Team Members –Group 9

• Amal Michael Saji

• Akash Kurian Lalu
• Akshay Krishnan
• Aswin S Nair
• Alan Thomas
• Amal Joy
 Loss of biodiversity
• Biodiversity or biological diversity is a
term that describes the variety of living
beings on earth.
• Biodiversity is unevenly distributed.
• It varies globally and within regions.
• The various factors that influence
biodiversity include temperature,
altitude, precipitation, soil and their
relation with other species.
Reason for loss of biodiversity- Habitat destruction

• Habitat destruction is a major cause for biodiversity loss.

• Habitat loss is caused by deforestation, overpopulation, pollution and
global warming.
 Reason for loss of biodiversity- Pollution

• Atmospheric and hydrologic pollution have far-

reaching negative effects on biodiversity.
• Pollution from burning fossil fuels such as oil,
coal and gas can remain in the air as particle
pollutants or fall to the ground as acid rain.
• Acid rain, which is primarily composed of
sulfuric and nitric acid, causes acidification of
lakes, streams and sensitive forest soils, and
contributes to slower forest growth and tree
damage.
Reason for loss of biodiversity-Global climate change

• Carbon dioxide released from burning

fossil fuels and biomass, deforestation,
and agricultural practices contributes to
greenhouse gases, which prevent heat
from escaping the earth’s surface.
• With the increase in temperature
expected from increasing greenhouse
gases, there will be higher levels of air
pollution, greater variability in weather
patterns, and changes in the distribution
of vegetation in the landscape.
Reason for loss of biodiversity-Overexploitation of
resources
• when the activities connected with
capturing and harvesting (hunting,
fishing, farming) a renewable natural
resource in a particular area is
excessively intense, the resource itself
may become exhausted, as for example,
is the case of sardines, herrings, cod,
tuna and many other species that man
captures without leaving enough time
for the organisms to reproduce
 Reason for loss of biodiversity-Introduction of
exotic species and genetically modified organisms
• species originating from a particular area, introduced into new natural
environments can lead to different forms of imbalance in the
ecological equilibrium.
 Solution
• Create protected areas where human activity
is limited
• Stop/Slow the climate change
• Stop invasive species from replacing native
species in their ecosystem
• Stop deforestations
• Make the public, government, policy makers
and land managers aware of the global and
local consequences of biodiversity changes,
both social and environmental
 Eutrophication
• Eutrophication is the process by which a body of water acquires a high
concentration of nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates.
• These typically promote excessive growth of algae which is called
‘algal bloom’. As the algae die and decompose, high levels of organic
matter and the decomposing organisms deplete the available oxygen in
the water, causing the death of other organisms, such as fish.
• Eutrophication not only affects the living organisms inside the water
but also degrades the water quality.
Eutrophication
 Natural Eutrophication
• Over centuries, gradual build up of nutrients, sediments and organic
material begin to fill many lake basins.
• As the lakes become more eutrophic, they are able to support more living
organisms, including damaging algae, as a result of higher nutrient levels.
• At the same time, their littoral area increases as a result of sedimentary
build up.
• Eventually, this process not only affects the water quality but allows
colonization by terrestrial vegetation in the expanding shallows.
• The length of this process depends on the characteristics of the lake basin,
the watershed and the climate.
 Cultural Eutrophication
• The alteration of nutrient input to water basins by human activity can
dramatically increase eutrophication , leading to major ecological
changes in decades, rather than centuries.
• Cultural eutrophication is primarily associated with phosphorus, which
is found in fertilizers and partially treated sewage.
• Phosphorus has been found to be one of the strongest stimulators of
algae growth.
• One of the primary sources of man-caused sedimentary eutrophication
is soil erosion caused by the removal of trees and vegetation.
• The health of aquatic habitats is directly tied to the human activity that
takes place throughout the entirety of their watersheds, requiring
effective land management and environmental policy
 Effects on Environment

• Decrease in the transparency of water

• Development of anoxic conditions (low oxygen
levels)
• Increased algal blooms
• Loss of habitat (e.g. Sea grass beds)
• Change in dominant biota (e.g.
• Changes in plankton and macrophyte community
structure or changes in fish composition)
• Decrease in species diversity
 Control Measures & Prevention
• Reduction in the use of phosphates as builders in detergents
• Reduction in the use of nitrate containing fertilizers
• Implementation of tertiary sewage treatment methods which remove
phosphate and nitrate
• Improvements in agricultural practices (economising on fertiliser use
and improving land use)
• Aeration of lakes and reservoirs to prevent oxygen depletion
particularly during algal blooms
• Restoration of natural wet lands, efficient in nutrient removal
• Removing phosphate-rich plant material from affected lakes
• Removing phosphate-rich sediments by dredging