Introduction to Sustainability of Ecosystems Unit

As citizen's of this vast land, we have a responsibility to protect the global environments that give us life. In order to become active participants in this endeavour, we must become informed as to the environment's requirements.

Ecology is the study of the interaction between the biotic components and the abiotic components of an environment. Once an understanding of how these parts interact is gained, it becomes necessary to gain perspective on how to sustain these environments. It is also a requirement to understand the biodiversity of our ecosystems and our biosphere.

Ecosystems can be looked at in terms of their structure, the processes that go on within them, or the way they change over time. Every ecosystem is made up of a set of physical components (soil, minerals, water, etc.) and a set of populations of different species. Energy flows through ecosystems, and chemical elements cycle within them. Ecosystems go through different patterns of change over time. The concept of an ecosystem is important because it shows that everything is related to everything else. Everyday perception tells us that we live in a world composed of distinct units: trees, rocks, animals, buildings, and so on. Yet all of these seemingly unconnected fragments are in fact part of one system; they are interrelated, and this interrelation is essential for life. Since no piece exists independently of another, none can be modified without affecting the others.

Sustainability of ecosystems refers not only to how we use resources today, but also what we leave for the next generation, and the next and the next. It consists of a collaboration between ourselves and our environment that is characterized by stability, resilience, use of appropriate technology, efficiency and satisfactory productivity. Our understanding of the complex relationships that exist among different organisms and the environment will be reflected in the heritage that we leave for the future generations.

Sustainable systems must be stable. They must operate in such a way that they neither upset ecological systems nor overexploit living organisms. Natural resources must be maintained renewable. Environments must be left in a state where they can recover from natural disasters such as floods, droughts and cold winters. Sustainability must function efficiently to support the members of the ecosystem and provide for continuous survival of the varied species within the ecosystem. An understanding of reasons for game laws, controlled timber cutting, crop rotation, terracing and water control, will help us to be better citizens of the earth.q

Take the ecological footprint quiz, to get a realistic view of the effect of our way of living on the world.

At the completion of this unit, the students should be able to answer the following key questions (as per the Sask. Learning curriculum):

1. What is sustainability?

2. How does biodiversity indicate the health of an ecosystem?

3. What natural factors affect the stability of an ecosystem

4. How do energy and matter flow through an ecosystem?

5. How do human activities affect the sustainability of an ecosystem

6. How can humans in general improve the sustainability of our ecosystems?