Category: Environmental Engineering

Systems ecology is an interdisciplinary field of ecology, taking a holistic approach to the study of ecological systems, especially ecosystems. Systems ecology can be seen as an application of general systems theory to ecology. Central to the systems ecology approach is the idea that an ecosystem is a complex system exhibiting emergent properties. Systems ecology…

Ecosystem ecology is the integrated study of biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems and their interactions within an ecosystem framework. This science examines how ecosystems work and relates this to their components such as chemicals, bedrock, soil, plants and animals. Ecosystem ecology examines physical and biological structure and examines how these ecosystem characteristics interact.

Introduction of new elements, whether biotic or abiotic, into an ecosystem tends to have a disruptive effect. In some cases, this can lead to ecological collapse or trophic cascading and the death of many species within the ecosystem. Under this deterministic vision, the abstract notion of ecological health attempts to measure the robustness and recovery…

From an anthropological point of view, many people see ecosystems as production units similar to those that produce goods and services. Among some of the most common goods produced by ecosystems is wood by the forest ecosystems and grass for cattle by the natural grasslands. Meat from wild animals, often referred to as bush meat…

An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms (biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the environment. An ecosystem is a completely independent unit of interdependent organisms that share the same habitat. Ecosystems usually form a number of food webs, which…

Phosphorus enters the environment from rocks or deposits laid down on the earth many years ago. Phosphate rock in the commercially available form is called apatite. Other deposits may be from fossilized bone or bird droppings called guano. Weathering and erosion of rocks gradually releases phosphorus as phosphate ions, which are soluble in water. Land…

The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the transformations of nitrogen and nitrogen-containing compounds in nature. This cycle includes gaseous components. The earth’s atmosphere contains approximately 78.08 per cent nitrogen, making it the largest pool of nitrogen. Nitrogen is essential for many biological processes; it is crucial for any life on earth. Nitrogen…

The oxygen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of oxygen within and between its three main reservoirs: the atmosphere (air), the biosphere (living things) and the lithosphere (earth’s crust). The main driving factor of the oxygen cycle is photosynthesis, which is responsible for the modern earth’s atmosphere and life. The largest reservoir…

Precipitation: Condensed water vapour that falls onto the earth’s surface. Most precipitation occurs as rain, but also includes snow, hail, fog, drip and sleet. Approximately 505,000 km3 of water falls as precipitation each year, 398,000 km3 of it over the oceans. Canopy interception: The precipitation that is intercepted by plant foliage and eventually evaporates back to the atmosphere rather…

The water or hydrological cycle is a continuous natural process that helps in the exchange of water between the atmosphere, the land, the sea, living plants and animals. The water cycle, also known as the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the earth. Since the water…