these concepts and
appreciate the powerful role
information plays in our decision
making.
 Attaining
Role ofSustainable Development
Geomatics in Sustainable through
development
GIS

 accurate and timely information that

would be the basis for better
decisions or informed decisions.
 The equation for this is the
integration and processing of data to
get information, which is the end-
product of a GIS.
 Sustainable development also
requires this end-product of GIS as a
by-product to support decision-
making processes.
 The good news today is most
institutions in India are beginning to
understand these concepts and
appreciate the powerful role
information plays in our decision
making.
 A Few Case Studies

1. Potential of Geomatics managing Forest Resources

2. Geomatics in identifying Ecosensitive Forest Areas

3. Geomatics in assessment of Joint Forest

Management Areas

4. Geomatics in Eco-City Plan generation

 Potential of Geomatics managing Forest
Resources
Forests occur naturally, but they can
be affected positively and negatively
by human behavior. If a forest is
carefully replanted and allowed to
grow, it can exist in balance. If the
forest is cut down faster than it can
grow back, then it will be used up
quickly.

You are walking through a lush forest. A soft cushion of needles

keeps your foot steps silent. You smell the trees. You hear
chipmunks in the branches. Birds dart back and forth. This is a
beautiful place. But the trees may soon be cut down for lumber and
paper.Can we keep our forests and still have the products we need?
 Potential
1. Potential of Geomatics
Role ofofGeomatics
Geomatics managing
managingdevelopment
in Sustainable Forest
Forest Resources
Resources
Value of a Tree
A tree that lives for 50 years generates:

 Rs. 5.3 lakhs worth of oxygen

 Facilitates Rs. 6.4 lakhs worth of soil erosion

control

 Creates Rs. 10.5 lakhs worth of air pollution

control

 Provides Rs. 5.3 lakhs worth of shelter for

birds and animals

 Recycles Rs. 6.4 lakhs worth of fertility

 Besides provide flower, fruits and timber

 When a tree is fell it is something worth more

than Rs. 33. 9 lakhs
 Potential
1. Potential of Geomatics
Role ofofGeomatics
Geomatics managing
managingdevelopment
in Sustainable Forest
Forest Resources
Resources
FOREST RESOURCES
World forests occupy about 30% of the land
territory of all continents, with the exception of
Antarctica.
Forest is the biggest ecosystem of the Earth’s terrestrial part. The total
forested area is 4.14 billion hectares, with forests of sufficient density
occupying about 3 billion hectares.

Forests
World terrestrial 30%
territories

70% Other surface

covering as
forests (inter alia,
deserts,
mountains)
 Potential
1. Potential of Geomatics
of Geomatics managing managing Forest
Forest Resources
Resources
Forest categories as observed on IRS
LISS III satellite data
FOREST

Dense Open Degraded

 Potential
1. Potential of Geomatics
Role ofofGeomatics
Geomatics managing
managingdevelopment
in Sustainable Forest
Forest Resources
Resources

Application at Macro scale

1. Role inForestry
 Forest characteristics : Type, Phenology,
Crown density Productivity, Biomass,
Changes
 Habitat fragmentation
 Heterogenity levels
 Carbon sequestration
 Distribution and abundance of species
 Working Plan prescription
 Potential
1. Potential of Geomatics
Role ofofGeomatics
Geomatics managing
managingdevelopment
in Sustainable Forest
Forest Resources
Resources
Geomatics: Forest Conservation

Forest survey Remote sensing Image

GPS
Distribution Map of Tectona grandis L.
through GIS

Species Diversity: Shannon Index Identification Of Priority Sites for

conservation
 Potential
1. Potential of Geomatics
Role ofofGeomatics
Geomatics managing
managingdevelopment
in Sustainable Forest
Forest Resources
Resources

Satellite image of
deforestation
 Potential
Potential ofof Geomatics
Geomatics managing
managing Forest
Forest Resources
Resources
Different classes of Forest : Pavijetpur Taluka
 Potential
Potential of Geomatics
of Geomatics managing
managing Forest Resources Forest
Resources
 Potential of Geomatics managing Forest
Resources

Prescription of Sajwa Round Forest Working Circle

 Potential
1. Potential of Geomatics
Role ofofGeomatics
Geomatics managing
managingdevelopment
in Sustainable Forest
Forest Resources
Resources
Aerial recording for species identification

Dark green: conifers

Green: lower branches
Light purple: gravel
Yellow: deciduous
Orange: dry ground cover
Red: wet ground cover
Blue (light): water
Blue (dark): deep or clearwater
 Potential of Geomatics
managing managing Forest
DIVERSTY MAP OF DEDIAPADA TALUKA GENERATED USING GIS
1. Potential of Geomatics Forest Resources
Resources
·

L eg end
R oad
R ive r

Forest
TYPE
Res er v e Forest
Res er v e Forest d en s e
Res er v e Forest t ea k
Other Jungle
Others
P lan tations

E v e n e s s D ive r sit y
0 . 0 0 0 2 7 61 96 - 0 . 2 2 0 6 6 56 0 5
0 . 2 2 0 6 6 56 05 0 . 4 4 1 0 5 5 01 3
0. 441055013 - 0. 661444422
K ilo m e te r s 0 . 6 6 1 4 4 44 22 - 0 . 8 8 1 8 33 83
0 1.5 3 6 9 12 0.88183383 - 0 . 9 9 2 0 2 8 53 4

DIVERSTY MAP OF DEDIAPADA

TALUKA GENERATED USING GIS
 Geomatics
Role in identifying
of Geomatics Ecosensitive
in Sustainable development Forest
Role of Geomatics in Sustainable development
Areas
study site Pavagadh
 Potentials of Geomatics have been utilized for identifying the

Ecological Sensitive areas (ESA) of Pavagadh hill for Halol taluka.

 Remote Sensing assisted in mapping various resources like, land

use change analysis, mapping of various like vegetation , water,

soil etc.

 GIS facilitated in the integration of information of both spatial

and attribute data. This helped in generation sustainable

development plan was prepared considering all the parameters .

The sustainable plan included the various categories of sensitive

areas which were prioritized for conservation.

 Geomatics
Role of
Role in identifying
Geomatics
of Geomatics inin Ecosensitive
Sustainable
Sustainable Forest
development
development
Areas

Land use land change Environmental accounting of forest area

Species Diversity studies Prioritization of conservation sites

 Geomatics
Role of
Role in identifying
Geomatics
of Geomatics inin Ecosensitive
Sustainable
Sustainable Forest
development
development
Areas
 Sensitivity status of 13 sites selected under each
suitability categories is clearly Indicates that out of 65
selected sites, the majority sites were showing Less
sensitive areas, whereas highly sensitive areas have
been represented by only 19 sites.

 Total 21 sites were falling under the moderately

sensitive areas. The reason for their identification was
the severe degradation and fragmentation of
environmentally, economically, and aesthetically
important landscape.
 Geomatics in assessment of Joint Forest
Management Areas
Forest Type Maps of JFM Village- Gadkoi
 Geomatics in assessment of Joint Forest
Role of Geomatics in Sustainable development
Management Areas
Forest Density Classification of JFM village - Gadkoi

Categories 2001 2005 Change

STA* 2 16 +14
Closed 0.3 1.33 +1.03
Open Forest 0.15 5.6 +5.45
Degraded 1 2 +1
Barren 26.55 5.07 - 21.48
Microplan
 Geomatics in Eco-City Plan generation
Role of Geomatics in Sustainable development

The specific objectives of the Eco-city project were:

 To identify the environmental problems/hotspots in the selected towns .

 To identify priority environmental improvement projects through

participatory approach;

 Designing and detailing the prioritized environmental improvement

projects

 To create landmarks that shows visible environmental improvement.

 To improve environment by increasing green belts, urban green spaces in

the city.

 To protect environmental resources (water bodies, forest etc.)

 To plan development activities compatible to environment.

 Geomatics in Eco-City Plan generation

Urban Street with Green Space In Urban Street without Green space In Vadodara-
Biosphere Eco-city India
 Role of Geomatics
of Geomatics inin
Geomatics
Role
in Eco-City Sustainable
Sustainable development
Plan generation
development

Eco-city planning of Vadodara city

 The world is increasingly urbanising. The number of urban residents is expected to grow

continuously, especially in some of the developing Asian countries likeIndia.

 The idea of ecological cities or Eco-cities arose in the 1980s from new urbanism and was initially

discussed mainly by German Scholars.

 Eco-city In India: In the year 2002, the Eco-city Project was initiated by the Central Pollution Control

Board (CPCB) with the grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Environment and Forest(MoEF),

 Application of Geomatics for generation of Eco-city plan of the Vadodara city is a novel approach.

The utility of advanced tools of Remote sensing and GIS assisted in making the plan and aided

updating, retrieval and urban related resources like vegetation, water soiletc.
 Role of Geomatics
Geomatics
Role inin
in Eco-City
of Geomatics Sustainable
Sustainable development
Plan generation
development

Vadodara as an Eco-city
 Eco-city plan was generated based on this

land suitability map which helped in

sustainable utilization of resources .

 To make the best use of resources there is a

call for preparing a sound strategic plan.

 This plan aimed to attain a balance

between the development of the urban

areas and protection of the environment by

decreasing the depletion of non-renewable

resources.
 TREE COUNT AND VEHICULAR MAP
OF VADODARA

TREE COUNT
 Geomatics in Eco-City Plan generation

CARBONEMISSIONBY CARBONSEQUESTERATION
VEHICLES ROAD SIDETREES
 Geomatics in Eco-City Plan generation

MAP SHOWING
ECOSENSITIVEZONES
OFVADODARACITY
GENERATEDUSING
GEOSPATIAL
APPROACH
 Role of Geomatics
of Geomatics inin
Geomatics
Role
in Eco-City Sustainable
Sustainable development
Plan generation
development

Various findings related to studies are as followed:

 For the generation of Eco-city plan various

thematic maps based on various themes were

prepared for analyzing the present status of

various resources.

 Thematic maps showing the location of various

Gardens and Greenbelts of the city helped in

analyzing their distribution in the city.

 Role of Geomatics
of Geomatics inin
Geomatics
Role
in Eco-City Sustainable
Sustainable development
Plan generation
development

Various findings related to studies are as followed:

 Slope map and contour map generated for the

city helped in land suitability analysis of the

city.

 Study also examined the type of the urban

sprawl by estimating the entropy of the

Vadodara city.
 Conclusion

• The sustainable development of natural

resources involves maintaining a fragile
balance between exploitation and
regeneration of the resources within the
carrying capacity of the ecosystem through
monitoring and identification of problem
areas.

• It occurs only when management goals and

actions are ecologically viable, economically
feasible and socially desirable.