Part I An Introduction to Ecology and the Environment

Vocabulary

Wildlife – дикая природа

Organic - органический

Minerals - минералы

Lithosphere - литосфера

Animal - животное

Plant - растение

Species - виды

Catastrophe - катастрофа

Population – популяция

Community - сообщество

Habitat – среда обитания

Devastate – истощать, опустошать, разорять

Ecology - экология

Ecosystem - экосистема

Biosphere - биосфера

Technology - технология

Environment – окружающая среда

Biology - биология

Physical - физический

Abuse - злоупотреблять

Organism - организм

Flood - наводнение

Regulate - регулировать

Delicate – тонкий, чувствительный, слабый, хрупкий

Tundra - тундра

Grassland – степь, луг

Urban - городской

Biome - биом

Desert - пустыня

Decompose – разлагать, распадаться

Atmosphere - атмосфера

Hydrosphere - гидросфера

Galaxy - галактика

Biotic – биотический, живой

Abiotic – абиотический, неживой

Deforestation – вырубка лесов, обезлесение

Terrestrial – земной, наземный, живущий на или в земле

Precipitation – осадки, выпадение осадков

Depletion – истощение, обеднение, исчерпание

I. Read the following sentences and translate them.

1. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska on March 24, 1989 was 11million gallons.

2. Tropical rain forests such as the Amazon in Brazil cover only 7% of the earth's surface, but they contain between 50-80% of the planet's species.

3. The Greenbelt Movement in Kenya has inspired women in rural villages to plant millions of young trees to prevent the spread of the desert.

4. India has been planting over three million acres of trees each year, but it is still losing forest because so many trees are cut for fuel, building materials, and agriculture.

5. Japan is the largest importer of tropical hardwood products.

6. Penguins in Antarctica are threatened with extinction because of development.

7. The average temperature over much of Russia is expected to rise 6 to 10°C because of global warming.

8. By the year 2015, half the people in the world will live in cities, and the largest city in the world will probably be Mexico City.

II. Read and translate the following text. Ecology: The Understanding of a Delicate Balance

In recent years, there have been many natural catastrophes, such as forest fires in the western United States and floods in Bangladesh, as well as instances of environmental problems like oil spills and global warming. As a result of these events, more and more people are thinking about the environment. Many people believe that human activities cause these catastrophes and environmental problems. Indeed, since the Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 1800s, large increases in population and increased technology have led to significant changes to the surface of the earth and the atmosphere above. In order to solve these problems, we must understand the delicate balance that exists between living organisms and their environments. We can begin by looking at the biosphere.

The Biosphere

The biosphere, which allows life to exist on earth, is the thin layer of air (the atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), and soil and rock (lithosphere) that surrounds the planet. The biosphere includes any place on, above, below, or within the earth's surface where life can be found. The living part of the biosphere is called the biotic component and includes everything from plants to insects. The nonliving, or abiotic component, includes the physical characteristics of the biosphere, like soil, air, and water. The biosphere is regulated by the cycling of minerals and water between the abiotic and biotic components. Humans have an impact on this regulation.

The study of the biosphere is divided into several scientific disciplines, or areas of study. For example, chemistry is the science that studies subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules. Biology is concerned with protoplasm, cells, tissues, and organ systems. Astronomy is the science that studies planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe.

These disciplines are all important for understanding the planet we live on; however, in this book we are concerned with the study of ecology. Ecology is the study of how all living things interact with one another and their nonliving environment. The study of ecology is concerned with five levels: organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and the biosphere. Organisms are individual living things that belong to the same species. Organisms of the same species that live in the same geographic area are called populations. A habitat is the place where the organism or population lives. A community includes all the populations of organisms that live and interact with one another in a given area at a given time. When scientists use the term ecosystem, they are referring to the interactions between a particular community and its physical environment.

We can no longer ignore the effect humans have on the planet. Even changes in places far away affect us and our environment. Our actions today may decide the future of the planet. The study of ecology increases our understanding of planet earth. You are now taking the first important step toward positive change for a healthier planet.