Green ~ Nature ~ Forest ~ Environment

The Earth is getting destroyed. We humans are at fault. Let us work together to save it. Save it for ourselves and for future generations.

The planet Earth is a gift to us by God. It is sustained life for millions of years, be it in any form. Resources on which we thrive have been in abundance. But as man pushes forward for more and more, he has forgotten the importance of saving our planet so that its resources last for millions of years more. Urbanization, pollution, and other related activities have contributed to environmental hazards, global warming, and depletion of the planet’s resources.

The Role of Trees

Trees are the largest of all land plants, and act as a kind of environmental “buffer” for the ecosystem they dominate. They help improve the extremes of climate, such as heat, cold, and wind, and create an environment where humans, mammals, insects, birds, etc. can live comfortably. Trees complement animals in the global environment. Mammals/Humans take in oxygen from the air and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants use this carbon dioxide in their growth processes, store the carbon in woody tissues, and then return oxygen to the atmosphere as a waste product. This process is known as photosynthesis and is very essential to life. Carbon captured from the atmosphere by photosynthesis is eventually recycled through the environment in a process known as the carbon cycle. Trees have an especially important role in the carbon cycle. Tree leaves also act as filters to remove atmospheric pollutants from the air. This effect is particularly beneficial in urban areas.

Today, many urban areas in are faced with excessive population, along with the pressure of unplanned economic development, industrialization, and vehicular emissions. This has led to considerable rise in urban pollution, affecting air, water, and land. Air pollution has increased rapidly in many cities and metropolises, especially due to vehicular traffic and industrial emissions.

Secondly, the urban areas are growing at an alarming rate, and the cost of building and maintaining air quality, water and energy needs for residents has created a seemingly impossible challenge. Cities need to incorporate ecological principles into better urban planning and development. Trees are the lungs, water filters, and air conditioners of our cities. Cities need to build according to nature’s laws and rise above the financial, ecological and social tides of urban growth.

Today, we can see only walls, buildings, cars, large signs/hoardings, tar roads, runways and concrete instead of plants, gardens, or trees. Trees are disappearing from our surroundings faster than we can imagine. There is a dramatic loss of urban trees on public land, and street trees in particular. Sometimes, even if replacements are planted, they are often species of trees that will not become large. These are of no benefits to the ecological system. We are used to having clean looks and pure finishes (houses, cars etc), and a polished lifestyle. But we never take care of nature. We are the only ones responsible for the imbalance of nature.

A general survey of a metropolitan city shows that due to huge quantity of concrete and less quantity of trees, there is very less rainfall. The final result is that due to modernization, fast life and ignorance towards nature, today nature is almost disappearing due to this imbalance. This is a major contribution towards global warming. It has also resulted in other lop-sided calamities like flash floods, acid rain, drought, etc.

The risks to our health and well-being from removing trees are far higher. The benefits that urban trees bring are only just being formally recognized. We now know that they can reduce urban temperatures by 4C (7F); more urban canopy cover will be critical as temperatures climb as a result of global warming. Urban trees also absorb pollution of all kinds, particulate, chemical and noise; but their ability to do this depends upon their size.

Trees are removed due to three reasons

1. Road re-alignment projects which seem to require completely unimpeded sight lines, despite the slow crawl of urban traffic.
2. There are concerns about the hazards posed by “dangerous” trees.
3. Increase in Concrete Jungle, i.e. huge increase in buildings, malls, concrete roads, flyovers, etc.

Solution

a. The effort should be one of retaining the trees, rather than reaching for the chainsaw at first sight of a “problem”. There are ways of reducing risks other than felling.
b. Highways work should also retain trees rather than remove them.
c. The tree’s right to live should be recognized and it should be allowed to live until it is proved it cannot do so without a clear and demonstrable, quantifiable, danger.
d. Tree planting should be done in the surroundings of big societies, apartments, bungalows, and thus they should be maintained on regular basis.
e. Plant street trees in new locations, by willingness of public to contribute money for this purpose. Plant trees that are not harmful.
f. There should be one tree for one family staying in an apartment.

It is high time we acted. You, me, and in fact all of us together. This is our planet. Let us work together to save it, and preserve it the way it should be for generations to follow. Preserve trees, save them, and plant more. That is the only way ahead.

Bottom line is that man should never challenge nature.

The earth’s environment has become a pervasive and global problem. There is growing awareness about the need to conserve our environment. Read on to know the different environmental problems.

Today the earth’s environment is in a sorry state. Wherever one looks, one encounters pollution. Forests are disappearing. The green patches in the city are being replaced by concrete buildings. Waste products are being dumped indiscriminately. Water is too toxic to drink. The air is unfit to breathe. Global warming has become a menacing issue. There is a question mark over the survival of life on the earth. The human race is at the brink of a self-created disaster. Truly there is a surfeit of environmental problems today.

List of environmental problems

There are a number of significant environmental problems today. They are as follows:

• Loss of forest cover. Forest are being cut down for timber, construction and for obtaining extra agricultural land.
• Air pollution. This is caused by polluting industries and vehicular traffic. Burning incinerators, furnaces and stoves cause it. Wind is responsible for spreading air pollution. The Ozone layer has been damaged because of the use of CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbons) which are used in a number of industrial, commercial, and household applications.
• Water pollution. Industries and factories release toxic wastes into the water. Leakage from oil tankers causes pollution of the sea. Pesticides and fertilizers also cause water pollution. Sewage released by cities into water bodies. It is predicted that there will be conflicts among nations because water will become scarce.
• Overpopulation. The increase in human population increases demands for the water resources. More land is required for housing. There is increased demand for food for which more agricultural land is needed. More fuel is required. More automobiles cause more pollution.
• Erosion of soil. When trees and plants are destroyed that causes increase in soil erosion.
• Climate change and Global warming. Human activities cause climate change like increase in temperature. Many animal and plant species may be destroyed by climate change.
• Introduction of genetically modified species. Humans are tinkering with the genes of various plants and animals. We do not fully understand how the introduction of new species will affect the environment.
• Destruction of biodiversity. Many plant and animal species have become extinct or are approaching extinction because of human activities. These endangered species may have important uses in medicine and science for humans.
• Devastation of natural habitats. Species such as tigers and lions are reducing in numbers because humans are steadily destroying the natural habitats which sustain them.
• Diminishing natural resources. Mankind is using up natural resources at an alarming rate. Fuel, water, minerals, timber are being consumed rapidly. Oil and natural gas resources are expected to get over by the end of this century.
• Marine habitats are being polluted. Overfishing has led to the extinction of many fish species. The oceans are vast but still vulnerable to pollution.

Conserving the environment

Conserving the environment is a major social and political issue. The following steps can be taken to conserve the environment:

• Reduce wastage of electricity, fuel and food.
• Encourage the use of environment friendly and renewable sources of energy like solar energy, wind energy and tidal energy.
• Establish sanctuaries for endangered wildlife.
• Stop exploitation of areas rich in biodiversity.
• Encourage planting of trees.
• Reduce usage of plastic since it is not biodegradable.
• Stop overfishing.
• Encourage organic agriculture.
• Polluting industries should be closed.
• Discourage harmful genetic engineering.
• Recycle garbage.
• Aggressive family planning to limit human population.
• Elect leaders who work for the environment.
• Promote the development and use of environment friendly technologies.

Before mankind reaches the point of no return these critical environmental problems need to be tackled on a war footing. Only the participation and cooperation of the entire global community will suffice to provide for a clean and safe environment in the future.

Environmental ethics is a branch of environmental philosophy, that studies the ethical relationship between human beings and the environment. Environmental ethics has given a new dimension to the conservation of natural resources. For more information on this topic, read on…

Rainforests are home to many different species of animal and plant life. These facts about the rainforest will brief you about their importance to mankind.

Have you ever really wondered about the beauty and the mystery of rainforests? Rainforests are those forests that are found in areas, which receive a high amount of rainfall. These rainforests differ as per their location. Those forests, which grow closer to the equator, are evergreen. This is because of the hot and wet climate. Rainforests that are seen in areas that experience a temperate climate are of the deciduous varieties. With the human interference, which destroys thousands of important and rare species of trees, these rainforests are facing a constant threat due to mankind. Once these rainforests face a major destruction, conserving the remainder portions of the rainforests is definitely no easy task. The need for people to be educated about the importance of rainforests is very much necessary in a time like this. Rainforests are home to some of the rare living species as well. All such species form an important chain in the ecological cycle. With deforestation, today thousands of species face the danger of being extinct and many have already disappeared from the scene. Let us check out some interesting facts about rainforests, which would give you an insight about their importance to mankind.

Rainforest Facts:

• Rainforests are very dense because of the thick growth of plant life; this is due to the heavy rainfall and the kind of climate as well. When it rains, it is said that the drops of rain take around 10 minutes to reach the ground. This is because the upper canopy of the trees is very thick and dense. This is what extends the duration for the raindrops to reach the ground of the forest area.
• At one time, rainforests covered around 14% of the Earth’s surface. Today, with the destruction of the rainforests, only 6% is covered by the rainforests.
• Rainforests are found all over the world in areas of Alaska, Asia, Africa and Canada etc.
• One of the highest rate of destruction happened in between 1960-1980. This is when Asia lost most of it forest cover.
• Did you know that around 1/3 of most species of birds live in the rainforest?
• We all know that sloths are associated with being lazy. It is said that in some moist areas of the rainforests of South America, algae grown on the fur of most sloths!
• Deforestation is major issue today. The results of deforestation can be alarming if you consider what experts have to say. It is believed that nearly half of the species of plants, microorganisms and animals are severely threatened due to deforestation. Therefore the need to protect it would be really necessary.
• Around 56,000 square miles of natural forests are lost each and every year.
• There are particular factors that result in the rainforests being home to all species of plant and animal life. The rainforests are known to maintain a constant temperature of 80 degrees F and the kind of heavy rainfall they receive can range from 160-400 inches per year. These weather conditions help all sorts of living organisms flourish out here.
• Around 2,000 species of butterflies are found in the rainforests.
• The common reasons for the destruction of rainforests happen when man interferes into this area. Fires, the use of chainsaws and bulldozers to fell the trees cause maximum damage to the rainforests.
• The rainforests not only have a wide variety and rare species of plant and animal life, around 80% of the flowers which are found in the Australian rainforests are not found anywhere else in the whole world.
• The Amazon Rainforest is also known as the ‘Lungs of our Planet’. This is because it produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen by recycling the carbon dioxide, which is in the atmosphere.
• Here’s one more fact about rainforests- a four square mile patch of this area can house many things; more than you can imagine! There are around 1500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees and around 400 species of birds.
• Did you know that many medicines that are sold worldwide have some sources, which are taken from plants? Most have extracts from species that are found in the rainforests.

I am hoping these rainforest facts will help you realize the importance of their existence on Planet Earth. Let’s hope each one shoulder’s some responsibility towards restoring back the green cover on our planet.

The tropical rainforest food web is highly complicated in its structure and functioning. Information about the tropical rainforest forest food pyramid is provided in short in the following article.

Tropical rainforests are forest areas, characterized by heavy rainfall and rich biodiversity. Here is some information about the energy pyramid of tropical rainforests.

For proper functioning of an ecosystem, energy is transferred from one organism to another. In an ecosystem, the energy pyramid is defined as the graphical representation of this energy flow from one trophic level to another. Similar to the food pyramid, the lower the level in an energy pyramid, the more is the population of the particular group in that level. Let’s take a look at the energy pyramid, in case of tropical rainforests.

Tropical Rainforest’s Energy Pyramid

Tropical rainforests, as the name suggests, are forest areas found near the equator. Tropical rainforests are common in Asia, Africa, Australia, Central and South America, Southern Mexico and the Pacific Islands. The annual rainfall is about 1,750-2000 millimeters, average humidity is between 77-88 percent, and the average monthly temperature is always more than 18 degrees Celsius. The tropical rainforest is divided into five major layers (each with varied plant and animal species), namely, the floor layer, the shrub layer, the understory layer, the canopy layer and the emergent layer. The energy pyramid of tropical rainforests starting from the base includes the following:

Primary Producers: The primary producers or detritivores occupy the base of the energy pyramid. The only universal source of energy available to all the organisms is the sun, which provides solar energy. The primary producers synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water by using solar energy (photosynthesis). Primary producers of tropical rainforests include cyanobacteria, algae and all types of green plants starting from the small herbs to the tall, broad-leaved evergreen trees.

Primary Consumers: Primary consumers consume autotrophs as their food and derive energy for their survival. Thus, energy from the autotrophs is transferred to the primary consumers. Examples of primary consumers in tropical rainforests are grasshoppers, beetles and slugs, squirrels, cows, deers etc.

Secondary and Tertiary Consumers: In an energy pyramid, secondary and tertiary consumers occupy the third and fourth trophic levels, respectively. The former feed on the autotrophs as well as primary consumers, their energy source. Secondary consumers of tropical rainforests include frogs, toads, sparrows and woodpeckers. Tertiary consumers are carnivores that feed on the secondary consumers, and include the hawks, jackals, leopards, lions, tigers etc.

While transferring energy from one trophic level to another, the maximum percentage of energy is lost through heat. In fact, only a small amount of energy (about 1.2 percent) is transferred to the next higher trophic level.

Detritivores: The last trophic level in the energy pyramid is the detrivores, which feed on dead and decayed plants and organisms. Detritivores include fungi, and microorganisms like bacteria and virus. They break down complex organic substances into simpler forms, which are generally used by the autotrophs as their nutrient source. In fact, detritivores are the connecting link between the primary producers and consumers, and play an important role in cleaning the environment.

Due to favorable environmental conditions, the tropical rainforests house more than 50 percent of the total plant and animal species. Scientists are of the opinion that many plant species, insects and microorganisms are yet to be identified and discovered. Tropical rainforests are referred to as the ‘world’s largest pharmacy’, as one-fourth of the modern medicines are derived from these rainforests. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity are found in tropical rainforests.

Plants in the rainforest offer shelter and food to the animals of rainforest and they are the largest suppliers of oxygen. This article will provide you information about some of the medicinal, endangered and carnivorous plants in the rainforest.

In the tropical rainforests, which are considered as biomes of the world, you can find more than two thirds of the world’s plant species. The warm humid environment in which the rainforests grow, is responsible for an enormous variation of plants. Can you imagine how densely the trees of a tropical rainforest are packed? It is said that rain falling on the canopy can take as long as 10 minutes to reach the ground! 1 out of 4 ingredients in our medicine has its origin in the rainforests.

The Amazon jungle is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. Rainforests are located mainly around the equator. They are so dense that due to the competition at ground level for light and food, strange plants which live on the branches of other plants, have evolved or even the plants that strangle large trees to fight for survival are seen in these rainforests. It is impossible to include the list of plants in the rainforest in this article. Rainforests have billions of species of plants, because they are very old. Some rainforests are almost 100 million years old, which means dinosaurs probably lived in them! South American rainforests are home to more than 2,000 different species of butterflies while central African rainforests exhibit more than 8,000 different species of plants. Birds like bats are essential for the pollination in many tropical rainforest plants such as bananas and mangoes. The forests are connected by vines and ferns and mosses grow on the trees. Here is an overview of some of the main types of plants in the rainforest.

Types of Plants in the Rainforest

Carnivorous Plants in the Rainforest: Plants which obtain nutrients from animal matter are known as carnivorous plants. Venus fly trap and the pitcher plant Nepenthes rafflesiana from south east Asia are the best examples of carnivorous plants. Nepenthes rafflesiana grows as high as 30 feet and has pitchers of about 12 inches in length, They have a cavity filled with either sweet or terrible smelling nectar that attracts insects and they are always overcrowded with digested insects! The biggest flower in the world is seen on the trees of Rafflesia, which grow in the Indonesian rainforests. The most amazing fact about the pitcher plants is that they also eat small mammals and reptiles who try to steal the insects from the pitcher.

Strangler Plants in the Rainforest: Stranglers mostly come from the fig family. They are also called ‘killer trees’. The seed starts growing as an epiphyte, high in the trees. Epiphytes are the trees which derive moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and usually grow on another plant. But they are not parasitic on it. The list of epiphytes includes orchids, philodendrons, ferns and bromeliads. The aerial plants have so called ‘air roots’ and air is the source of nourishment for them. Poison ivy vines have many small aerial roots. The seeds of these plants are borne and transported by birds and monkeys which eat the fig fruits. The seedlings develop long roots down to the ground and start surrounding the host tree. They grow quickly and the growth eventually suffocates the host, resulting in its death. The host tree leaves a huge upright strangler which has a hollow core. This is the best example of how plants adopt themselves to survive in the given specific environment. The strangler fig uses an adult tree as its host so that it doesn’t have to struggle for light and nutrients at ground level.

Lianas in the Rainforest: Ninety per cent of the world’s vine species are found in tropical rainforests. Lianas are climbing vines which are present throughout tropical rainforests. The thick, woody stems of lianas are of various lengths (up to 3,000 ft) and shapes. They need sunlight for survival and so they climb upwards towards light after beginning the life on the forest floor. For this they depend on trees for support. They bind themselves to trees with sucker roots or tendrils. They climb up while growing, by winding themselves round the supporting tree’s trunk. They jump to other trees or start wrapping themselves around other lianas, after arriving at the top of the canopy layer of the rainforest. In this way they create a network of vines which provides the shallow-rooted, top-heavy trees, a very strong support. This helps them to survive against strong winds. Rattan palms, philodendron and Strychnos toxifera are some examples of lianas. The deadly poison strychnine is obtained from Strychnos toxifera. Rattans from Asia have thorny stems and they grow as tall as 650 feet (200 m). Baskets, ropes and wicker furniture is made from them.

Plants with Stilt or Prop Roots: Mangroves grow in wet, muddy soil at the water’s edge. They need a good support as there is always the risk of tides and flooding. They develop several aerial pitchfork-like extensions from the trunk which grow downwards. With the help of these stilt roots, they anchor themselves in the soil trapping sediment and acquire the required stability.

Plants with Buttress Roots: Rainforest trees have shallow roots as the soil has maximum nutrients left at the surface level. Therefore the tall trees develop buttressed roots to obtain the required additional support. Such roots grow out from the base of the trunk, sometimes as high as 15 ft above the ground which also help to absorb more nutrients from the soil by covering more area. Read more on Amazon rainforest plants.

Medicinal Plants in the Rainforest: There are thousands of rainforest plants used for medicine.

• Trumpet tree or Cecropia peltata is widely used in traditional medicine in Central and South America. Every part of the tree is useful. The plant is helpful in treating various diseases which include respiratory illnesses and rheumatism.
• Clavillia or Mirabilis jalapa, a perennial herb which is mainly used to kill viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. This plant offers many active compounds like triterpenes, proteins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and steroids.
• Curare or Chondrodendron tomentosum is a large poisonous vine rich in alkaloids which help in muscle relaxation. The alkaloids are also used as an arrow poison. It is used as an anesthesia and also to treat fever, bruises, edema and kidney stones.
• Suma or Pfaffia paniculata is a large vine which spreads on ground with an extensive root system. It is considered a tonic and an adaptogen which helps the body to resist adverse influences of various factors. Suma root is recommended as an appetizer. It also enhances blood circulation, balances blood sugar levels and improves the immune system, muscular system and memory. Suma root is rich in saponin. (up to 11%). Saponins are beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol and they offer many other benefits too.
• Cocoa tree or Theobroma cacao has more than 150 chemicals in its leaves, seeds, fruit, and bark. Various parts of the tree are used to treat anxiety, fever, fatigue, and coughs. Since hundreds of years, the plant is being used to treat kidney stones and cuts and burns, etc. According to recent researches, polyphenols present in chocolate can prevent heart diseases.
• Annatto/Lipstick tree or Bixa orellana has been used for making things like insect repellent or medicines for lowering blood pressure or even for preparing love potions. Recent researches have approved its use in various medicines and beverages or other useful things. The plant is also used to treat snakebites. Bixin are the carotenoids or the plant pigments, present in the oil of the plant which protects against UV rays. The plant is found beneficial in treating heartburn.

Endangered Plants in the Rainforest: Innumerable number of plants in the rainforest are at the verge of extinction. Orchids, rafflesia, some bamboo species, triunia robusta are some of the examples. According to the statistics available, 23 species are extinct in the wild, 151 species are endangered, 274 species are vulnerable and 688 species are rare. These plants are in danger of extinction in the next 10-50 years unless strict action is taken to reverse their decline. Long-term effects of fire, weeds and pests on plants, grazing pressure from domestic stock and animals such as rabbits, changing fire patterns, the spread of weeds, loss of natural habitat through land clearing for pastoral purposes, urban development and agriculture are the main causes of decline of species.

Rainforests are virtual libraries of chemical invention where drugs like quinine, muscle relaxants, steroids and cancer drugs were found. So many new drugs are still to be discovered. Researches are going on to discover effective drugs for AIDS, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s, etc. According to the expert’s estimations, we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day, due to rainforest deforestation, which equates to 50,000 species a year. With the disappearance of the species of the plants in the rainforest, human beings could be deprived of many possible cures for life-threatening diseases.