Wildlife sanctuaries are those areas where animals and plants are well-protected from external disturbances. These sanctuaries call for the complete prohibition of capturing or poaching animal habitats. Their goal is to establish a comfortable environment for the animals inhabiting the area. Several wildlife sanctuaries like the Black Beauty Ranch of Texas or the Duchess Sanctuary…
A national park is a place, an area set aside by the government for conserving plants and animals in an organized way. They are also meant for public recreation, primarily due to their paramount scientific and historical significance. In national parks, all landscapes, flora, and fauna are kept in their natural state. The concept of…
In Ecology, any species, big or small, usually tend to have a huge impact on the community in which it exists. Species that essentially help to maintain the biodiversity of a community by controlling the population of other species, or otherwise controlling the environment for another species are generally known as keystone species. The term…
A body of land surrounded by water is called an island and going by its definition, we can find numerous islands in ponds, lakes, rivers, and mostly in oceans. We even know some continents that are surrounded by water, but as they are huge in size, they are not considered an island. For example the…
Biodiversity, or Biological Diversity, is the sum of all the different species of plants, animals, fungi and microbial organisms that live on Earth, including the various ecosystems in which they live on. Biodiversity also includes the genetic information that these organisms contain. Therefore, on a smaller scale, you can use biodiversity to describe the variation…
The word Tundra stems from the Finnish word tunturia, which means treeless mountain tract, and that’s what characterizes this biome. Out of all the biomes existing in the world, tundra is the coldest. Although peaceful, tundra has unique and rich biodiversity. It’s cover about 10% of the earth’s surface. Scientists believe that it’s the youngest…
Marine is the largest biome in the world. It takes up a whopping 70% of the Earth and accounts for 90% of the world’s water supply. This biome boasts more than 230 distinct species. The Marine biome is characterized by salty waters that have a lot of biodiversity making up numerous complex ecosystems. The marine…
The Biomass is an organic matter that can be used as a source of energy. It is derived from the energy crops to agricultural residues and waste and from the living organisms. Examples of biomass sources are wood products, dried vegetarians, crop residues, aquatic plants, and much more. These are used to create a biofuel….
Deforestation persists to be one of the biggest environmental challenges in the world. More and more forests are cleared to create room for farming and the extraction of timber among other raw materials. In many parts of the world, the original forest cover areas have been reduced by more than 20% and some areas have…
The Southern Ocean is also known as the Antarctic Ocean located in the Southern hemisphere that surrounds the Antarctica. It is ranked as the fourth- largest of the five principal oceans in the world constituting 15 percent of the earth’s waters. The Southern Ocean is the newest named ocean recognized by the United States Board…
Reforestation is the consequence of deforestation which according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, is a complete clearance of trees. Deforestation is usually planned and deliberate felling of trees and the land cleared is used for activities which are not related to the forest. The act of re-growing trees in an area or…
Soil is the part of the earth’s surface comprised of disintegrated rock and humus that provides the medium for plant growth. The development of soil takes time, between hundreds and thousands of years, and consists of diverse materials which are both inorganic and organic. The inorganic materials are the non-living aspects of the soil such…
Environmental degradation comes about due to erosion and decline of the quality of the natural environment. It is caused directly or indirectly by anthropogenic activities that extract various environmental resources at a faster rate than they are replaced, and thus depleting them. On this regard, degradation means damage or reduction in quality of environmental features,…
Natural resources refer to the things that exist freely in nature for human use and don’t necessarily need the action of mankind for their generation or production. The key aspect of natural resources is that they dictate the survival of humans and other life forms on earth. These resources include land, rocks, forests (vegetation), water…
Rainforests are the forests characterized with tall trees, relatively warm climates and a great degree of rain on an annual basis. Most rainforests have an annual rainfall in the ranges of 250 to 450 centimeters (98 to 177 inches). In ecological explanation, rainforests are defined as “multi-storied closed, broad leaved forest vegetation with a continuous…