Biology PEKA

Endangered Ecosystem

Name : Muhammad Munawar Bin Samat

Class : 4 Inventif

Year : 2012

Assessor : Pn. Nor Harlinawati Binti Mohd Said

Content

Endanger Ecosystem

Aim…………………………………………………………………………

Materials………………………………………………………………..

Technique………………………………………………………………

Procedure……………………………………………………………….

Results…………………………………………………………………….

Discussions……………………………………………………………….

Conclusion……………………………………………………………….

Reference…………………………………………………………........

Aim : To collect and interprate data about endangered ecosystem

Materials : News paper, magazine, ohoto, article, reference books and internet.

Technique : Collect data from various materials.

Procedure :

1) Collect data and information from newspaper, magazine, photo, article, reference books and internet that related to endangered ecosystem.

2) Present the data in the form of article, table, graph and etc.

CONTENTS

Human Activities That Endanger an Ecosystem

Agriculture

Open Burning

Industrialization

Urbanization

Deforestation

Effects of Human Activities

Pollution

Greenhouse Effect

Thinning Ozone Layer

Steps to Maintain a Balanced Ecosystem

ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM

Result

Endangered EcosystemINTRODUCTIONThe story of the ecosystem on our planet has never been more crucial and relevant than it is today. In an era of climate change desertification, sea level rise, acid rain, greenhouse effect, thinning ozone layer and widespread pollution, ecosystem quality is becoming more critical by the minute .The global forces of extraction and expansion are jeopardizing the very substance that supports life on our planet. There is great truth to the adage that we are all downstream from one another. The midwestern United States is downstream from the coal-fired power plants of China. The rising tides inundating the Sundarban Islands of India are downstream from the carbon emissions of billions of cars around the world. And we are all literally downstream from the melting of the polar ice caps. How we manage our water resources has implications for many of the critical issues we face²from women as primary water gatherers, subsistence farming, and the health and balance of wildlife systems, to water refugees, the health of children, and the spreading of disease. Unfortunately, these connections are not well understood by the general public, whose choices as individuals and as a collective can contribute to either the degradation or the conservation of our water. Environment is defined as the surroundings in which the organism lives. The environment may be the physical environment, the chemical environment or the biological environment.Thus, the environment has two components - abiotic and biotic

Result

HUMAN ACTIVITIES

THAT ENDANGERED

AN ECOSYSTEM

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science.

Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties and techniques, including ways to expand the lands suitable for plant raising, by digging water-channels and other forms of irrigation. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century there has been increasing concern to identify and quantify various forms of agriculture. In the developed world the range usually extends between sustainable agriculture (e.g. permaculture or organic agriculture) and intensive farming (e.g. industrial agriculture).

Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation, and at the same time have caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry such as intensive pig farming (and similar practices applied to the chicken) have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal cruelty and the health effects of the antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals commonly used in industrial meat production.

The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials. In the 2000s, plants have been used to grow biofuels, biopharmaceuticals, bioplastics, and pharmaceuticals. Specific foods include cereals, vegetables, fruits, and meat. Fibers include cotton, wool, hemp, silk and flax. Raw materials include lumber and bamboo. Other useful materials are produced by plants, such as resins. Biofuels include methane from biomass, ethanol, and biodiesel. Cut flowers, nursery plants, tropical fish and birds for the pet trade are some of the ornamental products.

In 2007, about one third of the world's workers were employed in agriculture. The services sector has overtaken agriculture as the economic sector employing the most people worldwide. Despite the size of its workforce, agricultural production accounts for less than five percent of the gross world product (an aggregate of all gross domestic products).

OPEN BURNING

Open burning is defined as "the burning of any matter in such a manner that products of combustion resulting from the burning are emitted directly into the ambient (surrounding outside) air without passing through an adequate stack, duct or chimney."  Generally, anytime you light a fire outdoors, you are open burning.

No person may conduct, cause or permit the conduct of a salvage operation by open burning, and the burning of refuse and other combustible material by open burning is generally restricted.  However, there are some categories of permissible open burning; some of these are as follows: 

Fires for the instruction and training of firefighting personnel. Fires set for the elimination of a fire hazard.  Fires set for the removal of dangerous or hazardous material.  Campfires and other fires for the outdoor preparation of food.  Agricultural crop burning.  Land clearing and right-of-way maintenance.  

No burning of trade waste or materials that generate hazardous air pollutants such as rubber products (tires), tarpaper, asphalt shingles, plastics or treated

wood products will be approved.  Alternatives to burning must be investigated and the request to burn must be justified fully.  Cost of alternative disposal is

not sufficient justification by itself

Regardless of whether or not the burning is permissible under the rules or whether a variance to open burn has been issued, all open burning must comply with all of the conditions contained in Subsection 33-15-04.2.  Some of these conditions are as follows: 

No public nuisance is or will be created.  No occupied building may be impacted by air contaminants from the

burning.  No traffic hazards can be created.  The burning must be attended and supervised at all times.

INDUSTRIALIZATION

Industrialisation is the process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society into an industrial one. It is a part of a wider modernisation process, where social change and economic development are closely related with technological innovation, particularly with the development of large-scale energy and metallurgy production. It is the extensive organization of an economy for the purpose of manufacturing.

Industrialisation also introduces a form of philosophical change where people obtain a different attitude towards their perception of nature, and a sociological process of ubiquitous rationalisation. There is considerable literature on the factors facilitating industrial modernisation and enterprise development. Key positive factors identified by researchers have ranged from favourable political-legal environments for industry and commerce, through abundant natural resources of various kinds, to plentiful supplies of relatively low-cost, skilled and adaptable labour.

One survey of countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean in the late 20th century found that high levels of structural differentiation, functional specialisation, and autonomy of economic systems from government were likely to contribute greatly to industrial-commercial growth and prosperity. Amongst other things, relatively open trading systems with zero or low duties on goods imports tended to stimulate industrial cost-efficiency and innovation across the board. Free and flexible labour and other markets also helped raise general business-economic performance levels, as did rapid popular learning capabilities.

Positive work ethics in populations at large combined with skills in quickly utilising new technologies and scientific discoveries were likely to boost production and income levels – and as the latter rose, markets for consumer goods and services of all kinds tended to expand and provide a further stimulus to industrial investment and economic growth. By the end of the century, East Asia was one of the most economically successful regions of the world – with free market countries such as Hong Kong being widely seen as models for other, less developed countries around the world to emulate. The first country to industrialize was Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution.

URBANIZATION

Urbanization is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. Urbanization is also defined by the United Nations as movement of people from rural to urban areas with population growth equating to urban migration. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008. Urbanization is closely linked to modernization, industrialization, and the sociological process of rationalization.

As more and more people leave villages and farms to live in cities, urban growth results. The rapid growth of cities like Chicago in the late 19th century and Shanghai a century later can be attributed largely to people from rural communities migrating there. This kind of growth is especially commonplace in developing countries.

The rapid urbanization of the world’s population over the twentieth century is described in the 2005 Revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects report. The global proportion of urban population rose dramatically from 13% (220 million) in 1900, to 29% (732 million) in 1950, to 49% (3.2 billion) in 2005. The same report projected that the figure is likely to rise to 60% (4.9 billion) by 2030. However, French economist Philippe Bocquier, writing in THE FUTURIST magazine, has calculated that "the proportion of the world population living in cities and towns in the year 2030 would be roughly 50%, substantially less than the 60% forecast by the United Nations (UN), because the messiness of rapid urbanization is unsustainable. Both Bocquier and the UN see more people flocking to cities, but Bocquier sees many of them likely to leave upon discovering that there’s no work for them and no place to live."

Urbanization is not always attributed to high density. In Manila, the cost of living has forced residents to live in low quality slums and shanty towns.

DEFORESTATION

Deforestation is the clearance of naturally occurring forests by the processes of people's logging and/or burning of trees in a forested area.

Environmental issues effect every life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race. The reason for this is simple. A single disruption in the Earth’s delicate balance can mean certain destruction of the very place that cradles the lives of many species. What is not so simple is finding alternatives to the now dangerous and confronting acts of planet degradation that have been afflicted on the planet over recent years. One such issue that requires consideration is deforestation. Trees have been or are being cut down at increasingly high rates. If this is not stopped many unfavorable side effects could result.

Deforestation occurs because of many reasons: trees or derived charcoal are used as or sold for fuel or a commodity to be used by humans, while cleared land is used by humans as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. People's removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforested regions typically incur significant adverse soil erosion and frequently degrade into wasteland.

Disregard or ignorance of intrinsic value, lack of ascribed value, lax forest management and deficient environmental law are some of the factors that allow deforestation to occur on a large scale. In many countries, deforestation is an ongoing issue that is causing extinction, changes to climatic conditions, desertification, and displacement of indigenous people. Logging was the major cause of global deforestation.

Result

THE EFFECT OF THE POLLUTION ,

GREENHOUSE AND THE THINNING OZONE

LAYER BY THE HUMAN ACTIVITIES

EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES

The Human Activities all over the world made by mankind had gave many impact to the mother nature. The negative effects of hasty, unplanned development and the mismanagement of the ecosystems result in various environmental problems such as air and water pollution, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and the depletion of natural resources.These problems bring about negative effects that increasingly threaten the economic resources health and survival of ecosystems.Some human activities that have undesirable effects in the environment.

Many of the problems related to the environment are the results of human activities and human interference with the ecosystems.

Pollution

Greenhouse Effect

Thinning Ozone Layer

POLLUTION

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances, or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, the elements of pollution, can be foreign substances or energies, or naturally occurring; when naturally occurring, they are considered contaminants when they exceed natural levels. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution.

Pollution comes from both natural and manmade sources. Pollution can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For example, hurricanes often involve water contamination from sewage, and petrochemical spills from ruptured boats or automobiles. Larger scale and environmental damage is not uncommon when coastal oil rigs or refineries are involved. Some sources of pollution, such as nuclear power plants or oil tankers, can produce widespread and potentially hazardous releases when accidents occur.

Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day. Nearly 500 million Chinese lack access to safe drinking water. 656,000 people die prematurely each year in China because of air pollution. In India, air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a year. Studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the US could be over 50,000

Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance. Mercury has been linked to developmental deficits in children and neurologic symptoms. Older people are majorly exposed to diseases induced by air pollution. Those with heart or lung disorders are under additional risk. Children and infants are also at serious risk. Lead and other heavy metals have been shown to cause neurological problems. Chemical and radioactive substances can cause cancer and as well as birth defects.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The greenhouse effect is the heating of the surface of a planet or moon due to the presence of an atmosphere containing gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation. Thus, greenhouse gases trap heat within the surface-troposphere system. This mechanism is fundamentally different from that of an actual greenhouse, which works by isolating warm air inside the structure so that heat is not lost by convection. The greenhouse effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824, first reliably experimented on by John Tyndall in 1858, and first reported quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896.

The black body temperature of the Earth is 5.5 °C. Since the Earth's surface reflects about 28% of incoming sunlight, the planet's mean temperature would be far lower, about -18 or -19 °C. Along with the added contribution of the greenhouse effect, it is instead much higher, roughly 14 °C. Global warming, a recent warming of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere, is believed to be the result of an ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’ mostly due to human-produced increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases. This human induced part is referred to as anthropogenic global warming (AGW).

The Earth receives energy from the Sun mostly in the form of visible light and nearby wavelengths. About 50% of the sun's energy is absorbed at the Earth's surface. Like all bodies with a temperature above absolute zero the Earth's surface radiates energy in the infrared range. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb most of the infrared radiation emitted by the surface and pass the absorbed heat to other atmospheric gases through molecular collisions. The greenhouse gases also radiate in the infrared range. Radiation is emitted both upward, with part escaping to space, and downward toward Earth's surface. The surface and lower atmosphere are warmed by the part of the energy that is radiated downward, making our life on earth possible.

THINNING OZONE LAYER

The distribution of ozone in ionosphere, mesosphere and stratosphere is being depleted. The concentration of ozone is gradually reducing. As the content of ozone is highest in ionosphere and the air itself being very thin, the depletion is negligible in ionosphere. But in mesosphere and stratosphere the air is thicker and ozone content is less. The depletion of ozone is of higher order in these layers. The so called hole in ozone layers simply means that above some continents (specifically Antarctica, Asia and parts of South America) the mesosphere and stratosphere have lost their original level of ozone content.

The depletion of ozone layer is a global phenomena both in terms of cause and effect. The geographical limits of countries are not barriers to either dispersal of gases in layers of atmosphere or depletion of gases. The causes for depletion may arise in any country. The effects (in terms of depletion) may arise in any other country. The effects (in terms of ozone depletion) need not be exactly above the country causing the depletion.

It is now established that chloroflouro carbon (CFC) chemicals evolved from various refrigerants, coolants and propellants are the primary reasons for depletion of ozone. CFC are a group of chlorine bearing gases of low specific gravity. They rise to stratosphere and mesosphere. Due to ionising solar radiation in these layers, (which is the primary reason for production of ozone) fresh chlorine gas is produced from CFCs. This nascent chlorine gas has the capacity to react with ozone and bring down the level of ozone substantially.

The concept of ozone depletion is new. But study of international ozone trendis being made since 1988, when international ozone commission was established. Extensive ozone assessment facilities were established under International Middle Atmospheric Programme (IMAP) in India to study ozone along with number of other green house gases.

Result

THE IMPORTANT OF PROPER

MANAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT

ACTIVITIES AND THE ECSYSTEM

STEPS TO MAINTAIN A BALANCED ECOSYSTEM

The Human Activities all over the world made by mankind had gave many impact to the mother nature. The negative effects of hasty, unplanned development and the mismanagement of the ecosystems result in various environmental problems such as air and water pollution, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and the depletion of natural resources. These problems bring about negative effects that increasingly threaten the economic resources health and survival.

1. The need of development and the effects of an increasing population on the ecosystem:

Population of the world always increase, so do their needs The needs for more food supplies, water, home has led to development These development involves deforestation, the building more dams, and

production of more domestic and industrial waste The unmanaged and unplanned development leads to a pollution of

environment To reduces the negative effects of developments, human must have efforts to

manage the environment properly

2. The importance of proper management of development activities

Way to balance the needs for resources with the needs to conserve the natural resources

To make a sustainable development without jeopardizing or depleting the natural resources

Ensure that short-term gains be balance with the long-term effects on the environment

To exploit natural resources in a sustainable way, so these resources can be replenish and renewed for future generations to continue to use them

To minimize the negative effects of development towards the environment

3. Measures taken in the management of development activities

Implementations of laws Uses of technology Education on the management of resources Preservation and conservation of soil The practice of biological control The use of renewable energy The efficient use of technology

4. Implimentations of laws

Many laws and regulations are designed to control pollution which affects the quality of lands, air and water.

Examples of the acts:o The Environment Quality Act, 1974, 1989

o Motor Vehicle Noise Regulations, 1987

o Scheduled Wastes Treatment and Disposal Facilities Regulations,

1989o Clean Air Regulations, Amendment 2000

o The National Forestry Act, 1984

o The Pesticides Act, 1974

o The Fisheries Act, 1985

o The Protection of Wildlife Act, 1972

5. Uses of technology

Install catalytic converters in vehicle to clean un exhaust emissions and convert harmful gases released to less harmful gases

Use unleaded petrol to reduce the emissions of leads into environment Treat sewage in sewage treatment plants before it’s discharged into the

environment Use microorganisms to clean up the environment Develop hydrogen-based fuel-cell vehicle to reduce the burning of fossil

fuels

6. Education on the management of resources

The public must be educated on the concept of the 4R:o RECYCLE means collecting segregating waste according to the types

of materials and turning this waste into new productso REUSE means use things such as old plastics containers and bottles

again instead of throwing them awayo REDUCE means cutting down on the use of materials which are non-

biodegradableo RENEW means to use materials such as bottles and plastic containers

after they are cleaned

7. Recycling is important because:

Fewer landfills will be needed to dispose of rubbish It cuts down the use of resources, for example fewer trees will be cut down

to make paper and furniture It saves energy, for example less energy is needed to melt down scrap metal

and use it again than to extract it from the ore

8. Preservation and conservation

Preservations involves efforts to protect an ecosystem Conservations involves efforts to return an affected ecosystem to its natural

equiblirium and keep them good The efforts of conservations includes:

o Preservations of soil

o Preservations of water

o Preservations of flora and fauna of the forest

o Preservations of mangrove swamps

Preservations of soils Make a sustainable agricultural development

effectively Good farming technique will prevent erosion and

soil depletion Good agricultural practices includes:

o Crop rotation

o Contour farming

o Controlled grazing

o Planting cover crops

o The appropriate use of fertilizers

o Effective drainage and irrigations

Preservations of water Clean water is precious resource and commodity Such as, water sources and water catchment areas

must be preserved Rivers must not be regarded as dumping sites for

domestic and toxic wastes which can pollutes the water

The use of nitrates and phosphates in agriculture must be controlled to prevent run-offs into rivers and ponds

Preservations of flora and fauna of Rainforest Biologists have estimated that Malaysian

rainforest contain more than 50% of the world’s plant and 15 000 of them has not studied yet

If deforestation proceed faster than afforestation, many of these species could become extinct before they can be documented

Important of forest:o As a diverse storehouse of plant and

animal species which can provide useful and medicine for mankind

o Play an important role in the

regulation of microclimate and the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide

o Sites for research and education

a) Preservation And Conservation Of Soil, Water, The Flora And Fauna Of Forests, And Mangrove Swamps

1. The management of natural resources in an ecosystem involves preservation and ……………….conservation.

2. Preservation involves efforts to protect an ecosystem so that natural resources are utilised in a sustainable manner and that the equilibrium of the ecosystem is maintained.

3. Conservation involves efforts to return an affected ecosystem to its natural equilibrium.

4. Sustainable agricultural development is the effective use and preservation of soil to ensure continuous agricultural production.

a. Good farming techniques will prevent erosion and soil depletion.b. Good agricultural practices include

Crop rotationContour farmingControlled grazingPlanting cover cropsThe appropriate use of fertilisersEffective drainage and irrigation

5. Clean water is a precious resource and commodity. As such, water sources and water catchments areas must be preserved.

a. Rivers must not be regarded as dumping sites for domestic and toxic wastes which can pollute the water.

b. The use of nitrates and phosphates in agriculture must be controlled to prevent run-offs into rivers and ponds.

6. The Malaysian rainforests, for example, contain more than 50% of the world’s plant and animal species. Biologists have estimated that Malaysia has more than 15 000 plant species which have yet to be studied.

7. If deforestation proceeds faster than afforestation (conservation of forest areas), many of these species could become extinct before they can be documented.

8. Therefore, the sustainable use of forests is important to strike a balance between continuing harvesting of forests products, and at the same time maintaining the environmental services of forests.

9. There are many reasons why forests must be conserved and protected. Forests are a diverse storehouse of plant and animal species which can provide useful and medicinal products for mankind. These include fruit trees, ornamental plants, medicinal plants, essential oils, rattan, resin, gum, and tannin. Examples of plants with medicinal value are quinine, which is used to treat malaria, and curare which is used as a muscle relaxant in surgical operations.

10.Rainforests play an important role in the regulation of microclimate and the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

11.Below are some sustainable and planned forest projects.a. Establishment of a level of selective harvesting. This means only

mature trees are removed.b. Reforestation or large-scale replanting of trees. Replanting

programmes ensure that forests where logging activities have been carried out are not damaged and that the forests continue to be productive and are able to support the diversity of lives.

c. Implementation of restoration programmes to restore damaged habitats so that natural resources and wildlife can be preserved.

d. Establishment of forest reserves to prevent the destruction of existing forests and to maintain the equilibrium of the ecosystem so that the quality of the environment is preserved. This ensures that the diverse flora and fauna do not face the threat of extinction and can continue to survive in their natural habitats. Forest reserves also ensure that the genetic material of animal and plant species will not be lost.

e. Greater productivity form existing agricultural lands will reduce the pressure to convert more forests for agricultural purposes. In this way, farming and harvesting of timber can still be carried out and biodiversity can be protected at the same time.

12.Mangrove swamps are a rich source of biodiversity. Mangrove trees are used as fuel, building materials and pilings. Mangrove swamps provide food, nesting and nursery areas for many animals. The dead leaves and twigs in the water encourage the growth of microorganisms that provide food for young marine organisms.

a. Mangrove swamps play an important role in flood control, nutrient retention, sediment control, and the prevention of coastal erosion. They also act as a barrier against rising sea levels.

b. When an area of a mangrove swamp forest is cleared for aquaculture and development, many plant and animal species are threatened to the point of extinction.

c. Industrial waste pollution also contributes to the threat of extinction.

d. Hence, mangrove swamps found along the coastlines must be protected, preserved and conserved.

  b) The Practic Of Biological Control

1. Biological control is the use of natural predators to control the population of pest species.

2. Some examples of biological control are :a. The use Khaki chambel (a species of ducks or itik telur) to control the

population of gold snails (siput gondang emas) which feed on paddy stalks.

b. The use of caterpillars of the species Cactoblastis cactorum to control the prickly pear cactus which spreads quickly and invades farming lands.

c. The use if the hoverfly larvae to control aphids which feed on crop plants.

d. The use of owls to control the population of rats in palm plantation.3. Biological control is better than using chemical control which involves the

use if pesticides. This is because :a. The use of pesticides is indiscriminate and sometimes harmless

organisms as well as the pest species are killed.b. The effects of pesticides can be persistent and remain in the

environment for long periods.c. The concentration of pesticides is amplified as they pass through food

chains (biomagnifications). As a result, high concentrations of pesticides may accumulate in the tissues of final consumers. These pesticides can be toxic and affect the metabolism of the organisms.

d. Pests develop resistance. Hence a larger the amount of pesticides may now be required to produce a similar effect.

e. The cost of using pesticides is high.f. The extensive use of pesticides pollutes the environment.

c) THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

1. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable energy source. Hence, there is a need to look for alternative sources of energy.

2. Renewable energy is energy flow that occurs naturally in the environment and can be harnessed for the benefit of humans.

3. Renewable energy is inexhaustible and does not pollute the environment.4. Examples of renewable energy are :

Solar energy – which can be converted into electricity and used in heating.Wind energy – which is used to operate windmills to pump water for the irrigation of crops.Flowing water – which is used to generate hydroelectric power.Wave energy – the upward and downward motion of waves is harnessed to generate energy.Geothermal energyBiomass energy – which is produced when decomposing organic matter, releases a gas consisting of 50% methane. This biogas released can be collected and used as fuel for various purposes such as heating or generating electricity.Gasohol – is the conversion of energy in biomass. The fermentation of sugar by yeast converts the energy in biomass into ethanol which can be used as fuel. An example of this fuel is gasohol which consists of 80% to 90% unleaded petroleum spirit with 10% to 20% ethanol. Gasohol can be used as fuel in motor vehicles. Plant materials which can be used in the process of fermentation by yeast to produce gasohol are sugar cane, sugar beet and maize.Palm oil fuel. Palm oil can be converted into methyl ester which is used as fuel. Biodiesel from crude palm oil is an environment friendly alternative to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel can meet approximately 17% of the country’s energy requirements and thereby reduce the country’s dependence on petroleum.

d) THE EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY

1. Reduce the burning of coal, petroleum and other fossil fuels.2. Substitute natural gas for coal at power plants.3. Improve fuel efficiency in vehicles-use cars that run on energy-efficient

engines.4. Use a cleaner fuel by reducing the content of sulphur in diesel and switching

to gas.5. Improve energy efficiency in factories.

Use more hybrid cars which combine electric and gasoline engines

Reference1. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/

What_is_an_endangered_ecosystem

2. http:_library.thinkquest.org/26026/Environmental_Problems/ozone_depleton_-_effects.html

3. www.nrdc.org/global warming/fcons.asp

4. www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_environment/index.cfm?pageID=27

Reference BookTextbook Biology Form 4, Gan Wan Yeat, Ng Lee Lean,First Published 2005 Bakaprep Sdn. Bhd. (BI and BM)

Reference BookTextbook Biology Form 4, Gan Wan Yeat, Ng Lee Lean,First Published 2005 Bakaprep Sdn. Bhd. (BI and BM)

ConclusionAn environment that is healthy and beautiful is everyone’s dream. However, irresponsible activities have upsets the

balance in the environment and caused many environmental problems as well as endangering the

ecosystem. 

Sustainable development must take into consideration the proper management of the ecosystem to ensure a balance of

nature is maintained.

As a conclusion, the Earth can only be a better place if the development activities are planned with great care.

Discussions

Laetly , we’ve heard about global climate change that happens all the world. Solar wave , snow in the deset , gaint flood in Thailand, drought in Somalia and typhoon in USA make the world become risky for human being and animals. Based on these statement , suggest ways to overcome these climate changes

( your essay must not more than 300 words )

Flood occurs because the addition of carbon dioxide will cause global temperature will increases. Therefore , the ice at the poles will melt causing see level increases. This is turn leads flood. The ways to overcome this problem is reduce the number cars passing by we should always treat the car carefully so as no wasteful of fuel and fumes do not pollute the air minimize the use of air conditing.

Drought occurs because the increases in temperature in the atmosphere and it will cause global warming.So that , we are encouraged to replant the green the , so that people have enough oxygen. Besides , we should make an environment campaign for the public to educate the public about the beauty of the environment.

Moreover , the vehicles are unleaded gasoline is recommended to use to prevent the greenhouse effect. Typhoon occurs due to the heat released when rising warm air vapour overflow . Therefore we need to restrict the use of carbon dioxide and prevent carbon dioxide from entering atmosphere . Replace fossil fuels with energy sources that do not produce oxygen and use fossil fuels more efficently , so that the natural environment preserved .

Conclusion , so this is where our collective responsibility in protecting the environment so it not threatened . We can also do some small step , but could have a big impact on our environment . It just requires some effort from us all to work together with a similar action would produce positive impact on the environment and able to improve our quality of life and benefit the next generation.