Conservation of Natural Resources Essays

Conservation of Natural Resources Essays Conservation of Natural Resources Essay Conservation of Natural Resources Essay Soils Conservation:Easier Soil is the loose top layer of our planets crust. It is dirt or earth in which plant life can grow. Harder Soil covers a major portion of the earths land surface. It is an important natural resource that either directly or indirectly supports most of the planets life. Life here depends upon soil for food. Plants are rooted in soil and obtain needed nutrients there. Animals get their nutrients from plants or from other animals that eat plants. Many animals make their homes or are sheltered in the soil. Microbes in the soil cause the breakdown and decay of dead organisms, a process that in turn adds more nutrients to the soil. Soil is a mixture of mineral and organic materials plus air and water. The contents of soil varies in different locations and is constantly changing. There are many different kinds and types of soils. Each has certain characteristics including a specific color and composition. Different kinds of soils support the growth of different types of plants and also determine how well that plant life grows. Soil is formed slowly, but can be easily destroyed. Therefore, soil conservation is important for continued support of life. Forest Conservation: CONSERVATION OF forest is certainly a necessity that requires to be addressed as a priority. For the survival of human beings, a holistic approach is required to be adopted as regards protection of the plant kingdom as well as the wildlife with regard to the peaceful and mutually beneficial co-existence of all. To prevent any kind of ecological imbalance a very pragmatic action plan has to be formulated. Towards achieving this many legislation have been enacted in India and elsewhere. At the international level also the world communities, being concerned with the deteriorating situation worldwide, have joined hands towards finding a lasting and sustainable solution by deliberating on the subject in various conventions like that in Rio-de Janeiro and the latest Doha round of talks. These are truly welcome moves taken by the world community. Coming back to India, there are legislations galore to deal with the situation by way of wildlife protection, forest conservation, environment protection laws etc. No doubt, the aims and object of such legislations are in tune with the call of the hour. Forests are being denuded haphazardly. Deforestation in a rampant manner by various elements has depleted the forest areas forcing the wild life to lesser domains and as a result of this rampage of human habitat by wild pachyderms and other animals have become a regular phenomenon in certain areas. Forests are being encroached by people who have been displaced from their original habitat for various reasons like construction of huge electricity generating dams, ethnic clashes, floods caused by breach of river embankments and dams etc. Being forced to the wall by making these people devoid of shelter, at a time when even the United Nations Organisation gives much priority to providing shelter to the homeless, they are compelled to establish their habitat by waging war with the nature by way of deforestation and environmental degradation. The Union of India has passed the Forest (conservation) Act making it mandatory to obtain prior approval of the Union government for using forest land for non-forest purposes. Even for cultivation of tea, rubber, spices, and medicinal plants among others. In this regard, there is bar imposed in de-reservation of any reserved forests. For grant of any approval for such acts of using forest areas for non-forest purposes, an Advisory Committee is constituted under the statute. It thus connotes that with prior approval of the Central government, forest areas may be utilized for other purposes. In Assam, India, in the not very remote past, the democratically established government demolished a great area of human habitation by engaging tuskers in the name of clearing reserved forest land from encroachment. Ironically enough, the area has been under human habitation for quite a long span of time of some decades. Many multi- storied buildings, school buildings, community halls, prayer halls, libraries and many more established gardens etc were razed to the ground causing loss of property worth several billions belonging to the citizens of the welfare state. It is also a point to be noted that there was no forest as such for about half a century in the area. It was an act of high handedness on the part of the government for some hidden political agenda. However, after a huge furore that erupted after the incident, the eviction operation was stalled in the long run; but the damage was already done. In referring to the incident, it needs to be asserted that laws are made for the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people and therefore, human considerations must receive precedence over everything else. In the name of protecting the forest, human lives can never be sacrificed. It needs reiteration that laws are for benefit of man and not vice versa. In a democratic country where welfare of the people is of paramount importance, the powers that be at the first instance must take recourse to explore the possibilities for providing protection to the people rather than giving primacy to preservation of forest over human beings. If human beings are sacrificed for protection of forest, only forests will remain and human beings will be extinct. This needs to be kept in mind by all the people at the helm of affairs – only when human beings exist they will be able to occupy the seats of power they are occupying now. Coal Oil Conservation:Perhaps in the near future, but there is much more to be considered. The cost of replacing batteries in 3 to 5 years offsets a lot of gasoline dollars. Current battery electric cars have limited range and carrying capacity. The hybrid electric cars have long range, but the great looking gas mileage figures on the window sticker are 12mpg lower in the hands of most drivers. Many gasoline and diesel powered economy cars get comparable real world fuel economy as the hybrid at $10,000 lower initial cost and are a lot more fun to drive. There is a lot of potential in battery electric cars for short-range commuters. (Especially if the vehicle size is small and range is less than 75 miles round trip). The battery electric car can be recharged during off peak hours, which makes the electric company happy. Solar panels generating electricity at your home and feeding power back into the grid may help power the community during the day without increased power plant construction and consumption of fuel oil at the power plants. The need to conserve petroleum is very real. Gasoline and diesel powered cars have about 100 years advantage in development over electric cars so catch up will take time. Fuel cell power is a lighter than battery method of storing electricity. I don’t see any advantage in carrying Hydrogen as a fuel unless you are traveling in the vacuum of space. The production of Hydrogen is going to consume a lot of fuel and it tends to explode when accidents happen. It is not a wise choice. Conservation of Wildlife: The Indian subcontinent boasts of serving as the natural habitat of a large and varied wildlife. We can find some of the most magnificent as well as the rarest wildlife species of the world in the country. The beauty and variety we see in the jungles of India is difficult to be expressed in words. However, the past few decades have seen the greed and negligence of human beings working to the detriment of this rich wildlife. Large-scale poaching, habitat destruction and conflict with humans have resulted in a rapid decline in the population of most of the wild animals and birds. Conservation of Indian wildlife was not given the requisite importance for a long time. However, the government as well as the people slowly and gradually understood their responsibility in this context. Today, efforts are being made towards wildlife conservation in India, to preserve this natural wealth. Numerous wildlife conservation projects have been undertaken in India, both at the government as well as the individual level, to protect the rich wildlife of the subcontinent. Threats to Wildlife The major threats being faced by the wildlife in India are: The problem of overcrowding is one of the major reasons for the depleting population of wild animals in India. The wildlife sanctuaries of India have become overcrowded and their capacity has decreased to quite an extent. Tourism in the national parks of the country is increasing day by day. One of the reasons for this is a rise in the popularity of eco-tourism and adventure tourism. This has led to a growth in vehicle pollution and wildlife road fatalities, apart from leading to a damage of the natural habitat of birds and animals. With the increase in tourism, the parks have witnessed an increase in wildfires also. Innocent campfires started by visitors have, more often than not, led to menacing wildfires. These fires not only kill animals, but also destroy their natural habitat. The wildlife of coastal areas is constantly disturbed by personal watercrafts, like jet skis or wave runners. These personal watercrafts enter shallow waters and expel nesting birds from their roosts. Such activities are disturbing the mating pattern of birds. Releasing of chemicals and other toxic effluents into the water bodies has led to poisoning of the water. The animals and birds drinking such water face a fatal threat. Even the population of fish, living in such water bodies, is declining at a fast pace. The climate changes taking place in the world today, are affecting not only humans, but also the wildlife. The natural habitat as well as migration patterns of the animals and birds is experiencing disturb patterns. Last but not the least, the threat of poaching has been haunting the wildlife of India since ages. Even after the establishment of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, the threat of poac hing has not been totally eliminated. Project Tiger Indian government commenced the Project Tiger in 1973-74, with the objective of restraining as well as augmenting the declining population of tigers. Under the project, nine wildlife sanctuaries were taken over and developed into tiger reserves. These reserves were developed as exact replicas of the varied terrains of the country, with their core area being free of any human movement. With time, the number of sanctuaries under the ambit of Project Tiger was increased and by 2003, it had been increased to 27. Along with providing a natural habitat to the tiger, these reserves offer them protection against poaching also. The results are for all to see. After undertaking the project, the population of tigers in India has risen considerably. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) The current WCS program in India was started in 1986, as a single tiger research project at Nagarhole National Park. From a single project, WCS has developed into a comprehensive portfolio of activities related to wildlife. The activities undertaken under the adage of WCS include scientific research, national capacity building, policy interventions, site-based conservation and developing new models of wildlife conservation. Conclusion: An Adaptive Conservation Strategy facilitates â€Å"learning by doing† and â€Å"learning by sharing information,† both of which are science-based. Adaptive management at the site-specific level constitutes â€Å"learning by doing. † The development of species, habitat, or ecosystem Adaptive Conservation Plans (ACPs) constitute â€Å"learning by sharing information. † The goals of an Adaptive Conservation Plan tend to be general and overarching (for example â€Å"promote self-sustaining, functioning riparian ecosystems†)- yet they can only be achieved through a multitude of individual on-the-ground projects that are monitored, assessed, and evaluated at the site-specific project level. An Adaptive Conservation Strategy constitutes a very large feedback loop between site-specific projects and many conservation practitioners with similar interests. Findings from individual projects inform ACPs, while recommendations contained in the ACPs inform management plans that guide the stewardship of natural areas. The crucial components of a successful Adaptive Conservation Strategy (ACS) are collaboration, team work at the project level, keeping data current, information sharing, effective communication, flexibility (from all sides, including funders), and a results-oriented applied focus in monitoring, research, and management. The ACS has, to date, been based on the use of birds as indicators. Continuing research is needed to evaluate and refine our understanding of which bird species are the most accurate indicators of which elements of ecosystem integrity. It is fair to ask, however, whether the ACS process might also be applied in the field using other taxa as indicators (for example, bats or invertebrates). This is an area ripe for future investigation. Natural resource management is an unpredictable process. For this very reason, conservation scientists have an unswerving belief in the power of objective scientific measurement to provide one of the best means for guiding conservation action. Yet managers are often overwhelmed by immediate problems: everything from controversies among conflicting user-groups to exotic species that threaten years of restoration investment to mysterious new plant and animal pathogens. It can be easy, at times, for managers to overlook the important role of science in achieving long-term conservation goals- whether through science partnerships or through participation in research themselves. For their part, conservation scientists must constantly make an effort to reach out to land and ocean managers to ensure that the results of monitoring and research efforts will be relevant and useful in addressing key resource management issues. Both conservation scientists and natural resource managers ultimately serve the same mission: facilitating and advancing successful, cost-effective conservation of our precious natural heritage. An Adaptive Conservation Strategy provides a win-win approach for achieving this mission.