Subtitle:

Tasks and opportunities for ecology in relation to "Man and Biosphere" problems

Contributor:

Polska Akademia Nauk. Komitet Ekologiczny

Publisher:

Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe

Place of publishing:

Warszawa

Description:

Pages 282-293 ; 24 cm ; Bibliographical references (page 291) ; Abstract in English

Type of object:

Journal/Article

Abstract:

Planning of research programmes in different fields of science in connection with the ''Man and Biosphere'' programme is being influenced by the pressure of public opinion demanding solution of problems directly involving the preservation of man's environment. As far as the biological sciences are concerned research work on preservation of the biosphere necessitates, in the majority of cases, both a radical change in thought and in approaoh to scientific problems. Ecological sciences should play an important part in studies on the „Man and Biosphere'' programme, since both the research unit - the ecosystem ecological theory, in particular the concept of homeostasis and the problems of ecological regulation and compensation deriving from it, and also the quantitative methods employed, cover all basie and methodological scientific questions arising from the programme. Ecological research problems involved in the ''Man and Biosphere'' programme costitute two groups of subjects: recording of anthropogenic distutibances in ecosystems and ecological engineering of ecosystems. The main effort in this connection should be directed at elaboration of balances and expert opinions, based on them, of changes taking place in the environment or whole ecosystems. Recording of anthropogenic disturbance in ecosystems covers five groups of subjects: 1) the effect of man-made pollution of the environment on matter and energy economy in ecosystems; 2) listing of all man-made disturbances in ecosystems; 3) accumulation and biodegradation of toxic substances in ecosystems; 4) studies on bioindicators of environment pollution and state of ecosystems; 5) studies on man's reaction to changes taking place in the environment. Implementation of this programme of studies in this field should provide ecology with firm bases for formulating expert opinions and forecasting changes in the environment, based on the known initial state of the ecosystem, probable intoxication of the environment and known ecological process which will be set in motion as the result of planned economic measures. Ecological engineering of ecosystems postulated as ecology of the future is today developing in three directions; research work covers the following: 1) adaptation of biological systems to changed environment conditions; 2) conservation of ecosystems; 3) formation of new ecosystems. The purpose of such studies is to elaborate scientific expert opinions in order to design ecosystems in which biological components remain in a state of balance with the biosphere. ; In respect of agrocenoses the ecological method constitutes a basic expert opinion preceding plans for setting up and improving agricultural land. This method is taught in agricultural colleges. The problem of studies on the habitat requirements of cultivated plants has, however, been neglected in Poland up to the present. Conservation of cultivated field biocenoses, both in relation to hatbitat conditions and pest protection of crops, has a long tradition in Poland in connection with research on windbreaks. One of the aims of such studies should be to define conditions for the change over in agrocenoses to the intervention method of chemical protection of cultivated plants. The ecological method has been widely used in forest ecosystems as a basis for classifying biotopes, and for defining on this basis optimum plant associations for forest production. The biological method which has been successfully tried out in Poland permits of improving the staibility of forest ecosystems and protecting them from mass attacks of pests. In aquatic ecosystems the following ecological engineering problems are of prime importane: biological protection of ecosystems, in particular streams and rivers in industrialized areas, formation of new ecosystems in associations subject to influx of heated waste water and limitation of euthrophization processes in lakes. They are, however, a large number of deficiences in ecological studies in Poland due to the specific attitude of research workers to basic eco1ogical questions. Ecologists are chiefly concerned with the biological component of the ecosystem, often to the complete exclusion of research on the environment. The current state of research on the homeostasis of ecosystems is unsatisfactory; this theory cannot constitute a basis for formulating tasks to be carried out under the programme. Ecological methods do not as yet include indicator methods which could be used for general evaluation of the state of the environment and ecosystem, and cooperation with sciences concerned with the environment is insufficient. Formulation of tasks to be carried out by ecological sciences in connection with the „Man and Biosphere'' programme should be preceded by discussion of theoretical and methodological premises essential to the undertaking of a research programme new to ecology.

References:

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Relation:

Wiadomości Ekologiczne

Volume:

18

Issue:

3

Start page:

282

End page:

293

Detailed Resource Type:

Article

Resource Identifier:

oai:rcin.org.pl:144928 ; ISSN 0013-2969

Source:

MiIZ PAN, call no. P.3259 ; click here to follow the link

Language:

pol

Language of abstract:

eng

Rights:

Creative Commons Attribution BY 3.0 PL license

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. [CC BY 3.0 PL] May be used within the scope specified in Creative Commons Attribution BY 3.0 PL license, full text available at: ; -

Digitizing institution:

Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Projects co-financed by:

Operational Program Digital Poland, 2014-2020, Measure 2.3: Digital accessibility and usefulness of public sector information; funds from the European Regional Development Fund and national co-financing from the state budget.

Access:

Open