Applied Ecology

1. Applied Ecology Prof. Dr. Asrar M. Khan

2. Applied Ecology • Introduction • Applied ecology is a subfield within ecology, which considers the application of the science of ecology to real-world (usually management) problems. • It is an integrated treatment of the ecological, social, and biotechnological aspects of natural resource, conservation and management. • It is also called ecological or environmental technology. • Applied ecology mainly focuses on geomorphology, soils, and plant communities as the underpinnings for vegetation and wildlife (both game and non-game) management.

3. Applied Ecology • Aspects of applied ecology include: • Agro-ecosystem management • Biodiversity conservation • Biotechnology • Conservation biology • Ecosystem restoration • Habitat management • Invasive species management • Protected areas management • Rangeland management • Restoration ecology

4. 1. Agro-ecology • The term agro-ecology is a science, a movement and a practice. • Agro-ecologists study a variety of agro-ecosystems, and the field of agro-ecology is not associated with any one particular method of farming, whether it be organic, conventional, intensive or extensive. • Agro-ecologists assess how, when, and if technology can be used in conjunction with natural, social and human assets

5. Agro-ecology • Agro-ecologists recognize that there is no universal formula or recipe for the success and maximum well-being of an agro-ecosystem. • Agro-ecologists may study questions related to the four system properties of agro-ecosystems: productivity, stability, sustainability and equitability. • Agro-ecologists see all four properties as interconnected and integral to the success of an agro-ecosystem. • Agro-ecologists study four properties through an interdisciplinary approach, using natural sciences to understand elements of agro-ecosystems such as soil properties and plant-insect interactions, as well as using social sciences to understand the effects of farming practices on rural communities, economic constraints to developing new production methods, or cultural factors determining farming practices.

6. Agr-oecology • A more common definition by Dalgaard et al., is that agro-ecology is the study of the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment within agricultural systems. • Thus agro-ecology is inherently multidisciplinary, including factors from agronomy, ecology, sociology and economics. In this case, the “-ecology” portion of "agro-ecology is defined broadly to include social, cultural, and economic contexts as well. • The term agro-ecology was first introduced in 1911 by FG King.

7. 2. Biodiversity/Conservation biology • Definition • Quantity of plant and animal species found in a given environment. Sometimes habitat diversity (the variety of places where organisms live) and genetic diversity (the variety of traits expressed within a species) are also considered types of biodiversity. • The branch of biology that deals with the effects of humans on the environment and with the conservation of biological diversity. • Conservation Biology, an interdisciplinary, mission-oriented science with the goal of lessening the extinction crisis and encouraging biological diversity. • Conservation biologists include researchers and managers from fields as varied as ecology, genetics, evolution, biogeography, wildlife biology, forestry, captive species breeding, and restoration ecology.

8. Conservation biology • Scientists hope that by studying why species become extinct, they can improve the management of natural areas and endangered species in ways that will prevent further extinctions. • The idea of conservation biology was started in 1900 with the development of the fields of fisheries, forestry, and wildlife management. • During 1960 & 70s, growing evidence of the massive extinction of species was raising concern within the biological community. Experts estimated that as many as a quarter of all surviving species could be doomed to extinction by the year 2025 if current trends continued.

9. Conservation biology • As many as 20,000 species could be lost or liable every year, most of them unknown to Western science, and virtually all of them are victims of human activity. • A species may be vulnerable to extinction for many reasons. Small populations can be wiped out by random local events, social dysfunction, or genetic deterioration. • Species that cannot disperse well or that reproduce slowly are in danger. • Those exploited by humans are particularly vulnerable because harvesting may drive populations too low, either inadvertently or intentionally.

10. 3.Biotechnology • The use of microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeasts, or biological substances, such as enzymes, to perform specific industrial or manufacturing processes. • Applications include the production of certain drugs, synthetic hormones, and bulk foodstuffs as well as the bioconversion of organic waste and the use of genetically altered bacteria in the cleanup of oil spills. • Generally, any technique that is used to make or modify the products of living organisms in order to improve plants or animals, or to develop useful microorganisms. • In modern terms, biotechnology has come to mean the use of cell and tissue culture, cell fusion, molecular biology, and in particular, recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology to generate unique organisms with new traits or organisms that have the potential to produce specific products.

11. Biotechnology • Genetic engineering has made significant advances in the understanding of the structure and mode of action of antibody molecules • Few commercial products have been marketed for use in plant agriculture, but many have been tested. Interest has centered on producing plants that are resistant to specific herbicides. • This resistance would allow crops to be sprayed with the particular herbicide, and only the weeds would be killed, not the genetically engineered crop species.

12. Biotechnology • Biotechnology also holds great promise in the production of vaccines for use in maintaining the health of animals. Interferons are also being tested for their use in the management of specific diseases. • Genetic engineering has enabled the large-scale production of proteins which have great potential for treatment of heart attacks. • Many human gene products, produced with genetic engineering technology, are being investigated for their potential use as commercial drugs.

13. Biotechnology • Modified microorganisms are being developed with abilities to degrade hazardous wastes. Genes have been identified that are involved in the pathway known to degrade polychlorinated biphenyls, and some have been cloned and inserted into selected bacteria to degrade this compound in contaminated soil and water. • Other organisms are being sought to degrade phenols, petroleum products, and other chlorinated compounds. See also Genetic engineering; Molecular biology. • Biotechnology is unique amongst the three principal technologies for the twenty-first century — information technology, materials science, and biotechnology — in being a sustainable technology based on renewable biological resources. • Such natural resources include animals, plants, yeasts, and microorganisms

14. Ecosystem restoration • Ecosystem restoration is the return of a damaged ecological system to a stable, healthy, and sustainable state, often together with associated ecosystem services. • The problem is that we cannot restore an ecosystem to the exact same state it was in before we disturbed it.

15. Habitat • A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism. • It is the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the physical environment that surrounds (influences and is utilized by) a species population.

16. Invasive species • The first definition expresses the phrase in terms of non-indigenous species (e.g. plants or animals) that adversely affect the habitats they invade economically, environmentally or ecologically. • Include both native and non-native species that heavily colonize a particular habitat.