Module 4

U NIT 12

About Ecology

Quote

"... the very process of the restoring the land to health is the process through which we become attuned to Nature and, through Nature, with ourselves.  Restoration forestry, therefore, is both the means and the end, for as we  learn how to restore the forest, we heal the forest, and as we heal the forest, we heal ourselves. -   Chris Maser, Forest Primeval  

Task 1. Before reading the text please discuss the following questions.

• What is ecology?

• Why is ecology important?

• What is the role of ecology in our lives?

Task 2. Match English words and word-combinations with their equivalents in Ukrainian.

ecosystem	середовище, околиці
environment	відношення, зв'язок
habitat	вимірювання
interaction	охороняти, оберігати
abiotic	забруднення, зараження
surrоundings	неживий
relation	суходільний
population	екоситема
biosphere	морський
measuring	природне середовище
conservation	популяція
protect	довкілля
cause	зберігання
pollutant	захищати
preserve	підтримувати, захищати
contamination	взаємодія
sustain	забрудник
terrestrial	спричиняти
marine	біосфера

Task 3. Match words on the left with the correct definitionson the right.

environment	external conditions or surroundings, esp those in which people live or work
environmentalist	advocacy for or work toward protecting the natural environment from destruction or pollution.
environmentalism	a person who is concerned with the maintenance of ecological balance and the conservation of the environment

Task 4. Read and translate the following text.

Text 12.1. What is ecology

Ecology is the branch of science that studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and the interactions between organisms and their environment, and structure and function of ecosystems. The environment of an organism includes both its physical habitat, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors like climate and geology, as well as the other organisms which share its habitat.

The word "ecology" is often used more loosely in such terms as social ecology and deep ecology and in common parlance as a synonym for the natural environment or environmentalism. Likewise "ecologic" or "ecological" is often taken in the sense of environmentally friendly.

The term was coined in 1866 by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel from the Greek oikos meaning "household" and logos meaning "science" - the "study of the household of nature." According to Haeckel, ecology had study species in its biological relations with environment. Other scientists took care later of the surroundings in which each species lives and of its symbiotic and antagonistic relations with others.

Ecological systems are studied at several different levels from individuals and populations to ecosystems and biosphere level. Ecology is a multi-disciplinary science, drawing on many other branches of science. Applied ecology is the practice of employing ecological principles and understanding to solve real world problems. Examples include measuring the economic worth of ecosystems, calculating fishing quotas, measuring environmental impact from construction or logging, building a case for the conservation of a species, and determining the most effective way to protect a species.

In the 20th century, ecologists became especially interested in human activities which had a deleterious effect on the environment, recognizing that humans could have a tremendous and not always beneficial influence on nature. For example, dumping pollutants into a river can cause a variety of changes in nature, just as paving over a wetland can eliminate a habitat and put stress on the animals and plants which are used to living there.

While many people confuse the work of an "ecologist" with that of an "environmentalist," there are significant differences between the two occupations. Environmentalists seek to preserve natural systems. Ecologists, while they may share the ideals of environmentalists, are mainly involved with gathering information about the communities of animals and plants, as well as the physical elements (such as rocks and soil) present in a given geographical area.

Ecologists are often interested in looking at entire ecosystems, and studying all of the organisms which live in them and influence them. Each ecosystem hosts unique plant and animal species which have adapted to the environment and each other, and studying this can provide scientists with information about the history of that ecosystem, and the evolutionary roots of the animals which live there. Ecology can also be studied in urban environments.

The study of ecology is not limited to the terrestrial environment; marine environments, lakes, and streams can also provide a great deal of food for thought and inspiration for study. The marine environment in particular is not very well understood, with researchers constantly finding that there is more to learn about the ocean, the creatures which live there, and its underlying geography and geology. For example, for centuries people assumed that the bottom of the ocean was inactive and bleak, but in the 20th century, researchers discovered areas of biological activity around hydrothermal vents, with organisms which had adapted to the dark, high pressure, low oxygen environment of the deep sea.

The ecology has reached enormous importance in the last years.The increasing interest of the man by the environment in which it lives must fundamentally appeal to the conscience taking on the problems that affect our planet and demand a quick solution. The Earth confronts serious danger of contamination and death of vegetal species and animals, and also of grounds, the atmosphere, the rivers and the seas, that sustain life.

Task 5. Find in the text 9.1 English equivalents to the following words and word-combinations, put them down and memorise.

Екологія, довкілля, середовище, природне середовище, вид, живі організми, біосфера, дослідження, захищати, спричиняти, зберігати, забруднювати, впливати, пристосовуватися, поштовх, жива істота, забруднення, визначати, вимірювати, екосистема, економічна цінність, екологічно сприятливий, еколог, вирішувати проблему.

Task 6. Match up a word on the left with a word on the right to make a common

word partnership. Make up some sentences of your own using these word-

combinations.

living	problems
solve	a species
economic	life
protect	organisms
sustain	friendly
environmentally	factors
local	worth

Task 7. Re-read the text to find out whether the statements are true or false.

1. The word "ecology" is often used as a synonym for the natural environment.

2. Ecology is a multi-disciplinary science, drawing on many other branches of science.

3. The ecology always was of enormous importance.

4. The study of ecology is limited to the terrestrial environment.

5. The work of an "ecologist" is almost the same with that of an "environmentalist," there are slight differences between the two occupations.

6. The term ecology was coined in 1866 by the French biologist Ernst Haeckel.

Task 8. Match terms on the left with the correct definitions on the right.

ecosystem	the surroundings of an organism including the physical and chemical environment, and other organisms with which it comes into contact. This term is most frequently used in a human context, often referring to factors affecting our quality of life.
biodiversity	living and nonliving materials in the environment that are used by humans. There are two types: renewable (wildlife, fish, timber, water) and nonrenewable (fossil fuels and minerals).
environment	any geographic area that includes all of the organisms and nonliving parts of their physical environment. It can be a natural wilderness area, a suburban lake or forest, or a heavily used area such as a city. The more natural it is, the more ecosystem services it provides. These include cleansing the water (wetlands and marshes) and air (forests), pollinating crops and other important plants (insects, birds, bats), and absorbing and detoxifying pollutants (soils and plants).
natural resources	populations of organisms of different species that interact with one another.
population	the range of variation found among microorganisms, plants, fungi, and animals. Some of this variation is found within species, such as differences in shapes and colors of the flowers of a single species of plants. It also includes the richness of species of living organisms on earth.
community	a group of individuals belonging to one species (of bacteria, fungi, plant, or animal) living in an area.

INTERESTING FACTS

Here are a few facts about the adverse effects of air pollution which will make you sit up and sniff the air around you apprehensively:

• According to a study, living in a major city, places people at a higher risk than living in the radioactive zone in Chernobyl.

• We breathe about 2 gallons of air every minute. Therefore, we need to worry about the quality of air we breathe, because breathing polluted air can take off 1-2 years off the typical human life-span.

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2 million premature deaths are caused each year due to air pollution in cities across the world.

• A recent study has revealed that exposure to fine particle matter in polluted air increases the risk of hospitalization due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, 30 million adults and children in the US have been diagnosed with asthma.

• Vehicle emissions contribute up to 45% of carbon monoxide emissions in the US and about 95% in larger cities.

• According to a German study, people who breathe in the fumes of heavy traffic regularly have higher chances of getting hardening of the arteries, which is associated with the risk of heart attack.

• A Scottish study has shown that jogging with traffic around, results in reduced blood flow to the heart. This is particularly dangerous for people with stable heart disease, because it can trigger off cardiac arrhythmia or even a heart attack.

Task 9. Read and translate the text. Write down unknown words into your vocabulary. Answer the questions after the text.