BBA II EVS : Unit 1 Basic principles

Environmental
Science
By
Amit Tiwari
Asst. Professor
Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management Gwalior
(An autonomous body under Ministry of Tourism,
Govt. of India)

What is our subject?
 Title of Subject- Environmental Science
 Subject Code- BBAT 204 / Semester II
 Subject Credit- 2 credits
 Evaluation Method- Internal and External Exam
2

Glimpse of syllabus
▸ Unit I Basic principles: Ecology, Environment and Eco
System; biological levels of eco system; relationship of ecology
and tourism; tourism activities and their linkages to ecology;
environment pollution; environmental impact of tourism.
▸ Unit II Eco Systems and their relation with tourism:
Introduction to wetland sites; coral reefs; mangroves; national
parks; wild life sanctuaries; biosphere reserves and their role in
tourism.
3

Contd…
▸ Unit III Environmental Concerns: Factors creating
environmental concerns-rise in temperature; melting of snow caps;
rise in sea level; monsoon and its changes; role of tourism in
environmental concerns; impact of environmental concerns on
tourism; prevention of environmental hazards.
▸ Unit IV Addressing Environmental Concerns: Environmental
Conventions; ecotourism; responsible tourism; voluntary tourism;
community based tourism; pro-poor tourism including STEP; eco-
friendly practices and energy waste management; Concept of
Sustainable tourism development.
4

▸ Unit V Institutional Support: International Organizations
for environment and wildlife; UN Initiatives on ecology and
environment; national policy on ecology and environment;
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – need for EIA; steps of
EIA; method; usage of EIA. Environment and Tourism – prospects
and challenges.
5

Your Teacher/Mentor/Trainer
Mr. Amit Tiwari
Assistant Professor
Indian Institute of Tourism and
Travel Management Gwalior
* Ph.D (pursuing),MBA (TA), UGC –NET
Tourism Administrations &
Management, Diploma in Proficiency in
French, B.Sc. (Maths)
13th years of teaching and tourism
trade experience
6

Fundamental Concepts and Principles of Ecology
▸ There are certain basic fundamental ecological principles
which describe various aspects of living organisms e.g.
evolution and distribution of plants and animals, extinction of
species consumption and transfer of energy in different
components of biological communities, cycling, and recycling
of organic and inorganic substances, interactions and inter-
relationships among the organisms and between organisms
and physical environment, etc.
8

Organisms and the Environment
▸ Organisms are individual living things. Despite their tremendous
diversity, all organisms have the same basic needs: energy and
matter. These must be obtained from the environment.
Therefore, organisms are not closed systems. They depend on and are
influenced by their environment. The environment includes two types
of factors: abiotic and biotic.
▸ Abiotic factors are the nonliving aspects of the environment. They
include factors such as sunlight, soil, temperature, and water.
▸ Biotic factors are the living aspects of the environment. They consist of
other organisms, including members of the same and different species.
9

Niche
▸ One of the most important concepts associated with the
ecosystem is the niche. A niche refers to the role of a species
in its ecosystem. It includes all the ways that the species
interacts with the biotic and abiotic factors of the
environment. Two important aspects of a species‘ niche are the
food it eats and how the food is obtained. Each species eats a
different type of food and obtains the food in a different way.
10

Habitat
▸ Another aspect of a species‘ niche is its habitat. The habitat is
the physical environment in which a species lives and to
which it is adapted. A habitat‘s features are determined mainly
by abiotic factors such as temperature and rainfall. These
factors also influence the traits of the organisms that live there.
11

Competitive Exclusion Principle
▸ A given habitat may contain many different species, but each
species must have a different niche. Two different species
cannot occupy the same niche in the same place for very
long. This is known as the
competitive exclusion principle. If two species were to occupy
the same niche, they would compete with one another for the
same food and other resources in the environment.
Eventually, one species would be likely to outcompete and
replace the other.
12

Ecosystem
▸ An ecosystem is a unit of nature and the focus of study in
ecology. It consists of all the biotic and abiotic factors in an
area and their interactions. Ecosystems can vary in size. A lake
could be considered an ecosystem. So could a dead log on a
forest floor. Both the lake and log contain a variety of species
that interact with each other and with abiotic factors.
13

Contd…
▸ When it comes to energy, ecosystems are not closed. They
need constant inputs of energy. Most ecosystems get energy
from sunlight. A small minority gets energy from chemical
compounds. Unlike energy, the matter is not constantly added to
ecosystems. Instead, it is recycled. Water and elements such as
carbon and nitrogen are used over and over again.
14

Cont..
▸ The term ecosystem‘ was coined by A.G. Tansley in
1935. An ecosystem is a self-sustaining unit of nature. An
ecosystem is a functional unit of nature encompassing
complex interaction between its biotic (living) and abiotic
(non-living) components. For example- a pond is a good
example of an ecosystem.
15

In nature two major categories of ecosystems
exist: terrestrial and aquatic.
▸ Forests, deserts, and grasslands are examples of the
terrestrial ecosystem.
▸ Ponds, lakes, wet lands, and salt water are some examples of
the aquatic ecosystem.
▸ Crop lands and aquarium are examples of manmade ecosystems.
16

Types of ecosystems:
▸ Ecosystems are classified as follows:
(i) Natural ecosystems
(ii) Manmade ecosystems
17

Natural ecosystems
▸ Totally dependent on solar radiation e.g. forests, grasslands,
oceans, lakes, rivers, and deserts. They provide food, fuel, fodder,
and medicines.
▸ Ecosystems are dependent on solar radiation and energy
subsidies (alternative sources) such as wind rain and tides. e.g.
tropical rain forests, tidal estuaries, and coral reefs.
18

Manmade ecosystems
▸ Dependent on solar energy-e.g. agricultural fields and
aquaculture ponds.
▸ Dependent on fossil fuel e.g. urban and industrial ecosystems.
19

Abiotic components (Nonliving):
▸ Physical factors: Sunlight, temperature, rainfall, humidity, and
pressure. They sustain and limit the growth of organisms in an
ecosystem.
▸ Inorganic substances: Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus, Sulphur, water, rock, soil, and other minerals.
▸ Organic compounds: Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and humic
substances. They are the building blocks of living systems and
therefore, make a link between the biotic and abiotic
components.
21

Biotic components (Living)
▸ Producers: The green plants manufacture food for the entire
ecosystem through the process of photosynthesis. Green plants
are called autotrophs, as they absorb water and nutrients from
the soil, carbon dioxide from the air, and capture solar energy for
this process.
22

Contd…
▸ Consumers: They are called heterotrophs and they consume food
synthesized by the autotrophs. Based on food preferences they can be
grouped into three broad categories. Herbivores (e.g. cow, deer, and
rabbit, etc.) feed directly on plants, carnivores are animals which eat
other animals (e.g. lion, cat, dog, etc.) and omnivore’s organisms
feeding upon plants and animals e.g. human, pigs, and sparrow.
▸ Decomposers: Also called saprotrophs. These are mostly bacteria and
fungi that feed on dead decomposed and the dead organic matter of
plants and animals by secreting enzymes outside their body on the
decaying matter. They play a very important role in recycling nutrients.
They are also called detrivores or detritus feeders.
23

Ecosystem – Structure and Function
▸ Interaction of biotic and abiotic components results in a physical
structure that is characteristic of each type of ecosystem. Identification and
enumeration of plant and animal species of an ecosystem give its species
composition.
▸ The important structural features are species composition (types of
plants and animals) and stratification (vertical and horizontal
distribution of various species occupying different levels). Another way of
looking at the structural components is through the food relationships of
producers and consumers. Several trophic levels exist in the ecosystem.
For example, trees occupy the top vertical strata or layer of a forest, shrubs
the second, and herbs and grasses occupy the bottom layers. These
structural components function as a unit and produce certain functional
aspects of an ecosystem.
24

Species Composition:
▸ A community is an assemblage of many populations that are living
together at the same place and time. For example, a tropical forest
community consists of trees, vines, herbs, and shrubs along with a large
number of different species of animals. This is known as the species
composition of a tropical forest ecosystem.
▸ Each ecosystem has its own species composition depending upon the
suitability of its habitat and climate. A forest ecosystem supports a much
larger number of species of plants and animals than grassland. The total
number and types of species in a community determine its stability
and ecosystem balance (ecosystem equilibrium).
25

Stratification
▸ The vertical and horizontal distribution of plants in the ecosystem is
called ecosystem stratification. The tallest trees make the top canopy.
This is followed by short trees and shrubs and then the forest floor is
covered with herbs and grasses. Some burrowing animals live
underground in their tunnels or on the roots of the plants. Each layer
from the treetop to the forest floor has its characteristic fauna and flora.
This is termed as vertical stratification of forest ecosystems. On the
other hand, the desert ecosystem shows low discontinuous layers of
scant vegetation and animals with some bare patches of soil showing a
type of horizontal stratification.
26

Functions of ecosystem
▸ Ecosystems are a complex dynamic systems. They perform
certain functions. These are:-
▸ Energy flow through the food chain
▸ Nutrient cycling (biogeochemical cycles)
▸ Ecological succession or ecosystem development
▸ Homeostasis (or cybernetic) or feedback control mechanisms.
27

Energy Flow through Ecosystem
▸ Charles Elton gave the concept of Food Chain, Food Web, and
Ecological pyramid This content emerge energy flow in entire
eco system as simple and complex food chain y which various
organism can servive for live opportunity.
28

Food Chain
▸ The transfer of food energy
from green plants (producers)
through a series of
organisms with repeated eating
and being eaten is called a food
chain. Each step in the food
chain is called a trophic level.
▸ E.g. Grasses → Grasshopper →
Frog → Snake → Hawk/Eagle
29

Following trophic levels can be identified in a food
chain.
▸ Autotrophs :
▸ They are the producers of food
for all other organisms of the
ecosystem. They are largely
green plants and convert
inorganic material in the presence
of solar energy by the process
of photosynthesis into chemical
energy (food).
30

Contd…
▸ Herbivores: The animals
which eat the plants directly
are called primary consumers
or herbivores e.g. insects,
birds, rodents, and
ruminants.
31

Contd…
▸ Carnivores: They are
secondary consumers if
they feed on herbivores
and tertiary consumers if
they use carnivores as their
food. E.g. frog, dog, cat,
and tiger.
32

Contd…
▸ Omnivores: Animals that eat
both plant and animals e.g. pig,
bear and man
33

Contd…
▸ Decomposers: They take care of
the dead remains of organisms
at each trophic level and help in
recycling the nutrients e.g.
bacteria and fungi.
34

There are two types of food chains:
1. Grazing food chains: This starts from the green plants that make
food for herbivores and herbivores in turn for the carnivores.
2. Detritus food chains: start from the dead organic matter to the
detrivores organisms which in turn make food for protozoan to
carnivores, etc.
35

Ecological pyramid:
▸ Ecological pyramids are graphic representations of trophic levels in
an ecosystem. They are pyramidal in shape and they are of three
types: The producers make the base of the pyramid and the subsequent
tiers of the pyramid represent herbivore, carnivore, and top carnivore
levels.
▸ Pyramid of number: This represents the number of organisms at each
trophic level. For example in grassland, the number of grasses is more
than the number of herbivores that feed on them and the number of
herbivores is more than the number of carnivores. In some instances the
pyramid of number may be inverted, i.e. herbivores are more than
primary producers as you may observe that many caterpillars and
insects feed on a single tree.
36

Contd…
▸ Pyramid of biomass: This represents the total standing crop
biomass at each trophic level. Standing crop biomass is the
amount of living matter at any given time. It is expressed as
gm/unit area or kilo
Cal/unit area. In most of the terrestrial ecosystems, the pyramid
of biomass is upright. However, in the case of aquatic
ecosystems, the pyramid of biomass may be inverted.
▸ Pyramid of energy: This pyramid represents the total amount
of energy at each trophic level. Energy pyramids are never
inverted.
37

Biogeochemical Cycles
▸ The movement of nutrient elements through the various
components of an ecosystem is called nutrient cycling.
Another name of nutrient cycling is biogeochemical
cycles (bio: living organism, geo: rocks, air, and water). In
ecosystems flow of energy is linear but that of nutrients is
cyclical. The entire earth or biosphere is a closed system i.e.
nutrients are neither imported nor exported from the
biosphere.
▸
38

The Carbon Cycle
▸ Of all the biogeochemical
cycles, the carbon cycle is the
most important. All life is
composed of carbon
compounds of one form or
another. That is why it is of
such grave concern today
that human activities since
the Industrial Revolution have
modified the carbon cycle in
significant ways.
▸ 39

Photosynthesis
▸ Green plants in the presence of
sunlight utilize CO2 in the process
of photosynthesis and convert the
inorganic carbon into organic
matter (food) and release
oxygen. Annually 4-9 x 10 13 kg of
CO2 is fixed by green plants of the
entire biosphere. Forests acts as
reservoirs of CO2 as carbon fixed by
the trees remain stored in them for a
long due to their long life
cycles. Avery large amount of CO2 is
released through forest fires.
40

Respiration
▸ Respiration is carried out by all living organisms. It is a metabolic process where food
is oxidized to liberate energy, CO2, and water. The energy released from respiration
is used for carrying out life processes by living organisms (plants, animals,
decomposers, etc.). Thus CO2 is released into the atmosphere through this process.
41

Decomposition
▸ All the food assimilated by animals or synthesized by plants is not
metabolized by them completely. A major part is retained by
them as their own biomass which becomes available to
decomposers on their death. The dead organic matter is
decomposed by microorganisms and CO2 is released into the
atmosphere by decomposers.
42

Combustion
▸ The burning of biomass releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
43

Impact of human activities
▸ The global carbon cycle has been increasingly disturbed by human activities
particularly since the beginning of the industrial era. Large-scale
deforestation and ever-growing consumption of fossil fuels by growing
numbers of industries, power plants, and automobiles are primarily
responsible for increasing the emission of carbon dioxide.
▸ Carbon dioxide has been continuously increasing in the atmosphere due to
human activities such as industrialization, urbanization, and increasing
use and number of automobiles. This is leading to an increasing
concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, which is a major cause of global
warming.
44

Nitrogen cycle
▸ Nitrogen is an essential component of
protein and required by all living organisms
including human beings.
▸ Our atmosphere contains nearly 79% of
nitrogen but it cannot be used directly by the
majority of living organisms. Broadly like
carbon dioxide, nitrogen also cycles from the
gaseous phase to the solid phase then back to
the gaseous phase through the activity of a
wide variety of organisms. The cycling of
nitrogen is vitally important for all living
organisms.
45

There are five main processes which essential for
nitrogen cycle are elaborated below.
(a) Nitrogen fixation: This process involves the conversion of gaseous nitrogen into Ammonia,
a form in which it can be used by plants. Atmospheric nitrogen can be fixed by the following
three methods:-
▸ Atmospheric fixation: Lightening, combustion, and volcanic activity help in the fixation of
nitrogen.
▸ Industrial fixation: At high temperature (400oC) and high pressure (200 atm.), molecular
nitrogen is broken into atomic nitrogen which then combines with hydrogen to form
ammonia.
▸ Bacterial fixation: There are two types of bacteria-
○ Symbiotic bacteria e.g. Rhizobium in the root nodules of leguminous plants.
○ Free living or symbiotic e.g. 1. Nostoc 2. Azobacter 3. Cyanobacteria can combine
atmospheric or dissolved nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia.
46

(b) Nitrification
▸ It is a process by
which ammonia is
converted into nitrates or
nitrites by Nitrosomonas
and Nitrococcus bacteria
respectively. Another soil
bacterium Nitrobacter can
convert nitrate into nitrite.
47

(c) Assimilation
▸ In this process nitrogen fixed
by plants is converted into
organic molecules such as
proteins, DNA, RNA,
etc. These molecules make the
plant and animal tissue.
48

(d) Ammonification
▸ Living organisms produce
nitrogenous waste products such
as urea and uric acid. These waste
products as well as dead remains of
organisms are converted back into
inorganic ammonia by the bacteria.
This process is called
ammonification. Ammonifying
bacteria help in this process.
49

(e) Denitrification
▸ Conversion of nitrates back into
gaseous nitrogen is called
denitrification. Denitrifying bacteria
live deep in the soil near the water
table as they like to live in the
oxygen-free medium. Denitrification
is the reverse of nitrogen fixation.
50

Water Cycle
▸ Water is essential for life. No organism can survive without water. Precipitation
(rain, snow, slush dew etc.) is the only source of water on the earth. Water
received from the atmosphere on the earth returns back to the atmosphere as
water vapour resulting from direct evaporation and through
evapotranspiration the continuous movement of water in the biosphere is
called water cycle (hydrological cycle).
▸ Water is not evenly distributed throughout the surface of the earth. Almost 95 % of
the total water on the earth is chemically bound to rocks and does not cycle. Out of
the remaining 5%, nearly 97.3% is in the oceans and 2.1% exists as polar ice caps.
Thus only 0.6% is present as fresh water in the form of atmospheric water
vapors, ground, and soil water.
▸ The driving forces for water cycle are( 1) solar radiation (2) gravity.
51

Ecological Succession
▸ Hult used the term first-time “Ecological
Succession” for the ‘Orderly changes in
communities’. Odum called it Ecosystem
development. Ragnar Hult was the first (1881)
to publish a comprehensive study of ecological
succession as it is taking place in a given region.
▸ F.E. Clements (1916) defined succession as a
natural process by which same locality
becomes successively colonized by different
groups of plants or communities thus
communities are never stable.
53

Contd….
▸ Biotic communities are dynamic in nature and change over a
period of time. The process by which communities of plant and
animal species in an area are replaced or changed into another
over a period of time is known as ecological succession.
▸ Both the biotic and abiotic components are involved in this
change. This change is brought about both by the activities of the
communities as well as by the physical environment in that particular
area. The physical environment often influences the nature, direction,
rate, and optimal limit of changes.
54

Primary succession
▸ Primary succession takes place over bare or unoccupied areas
such as rock outcrop, newly formed deltas, and sand dunes,
emerging Volcano Islands and lava flows as well as glacial
moraines (muddy area exposed by a retreating glacier) where no
community has existed previously.
▸ The plants that invade first bare land, where the soil is
initially absent are called pioneer species. The assemblage of
pioneer plants is collectively called the pioneer community. A
pioneer species generally show a high growth rate but a short
life span.
55

Secondary succession
▸ Secondary succession is the development of a community
which forms after the existing natural vegetation that
constitutes a community is removed, disturbed, or destroyed by a
natural event like a hurricane or forest fire or by human-related
events like tilling or harvesting the land.
▸ Secondary succession is relatively fast as the soil has the
necessary nutrients as well as a large pool of seeds and other
dormant stages of organisms.
56

Causes of Ecological Succession:
Following are the causes of ecological succession:
1. Initial Causes:
Causes those are responsible for the destruction existing habitat.
Such occurrences happen due to the following factors:
(a) Climatic Factor: Such as wind, deposits, erosion, fire, etc.
(b) Biotic Factor: Such as various activities of organisms.
57

2. Continuing Causes:
2. Continuing Causes:
Causes those are responsible for changes in population shifting
features of an area. Such factors are:
(a) Migration for safety against outside aggregation.
(b) Migration due to industrialization and urbanization.
(c) As a reactionary step against local problems.
(d) Feeling of competition
58

3. Stabilising Cause:
Causes which bring stability to the communities. Such factors are:
(a) Fertility of land
(b) Climatic condition of the area
(c) Abundance of availability of minerals etc.
59

Homeostasis of Ecosystem
▸ Ecosystems are capable of maintaining their state of equilibrium. They can
regulate their own species structure and functional processes. This
capacity of the ecosystem of self-regulation is known as
homeostasis. In ecology, the term applies to the tendency for a biological
system to resist changes.
▸ For example, in a pond ecosystem, if the population of zooplankton
increased, they would consume a large number of phytoplankton and as a
result, soon zooplankton would be a short supply of food for them. As the
number of zooplankton is reduced because of starvation, the
phytoplankton population starts increasing. After some time the
population size of zooplankton also increases and this process continues
at all the trophic levels of the food chain.
60

Productivity of Ecosystem
The productivity of an ecosystem refers to the rate of
production, i.e., the amount of organic matter accumulated in
any unit of time.
Productivity is of the following types:
▸ Primary productivity
▸ Secondary productivity
▸ Net Productivity
61

Primary productivity:
It is defined as the rate at which radiant energy is stored by the
producers, most of which are photosynthetic, and to a much
lesser extent the chemosynthetic microorganisms. Primary
productivity is of the following types.
62

Contd…
(a) Gross primary productivity:
It refers to the total rate of photosynthesis including the organic matter used
up in respiration during the measurement period. It depends on the chlo-
rophyll content. The rate of primary productivity is estimated in terms of
either chlorophyll content as chl/g dry weight/unit area, or photosynthetic
number, i.e., amount of CO2 fixed/g chl/hour.
(b) Net primary productivity:
Also known as apparent photosynthesis or net assimilation, it refers to the rate
of storage of organic matter in plant tissues in excess of the respiratory
utilisation by plants during the measurement period.
63

Secondary productivity:
It is the rate of energy storage at consumer’s levels-herbivores,
carnivores, and decomposers. Consumers tend to utilize already
produced food materials in their respiration and also converts the
food matter to different tissues by an overall process. Some
ecologists such as Odum (1971) prefer to use the term assimilation
rather than ‘production’ at this level-the consumer’s level. It actually
remains mobile (i.e., keeps on moving from one organism to another)
and does not live in situ like the primary productivity.
64

Net Productivity:
It refers to the rate of storage of organic matter not used by the
heterotrophs or consumers, i.e., equivalent to net primary
production minus consumption by the heterotrophs during the unit
period, as a season or year, etc. It is thus the rate of increase of
biomass of the primary producers which has been left over by the
consumers.
65

Principles of Ecology
▸ Eco-system is a fundamental well
structured and organized unit that
brings the physical environment and
living organisms together in a single
framework which facilitates the study
of interactions between biotic and
abiotic components. Ecosystems are
also functional units wherein two biotic
components, namely autotrophic and
heterotrophic components are of major
significance.
66

Contd…
▸ The biotic and abiotic
components of the biosphere
ecosystem are intimately related
through a series of large scale
cyclic mechanisms that help in
the transfer of energy, water,
chemicals, and sediments in
various components of the
biosphere.
67

The different principles are as follows:
(i) Nothing actually disappears when we throw it away because all the
materials are rearranged and cycled and recycled through a series of
cyclic pathways in the natural environment.
(ii) All systems and problems are ultimate if not intimately, inter-related.
It does not make squabble over which crisis is most urgent. We
cannot afford the luxury of solving problems one by one that is both
obsolete and ecologically unsound anyway.
(iii) We live on planet earth whose resources are finite.
(iv) Nature has spent literally millions of years refining a stable eco-
system.
68

5 Principals of R. L. Linderuan on ecology
▸ Principle-1: With an increase in distance between the organisms
of a given trophic level and the initial source of energy, the
probability of the organisms to depend exclusively on the
preceding trophic level for energy decreases.
69

▸ Principle-2: The relative loss of energy due to respiration is
progressively greater to higher trophic levels because the species
at higher trophic levels being relatively larger in size have to
move and work for getting food and therefore more energy is lost
due to respiration.
70

▸ Principle-3: Species at progressively higher trophic levels appear
to be progressively more efficient in using their available food
supply, because increased activity by predators increases their
chances of encountering suitable prey species, and in general
predators are less specific than their prey in food preference.
71

▸ Principle-4: Higher trophic levels tend to be less discrete than
the lower ones because the organisms at progressively higher
trophic levels receive energy from more than one source and are
generalists in their feeding habit and they are more efficient in
using their available food.
72

▸ Principle-5: Food-chains tend to be reasonably short. Four
vertical links is a common maximum because loss of energy is
progressively higher for higher trophic levels and species at
higher levels tend to be less discrete.
73

Tourism in the global context
▸ More than any other sector, tourism is responsible for the
movement of people across the globe. Tourism is also one of the
world’s largest and fastest-growing economic sectors, responsible
for 9% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and for the
creation of 1 in 11 jobs worldwide. The international tourism
sector ranks fourth behind fuels, chemicals and food and, at 6% of
all global exports, higher than automobiles. Total international
tourism arrivals1 reached 1.18 billion in 2015 (UNWTO, 2016).
74

International tourism arrivals and receipts
75

Tourism as a land-use-dependent socio-economic
sector (Relationship of ecology and tourism)
▸ land is considered to be the
environmental asset with
which tourism has the closest
relationship. Therefore,
tourism is regarded as a land-
dependent socio-economic
sector, and land delivers
multiple values and
ecosystem services for
tourism.
76

Two main categories of land use for tourism services (tourism
ecology relationship) can be identified
Land as a physical support resource for tourism-related functional and
operational services:
transport networks such as roads and railways, and infrastructure
such as stations, airports and ports, together with their respective
annexed facilities;
sport infrastructure and facilities, such as golf courses, pools, marinas,
beach and ski resorts;
accommodation establishments.
77

Land uses on tourism activities (tourism ecology relationship)
Land that is naturally attractive (beaches, grasslands, forests, wetlands, heath and scrub, lake and river
ecosystems) and culturally interesting (urban areas, agro-ecosystems), and that provides different
ecosystem services, is used in the following types of tourism:
▸ Cultural/aesthetic landscape tourism: land use expresses various cultural or aesthetic values (e.g.
agricultural land such as groves, vineyards), or showcases specific types of spatial organization (e.g.
Alpine farmsteads);
▸ Farm/rural/food tourism: land with a productive function that allows city inhabitants to reconnect with
nature, e.g. attractive farms with produce and products that are environmentally-friendly, sustainable
and very closely linked with nature;
▸ Ecotourism/forest tourism: a niche market, although important in forest management planning, where
tourism revenues can often be an incentive for sustainable forest and natural park management. This
type falls within the broader category of nature-based tourism;
▸ Waterfront/coastal tourism: the primary destination for summer holidays, covering also inner lakes and
river banks;
▸ Some forms of urban tourism: different urban landscapes (open spaces, gardens and parks in cities).
78

Direct and indirect land use forms by tourism
79

Overview of the crosscutting elements of tourism
(burden on ecology)
▸ energy consumption and supply, as well as greenhouse gas emissions
linked to transport, accommodation, leisure activities and food
production;
▸ water quality, consumption and management, and wastewater
treatment;
▸ waste generation and management;
▸ loss of biodiversity linked to land conversion for tourism infrastructure,
overexploitation of natural resources for food, materials, freshwater and
recreation, the introduction of invasive alien species, pollution and the
disturbance of wildlife;
▸ landscape, natural and cultural heritage management.
80

Components of the tourism system
Source (burden on ecology)
81

Links between relevant EU policy areas and tourism
(EU POLICY CASE STUDY IN RELATION OF ECOLOGY AND TOURISM)
82

The international and regional policy into the
context of tourism and ecological relationship
▸ There are several international treaties and programmes for the
protection of the environment and biodiversity that include explicit or
indirect provisions or recommendations affecting the tourism sector
and relating to its relationship with environmental assets,
ecosystems and biodiversity.
▸ It is important to be aware of these recommendations and the initiatives
already undertaken in the context of such international treaties and
programmes in order to preserve environment and ecology by the
effect of tourism.
85

possibility of developing a monitoring mechanism for the
environmental impacts of tourism in the European Union (case study).
These are as follows:
▸ The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Convention On Biological Diversity (CBD);
▸ The convention on wetlands (Ramsar Convention);
▸ The world heritage convention;
▸ The 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns;
▸ The 2030 agenda for sustainable development and sdgs;
▸ The convention for the protection of the marine environment and the coastal region of the
mediterranean (barcelona convention) and its protocols;
▸ The convention for the protection of the alps (the alpine convention);
▸ The convention for the protection and sustainable development of the carpathians.
86

Tourist holiday choices and associated
environmental impacts (Budeanu, 2007)
87

Tourism and the environment:
an indicator approach
▸ Given the complexity of actors and interactions involved in tourism, it is useful to
define a broad framework for analyzing the links between tourism and the
environment.
▸ The driver–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) framework has been widely
used to analyze the links between different processes and the environment.
▸ According to this systems analysis view, social and economic developments act as
drivers that exert pressure on the environment, causing environmental changes.
▸ This can affect the provision of adequate health conditions, resource availability
and biodiversity. This leads to impacts on human health, ecosystems and
materials, which may elicit a societal response that feeds back directly into the
driving forces, state or impacts, through adaptation or curative action (EEA, 1999)
88

89
Tourism and the environment- indicators (case study of EU)

90
Tourism and the environment- indicators (case study of EU)

What is Environmental Pollution?
▸ Environment Pollution is the addition of contaminants into the
natural environment that causes detrimental effects to nature,
natural resources and mankind.
▸ Any unnatural and negative changes in all the dimensions like
chemical, physical and biological characteristics of any
component of the ecosystem i.e. air, water or soil which can cause
harmful effects on various forms of life and property is called
environmental pollution.
91

What is a Pollutant & its types?
Any substance which causes harmful effects or uneasiness in the organisms,
then that particular substance may be called as the pollutant. The materials
that cause pollution are of two types:
1. Persistent pollutants: Those pollutants which remain consistent in the
environment for a long period of time without any change in its original
form are called persistent pollutants. For example pesticides, nuclear
wastes, and plastics etc.
2. Non-persistent pollutants: These pollutants are the opposite of persistent
pollutant and break down in the simple form. If this process of breaking
down is done by living organisms, then such pollutants are referred to as
biodegradable pollutants.
92

From another perspective, pollutants can be
classified as follows:
1. Primary Pollutants: Primary pollutants are those which remain in
the form in which they were added to the environment for ex.
DDT, Plastic
2. Secondary Pollutants: Secondary pollutants are formed due to
interaction of primary pollutants amongst themselves viz. PAN by
the interaction of NOx & Hydrocarbons.
93

According to their existence in nature:
1. Quantitative Pollutants: These substances are already
present in the atmosphere but they become pollutant
when their concentration level reaches to a particular level
which is above a threshold limit.
2. Qualitative Pollutants: These are man-made pollutants eg.
Fungicides, herbicides etc.
94

Contd….
▸ According to origin:
1. Man-made Pollutants
2. Natural Pollutants
▸ According to the nature of
disposal:
1. Biodegradable Pollutants
2. Non-biodegradable
Pollutants
95

Some of the air pollutants, their sources and
effects:
96
Name of the pollutants Sources Health effects
Nitrogen oxides Industries, vehicles and power
plants
Problems in the lungs, respiratory
systems and causes asthma and
bronchitis.
Carbon monoxide Emission and burning of fossil
fuels
Severe headache, irritation to
mucous membrane,
unconsciousness and death.
Carbon dioxide Burning of fossil fuels Vision problem, severe headache
and heart strain.
Suspended particulate matter Vehicular emission and burning
of fossil fuels.
Lung irritation reduces
development of RBC and
pulmonary malfunctioning.

Contd…
97
Name of the pollutants Sources Health effects
Sulphur oxide Industries and power plant Irritation in eyes and throat,
allergies, cough etc.
Smog Industries and vehicular pollution Respiratory and eye problems
Hydrocarbons Burning of fossil fuels Kidney problems, irritation in
eyes, nose and throat, asthma,
hypertension and carcinogenic
effects on lungs.

WATER POLLUTION
▸ Addition of certain
substances such as organic,
inorganic, biological and
radiological to the water,
which degrades the water
quality and makes it
unhealthy for use.
▸ Water pollution is not only
confined to surface water but
also spread to groundwater,
sea and ocean.
98

Sources
▸ Point sources: These are directly pointed towards the water
bodies from the source of origin of pollution and are thus easy to
regulate.
▸ Non-point sources: These sources are related to many diffuse
sources and are thus difficult to regulate.
99

Effects
▸ An excessive amount of mercury in water can cause Minamata
disease in humans and dropsy in fishes; Lead in large amount can
cause dyslexia, Cadmium poisoning causes Itai – Itai disease etc.
▸ Polluted water has less amount of Dissolved oxygen (DO) content
which is important for sensitive organisms, thereby eliminates
sensitive organisms.
▸ Excess of nitrate in drinking water is dangerous for infants and
human health, excess fluoride cause neuromuscular disorder and
teeth deformity, hardening of bones and painful joints.
▸ Biological magnification and eutrophication.
100

SOIL POLLUTION
▸ Addition of unwanted substances to the soil which
negatively affects physical, chemical and biological
properties of soil and reduces its productivity is called
soil pollution.
▸ The factors which disturb the biological balance of
the soil and deteriorate the quality, texture and
mineral content are called soil pollutants.
▸ Use of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, dumping of
solid waste, deforestation and pollution due to
urbanization and other anthropogenic substances
causes soil pollution.
101

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM
▸ INTRODUCTION
▸ Tourism especially, marine and coastal tourism is one the fastest
growing areas within the world's largest industry. Yet despite
increased awareness of the economic and environmental
significance of tourism, it is only in recent years, scientific
researches have emerged (Hall, 2001). This paper provides a
review of some tourism literature, which focuses, in particular on
environmental impacts of tourism.
102

DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
▸ Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources
when it increases consumption in areas where resources are
already scarce.
▸ Water Resources
▸ Water, and especially fresh water, is one of the most critical
natural resources. The tourism industry generally overuses water
resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal
use of water by tourists. This can result in water shortages and
degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater
volume of waste water.
103

IMPACT OF TOURISM ON ENVIRONMENT
▸ Air Pollution and Noise
▸ Solid Waste and Littering
▸ Sewage
▸ Aesthetic Pollution
104

PHYSICAL IMPACTS
▸ Physical Impacts of Tourism Development
▸ Construction activities and infrastructure development: The
development of tourism facilities such as accommodation, water
supplies, restaurants and recreation facilities can involve sand
mining, beach and sand erosion, soil erosion and extensive
paving. In addition, road and airport construction can lead to land
degradation and loss of wildlife habitats and deterioration of
scenery.
105

Physical Impacts from Tourist Activities
106

Loss of biological diversity
The effects on loss of biodiversity:
a) It threatens our food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism,
and sources of wood, medicines and energy.
b) It interferes with essential ecological functions such as species balance,
soil formation, and greenhouse gas absorption.
c) It reduces productivity of ecosystems.
d) It destabilizes ecosystems and weakens their ability to deal with natural
disasters such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes, and with human-
caused stresses, such as pollution and climate change.
107

Depletion of the ozone layer
The ozone layer, which is situated in the upper
atmosphere (or stratosphere) at an altitude of 12-50
kilometers, protects life on earth by absorbing the
harmful wavelengths of the sun's ultraviolet (UV)
radiation, which in high doses is dangerous to humans
and animals. For example, one of the reason scientists
have put forward for the global decrease of amphibian
populations is increased exposure to UV radiation.
108

Climate change
▸ Climate scientists now generally agree that the Earth's surface
temperatures have risen steadily in recent years because of an
increase in the so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which
trap heat from the sun. One of the most significant of these gases is
carbon dioxide (CO ), which is generated when fossil fuels, such as
coal, oil and natural gas are burned (e.g. in industry, electricity
generation, and automobiles) and when there are changes in land use,
such as deforestation. In the long run, accumulation of CO and other
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can cause global climate change
a process that may already be occurring.
109

HOW GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AFFECT
TOURISM
▸ Natural Disasters
▸ Catastrophes like floods, earthquakes, wildfires, volcanoes, avalanches,
drought and diseases can have a serious effect on inbound and
domestic tourism and thus on local tourism industries. The outbreak of
foot and mouth disease epidemic in England earlier this year (2001), for
instance, severely affected Great Britain's inbound tourism market. A
BHA/Barclays Hospitality Business Trends Survey found that 75% of
hotels in England, 81% in Scotland and 85% in Wales continued to be
affected by the foot and mouth outbreak, and over 60% forecast a
decline in business in the June-September 2001 period.
110

Climate Change
▸ Tourism not only contributes to climate change, but
is affected by it as well. Climate change is likely to
increase the severity and frequency of storms and
severe weather events, which can have disastrous
effects on tourism in the affected regions. Some of
the other impacts that the world risks as a result of
global warming are drought, diseases and heat
waves.
111

EFFECTS OF OTHER INDUSTRIES ON TOURISM
Impacts from other industries often have a dramatic effect on the
environment and can seriously affect
▸ Tourism. Oil spills, like the oil tanker disasters can cause severe short-
term damage to tourist attractions. In that case, local marine and land
species and the tourism potential of the area can be badly affected.
Agricultural runoff or industrial discharges can cause water pollution
and may cause algae blooms. In spite of improved control of sewage
from tourism developments, the Mediterranean sea floor is increasingly
carpeted with these quick-growing invaders, many rising 30 inches or
more above anchoring runners.
112

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