Applications of Ecology

 Applications of ecology-

Ecological applications are concerned broadly with the application of ecological science to environmental problems. Ecology is very important subject it has applications in major areas such as-

      I.            Wild Life Management-

Wild life ecology began as applied science discipline during the 1920s and 1930s. Wild life ecology is the science behind the practice of wild life management that seeks to manage wildlife populations for the benefit of humans. Early emphasis was on managing populations and habitats to support recreational hunting. Modern views are well characterised in Sinclair et al. 2006, still retaining the utilization values of wildlife but broadening to embrace the preservation of biodiversity, non consumption uses of wildlife, and ecosystem management.

   II.            Soil Conservation-

Soil conservation is the preventing of soil loss from erosion or reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination. Soil conservation is important because it provides food, filters air and water and helps to decompose biological waste into nutrients for new plant life. Certain human activities are disturbing the soil. Such as many cultivated lands are being disturbed by construction of buildings, farming or timber.

III.            Watershed Management-

Watershed is a term used to describe the process of implementing land use practices and water management practices to protect and improve the quality of the water and other natural resources within a watershed by managing the use of those land and water resources in a comprehensive manner. In recent decades, watershed management has seen a paradigm shift from predominantly supply based considerations of water quantity and quality to broader considerations of the ecological services provided by watersheds and a more holistic perspective interested in understanding and managing feed backs between hydrological and ecological processes.

IV.            Agriculture-

Agriculture is an important global human enterprise that exerts a major influence on ecosystem. Looking to the future, there remains a strong role ecologist to continue contributing to the development of sustainable agricultural systems. The knowledge of ecological agriculture provides a holistic understanding of how agro-ecosystems work and the science of sustainable agriculture. Ecology emphasizes the interrelationships among soils, insects, plants, animals, humans and other components of agro-ecosystems including ecosystem dynamics, agro-ecology of food crops, and the role of agriculture in rural and urban landscape. All these factors are studied by ecologists, so without information of all aspects it will be very difficult to grow a plants and it can result in economic loss. Agriculture ecology provides solutions to the challenge of sustainable food production.

   V.            Aquaculture-

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, prawns, molluscs and aquatic plants related directly or indirectly to human consumptions. Aquaculture involves cultivating fresh water and salt water populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. The market for sea food is huge and growing fast, but stocks of fish are dropping due to over fishing, pollution and other. On balance, global aquaculture production, the growing aquaculture industry is to sustain its contribution to world fish supplies and adopt more ecologically sound management practices. Other ecological studies such as temperature and soil conditions are important in fish culturing.

VI.            Land utilization-

Humans are the major force if change around the globe, transforming land to provide food, shelter, and products for use. Ecological principles for land use and management deal with time, species, place, disturbance and the landscape. The principles result in several guidelines that serve as practical rules of thumb for incorporating ecological principles into making decisions about the land. Specifying ecological principles and understanding their implications for land-use and land management decisions are essential steps on the path toward ecologically based land use.

VII.            Air pollution-

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse change. Pollution can overwhelm the natural stability of an ecosystem and result in irreversible changes and losses for example air pollution and acid deposition results in decline of forest, loss of timber growth, due to nutrient losses caused by mercury poisoning of microbes and soil insects, loss of fish production, due to death of invertebrates from copper pollution etc. For the control of pollution, we have to studies causes of pollution. These causes can be controlled by ecological studies.

VIII.            Forestry-

The management of forests is known as forestry. Forest ecology is a highly diverse and important branch of ecological study. Forest ecology is the scientific study of the interrelated patterns, processes, flora, fauna and ecosystems in forests. Forest are home to many invaluable ecosystem goods and services as well as a source of wood products for economics around the world. Scientists and experts evaluate the effectiveness of forest management policies by accounting for economics, social and environmental goals.