DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY AS

DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY AS A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR NATURE CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Lecturer Ph. D in Public Health Dinara Kenessary

Currently, there are many definitions of the subject of ecology, often used the following: Ecology — the science of the relationships between — living organisms and their environment. The term "ecology" comes from the Greek «oikos» - house, home and «logos» - the word, teaching, into scientific usage it was brought by the outstanding German biologist Ernst Haeckel. Modern ecology- the science that studies the relationship of organisms with the environment, including humans, the definition of the scope and limits of the human society impact on the environment, opportunities to reduce these impacts or their complete neutralization.

History of Ecology developed as one of the branches of biology, and initially it was regarded only as a biological science. The history of ecology can be divided into three main stages: First stage– emergence and establishment of ecology as a science (up to 60 s. XIX). At this stage, data accumulated on the relationship of living organisms. Ecological information constituted a significant share of many biological descriptions (A. Reaumur, 1734, A. Tremblay, 1744, etc. ). Second stage – registration of Ecology as an independent branch of knowledge (after 60 s. XIX). The phase is marked by works of the Russian scientist Rul'e K. E. (1814 -1858), Dokuchaev V. (1846 -1903), who were the first to substantiate a number of principles and the concept of ecology. Also, a German evolutionary biologist Ernst Haeckel (1866), who was the first to introduce the term “ecology” and had identified the environment as an independent field of biology. Third stage- (50 -ies. XX century. – up to date) - the transformation of the ecology into a complex science, which includes the science of the protection of the natural and human environment.

Methodological approach to the ecology as a science enables to distinguish - Subject, - Objectives, - Research methods.

Subject of the ecology is a set or structure of relationships between living organisms and their environment. The main object of study in ecology- ecosystems, that is single natural complexes formed by live inhabitants and their environment. Also, the area of its competence includes the study of individual species, their populations and the biosphere as a whole. • Research methods in ecology include the field, experimental and Research methods simulation methods. • Field methods include monitoring of organisms functioning in their natural habitat. • The experimental methods include a variation of different factors, affecting the organizms, on the developed program in stationary laboratory. Simulation methods allow forecasting the development of the various processes of living systems interact with each other and with their environment.

Ecology objectives Ø development of a general theory of the ecological systems stability; Ø environmental studies of the environment adaptation mechanisms; Ø study the regulation of the populations; Ø study of biological diversity and the mechanisms for its maintenance; Ø study of production processes; Ø study of processes in the biosphere, in order to maintain its stability; Ø modeling of ecosystems and the global biosphere processes.

The main application tasks that ecology must currently decide, are following: Ø prediction and evaluation of possible adverse effects in the environment due to human activity; Ø improving the quality of the environment; Ø preservation, reproduction and rational use of natural resources; Ø optimization of engineering, economic, organizational, legal, social, and other solutions to ensure environmentally sound sustainable development, especially in the most environmentally disadvantaged areas.

THE LAWS OF Commoner 1. 2. 3. 4. Everything is connected to everything (universal connection of processes and phenomena in nature). Everything must go somewhere (any natural system can only be developed through the use of energy and information features in its environment). Nature knows best (so far we have absolutely accurate information about the mechanisms and functions of nature, we can easily harm nature, trying to improve it). Nothing is for granted (the global ecosystem is a single unit, in which nothing can be won or lost, can not be an object of general improvement, and all that is earned in the process of human labor has to be compensated).

The concept of habitat and environmental factors Habitat — a part of nature, surrounding living organisms and affecting them directly or indirectly. Out of the midst organisms get all that is necessary for living and into the midst their metabolites are isolated. Distinguish between natural and artificial (man-made) environment. Environmental factors–certain conditions and elements of the environment that have a specific effect on the body. They are subdivided on the abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic.

Classification of ecological factors Abiotic factors are referred to all the factors of inorganic nature. Among them it is distinguish the physical, chemical and edaphic factors, that is soil. Biotic factors – complex of life influences of one body on the life of others, as well as on the non-living environment. Anthropogenic factors– factors generated by human and impacting the environment (deforestation, soil pollution, etc. )

Thus, studying the ecology of the relationship: • between organisms (including food and non-relationship); • between organisms and their environment; • relationships within the ecosystem.

Fundamentals of Environmental Management • The scope and form of interaction between production and the environment is the use of natural resources. • Environmental management— highly efficient economic management, which does not lead to abrupt changes in natural resources and to the profound changes in the human environment. • According to Reimers N. F. (1990), environmental management— operation system, designed to ensure management economical use of natural resources and the environment and the most efficient mode of reproduction with the long-term interests of the developing economy and the health of people.

Natural resources and their classification • Natural resources— essential components (material objects and phenomena) of surrounding humanity natural environment, that is used to create the material and cultural needs of society. These include sunlight, water, air, soil, plants, animals, minerals and everything else that is not created by human, but without which he/she can not exist as a living being or as a manufacturer of material and spiritual values.

Natural resources can be classified according to the following criteria: • according to their usage— production (Agricultural and industrial), recreational, aesthetic, scientific, etc. ; • according to their replaceability— replaceable (for example, fossil fuels can be replaced by wind, solar energy) и irreplaceable (oxygen breathing air or fresh water for drinking have nothing to be replaced with).

The basic principles of environmental protection • Conservation– aggregate public and social activities Conservation aimed at preserving the atmosphere, vegetation and wildlife, soil, water and subsurface. • Protection of environment– a new form of environment interaction between human and nature, born in modern terms, it is a system of government and social measures aimed at the harmonious interaction of nature and society for the sake of present and future generations.

Basic principles of environmental management Are distinguished between the economic and socialecological principles. • Economic principle of environmental management is typical for periods of social production when human impacts caused a reaction of the environment and did not affected at the same time the dynamic equilibrium as a whole.

Therefore, to solve the problem of a balanced interaction between society and nature, a new principle of management is formed— social-ecological. formed • It is based on the criterion to maximize the economic result at the lowest cost and with the obligatory preservation of dynamic equilibrium of the biosphere, its territorial components, that is, without the excess capacity in the territory to cleanse itself of waste and pollution as a result of economic activity is to restore and preserve the high quality of the environment.

Test questions (feedback): • 1. Ecology, the basic concepts. Modern ecology. • 2. Methodological approach to the ecology as a science. • 3. The basic laws of ecology, formulated by Commoner B. • 4. Ecological (environmental) factors of the environment. • 5. Environmental management, basic concepts.