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Ecology III
RNDr. Sylva Rödlová, Ph.DD1, 2014
global problem % climate change 51 lack of drinking water 29 deforestation / desertification 28 fresh water pollution 28 public domain bad shape 27 decreasing biodiversity 23 increasing population and migration 22 social values change 21 waste disposal 20 air pollution 20 soil degradation 18 ecosystems funktion 17 chemical pollution 16 urbanization 16 ozone depletion 15 energy consumption 15 new diseases 14 natural resources decreasing 11 food uncertainty 11
Global problems
by 200 researchers
from 50 countries
Biodiversity• Biodiversity reflects the number, variety and variability of
living organisms as well as how these change from one location to another and over time. It includes diversity within species, between species, and among ecosystems, in sum the diversity of all life on earth.
• The impact of humans on the natural environment is significant and growing: changes in biodiversity have been more rapid in the past 50 years than at any time before in human history.
• Over the past few hundred years, it is estimated that humans have been responsible for up to a thousand times more extinctions than the natural rate
Biodiversity• Three levels of diversity:• Ecosystems (tropical rain forrest, sea,....) • Species• Genetical diversity
• Two types of conservation:• Area protection (National parks, Protected areas,....)• Species protection (Restriction or prohibition of
hunting or marketing, special areas and programes, ZOOs,....)
Biodiversity Hotspots (1988) (number of species /10 000 km2)
MexicoVenezuelaColombia
http://www.inka-ev.de/deutsch/inhalte/biodiversit%E4t/hotspots.htm
EcuadorPeruBrasilia
MadagascarMalaysiaIndonesia
Papua New Guinea
Biodiversity loss
Five major threats to biodiversity• Invasive alien species• Climate change• Nutrient loading and pollution• Habitat change• Overexploitation
Bio- diversity loss
Biodiversity for Medicine
Biodiversity – food sources
Potatoes
100 years ago
1983 – amount of seeds available
GMO – Genetically modified organism• A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an
organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineerig techniques. It is any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.
• Genetic engineering produces GMO by adding new genetic material into an organism´s genome (creation of the first recombinant DNA molecules by Paul Berg in 1972).
• Genetic modification involves the insertion (horizontal gene transfer) or deletion of genes
GMO – Genetically modified organismArtificially transporting gene into host DNA• Attaching the gene to a virus• Physically insert the extra DNA (syringe)• Small particules fired from a gene gun
Natural forms of gene transfer• Agrobacterium tumefaciens (plants)• Lentiviruses (animals)
biolistic particle delivery system
GMO - Plants• Transgenic plants – • scientifical research (functions of genes – knock out of gene, overexpression of
gene)• Pests tolerant (resistance to pests – Bt strategy (Bacillus thuringiensis) - corn,
other ilnesses tolerant crops – potato, plum, barley,...)• Herbicide tolerant (HT strategy, Roundup ready soya) • harsh environmental conditions tolerant (salinity, draught, cold resistan)• improved product life• increased nutritional value (gold rice, potato)• production of valuable goods such as drugs • new colours in flowers (carnations and roses)• production of biofarmaceuticals (Protalix and Pfizer – Gaucher´s disease
treatment from duckweed (Lemna minor), 2012)
Blue Rose „Applause“ by Santory
Cisgenic plants (intragenesis) - contain genes that have been isolated either directly from the host species or from sexually compatible species
GMO - MicrobesBacteria were the first organisms to be modified in the laboratory • Production of inzulin to treat diabetes(1978, E.coli, first
recombinant human protein)• Production of clotting factors to treat haemophilia• Production of human growth hormone to treat dwarfism• Production of enzymes for food processing (alpha-amylase,
chymosin, pectinesterase,...) Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, animal cells (Chinese hamster ovary – CHO, baby hamster kidney - BHK)
• Transgene bacteria – minimal residuum at hemato-oncologic illnesses
• Transgene yeast – onco potential of genes testing • Veterinary preparation (for higher milk yield)In future – new expression system, gene therapy (Germ line gene
therapy), alternative medicine transport methods, cell therapy
GMO - AnimalsThe first transgenic (genetically modified) animal was produced by
injecting DNA into mouse embryos then implanting the embryos in female mice.
transgenic fruit flies (Drosphila melanogaster) are model organisms used to study the effects of genetic changes on development.
GM Animals beeing developed:• To research human diseases (for example, to develop animal models for
these diseases); • to produce industrial or consumer products (fibres for multiple uses; • to produce products intended for human theraputic use (pharmacutical
products or tissue for implantation); • to enrich or enhance the animals' interactions with humans (hypo-allergenic
pets); • to enhance production or food quality traits (faster growing fish, pigs that
digest food more efficiently – enviropigs, omega – 3 fytty acid pig, cows with human milk);
• to improve animal health (disease resistance – malaria resistant mosquitos)
GMO• Genetic pollution (not technical or scientifical term)• A controversial term for uncontrolled gene flow into wild
population. Endemic species can be threatened with extinction through this process. Genetic pollution leads to homogenization or replacement of local genomes.
• Hybridization and introgression are side-effects of introduction and invasion. These phenomena can be especially harmful to rare species that come into contact with more abundant ones.
The Yecoro wheat (right) cultivar is sensitive to salinity, plants resulting from a hybrid cross with cultivar W4910 (left) show greater tolerance to high salinity
Sustainable development• Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that
aims to meet human needs while preserving the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. The term was used by the Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.“
• The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and sociopolitical sustainability.
Sustainable development
• Economic Sustainability: Agenda 21 clearly identified information, integration, and participation as key building blocks to help countries achieve development that recognises these interdependent pillars
• Sustainable development is an eclectic concept, as a wide array of views fall under its umbrella. The concept has included notions of weak sustainability, strong sustainability and deep ecology. Different conceptions also reveal a strong tension between ecocentrism and anthropocentrism. Thus, the concept remains weakly defined and contains a large amount of debate as to its precise definition.
Sustainable development• Questions about• Natural sources• Population growth• Food problem• Biodiversity and Ecosystem preservation• Energy consumption• Waste production and degradation• Global social problems• ...........Can be development uninterrupted?
Dr. Gro Harlem BrundtlandDirector-General of the World Health Organization 1998-2003UN Special Envoy on Climate Change 2007-2010
Ecological footprint - Sustainability
• The ecological footprint is a concept that calculates the area of land and water needed to sustain a defined human poulation.
• It is based on the population’s use of energy, food, water, building material and other consumables.
• In 1961 humankind was globally using about half of the Earth’s capacity to renew its natural resources. Now this capacity is exceeded, and overuse is still growing
• Biocapacity – present day production
National Footprint www.footprintnetwork.org/atlas
Czech Republic
Greece
Portugal
Norway
• Saudi Arabia USA
Russia Spain
National Footprint www.footprintnetwork.org/atlas
Greenwashing
Greenwashing vs. Green MarketingGreenwashing - snaha výrobců
poukazovat na šetrnost výrobku k životnímu prostředí – někdy zavádějící,
jindy i zcela falešné.Greenmarketing – poukazování na
kladný (nebo minimálně záporný) vliv výrobku (služby) na ŽP. (biopotraviny)Společenská odpovědnost organizací
Environment protection• Areas• SpeciesNatura 2000 – european framework of important areas.
Every EU country had to delimit bird sites. Locality of european importance
Biospherical reservation –UNESCO (programme man and biosphere - M&B). In CR: Krkonoše, Šumava, Křivoklátsko, Třeboňsko, Pálava, Bílé Karpaty.
Geoparks UNESCO – geological heritage + development, in CR – Český Ráj, 32 in Europe
Geoparks in Europe (2013)
Specially protected areas in CRThe purpose of the protection is typically to conserve or improve the preserved state of the site, or leave it or its part(s) to spontaneous development. The Act on Nature and Landscape Protection defines six categories of specially protected areas: national parks (NP), protected landscape areas (CHKO), national nature reserves (NPR), nature reserves (PR), national natural monuments (NPP), and natural monuments (PP).
More at www.env.cz
National parks: České Švýcarsko, Podyjí, Šumava, Krkonoše (highest mountain Sněžka 1602 m.)
Big scale protected areas in CR– 16% surface CHKO - Chráněné krajinné oblasti – 25 (Protected landscape areas)
25http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soubor:CHKO%2BNP_Czech_map.png
CHKONPRegional city
NP – National park - 4
