Bio resources

For 6th Semester SU Students

1. Bio-Resources

2. DEFINITION Bio-resources are nonfossil biogenic resources which can be used by humans for multiple purposes: to produce food, substantial products, and/or energy carriers .

3. They can be categorised into following categories: Primary bioresources : Primary bioresources are generated for a specific application-oriented purpose in forestry, agri - or aquaculture to enable the production of food, substantial products, or eventually energy. Examples are wood ,  grain ,  potato ,  bamboo,   algae . Secondary bioresourceS :

4. Examples of primary bio- resources: wood ,  grain ,  potato ,  bamboo,   algae . Examples of secondary bio-resources: Fruit Residues .  Around 25 % of the mass of an orange is orange peel. They contain interesting extractives and organic matter usable for various purposes. This mixed fruit residue is used for biogas generation . Examples of tertiary bio-resources: Degradation during storage, may have taken place. They have generally a lower value than secondary bio-resources. Examples of Quaternary bio-resources: Their generation after start of utilization into short-, mid-, and long-term categories.

5. Environmental degradation Environmental degradation  is the deterioration of the  environment  through  depletion of resources  such as  air ,  water  and  soil ; the destruction of  ecosystems ;  habitat destruction ; the  extinction  of wildlife; and  pollution . As indicated by the  I=PAT  equation, Where, ( I)= Environmental impact (P)= Increasing human population, (A)=continually increasing  economic growth  or per capita affluence, and ( T )= Application of resource-depleting and polluting technology

6. Root Causes and Main Threats These are population growth, inequity, and inadequate economic policies and institutional systems . In addition , habitat degradation, and fragmentation, over-exploitation of biological resources .

7. Water degradation One major component of environmental degradation is the depletion of the resource of fresh water on Earth . Approximately only 2.5% of all of the water on Earth is fresh water, with the rest being salt water . 69% of fresh water is frozen in  ice caps  located on Antarctica and Greenland, so only 30% of the 2.5% of fresh water is available for consumption.

8. It is estimated that one in three people over the entire globe are already facing water shortages , almost one-fifth of the  world population  live in areas of  physical water scarcity . Water scarcity is an increasing problem due to many foreseen issues in the future, including population growth, increased urbanization, higher standards of living, and climate change.

9. Aral Sea's Eastern Basin Is Dry for First Time in 600 Years

10. Lirung Glacier in the Himalayas.

11. Water or Environmental degradation caused by large dams in Sikkim

12. Young people from the Dzongu reserve in North Sikkim led a three-year long relay hunger strike against large dams

13. Sampling of water Physical testing: Solids concentrations (e.g.,  total suspended solids  (TSS)) and turbidity . Chemical testing: Frequently used methods include  pH ,  biochemical oxygen demand  (BOD ), chemical oxygen demand (COD ). Biological testing: Biological testing involves the use of plant, animal or microbial indicators to monitor the health of an  aquatic ecosystem . One example of a group of bio-indicators are the  copepods  and other small water  crustaceans  that are present in many water bodies. Such organisms can be monitored for changes (biochemical, physiological, or behavioral ) that may indicate a problem within their ecosystem.

14. Copepods/Crustaceans

15. Climate change and temperature Population growth

16. Control of pollution