LAWS OF ECOLOGY

LAWS OF ECOLOGY

1. “ LAWS OF ECOLOGY”

2. “We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent on vulnerable supplies of air, water, and soil, all committed for our safety to its security and peace: preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and I will say the love, we give our fragile craft.” -- Adlai Stevenson

3. BARRY COMMONER “ a leader among a generation of scientist-activists” ( New York Times ) and possibly “the greatest environmentalist of the 20th century” ( Ralph Nader ), died in New York on September 30, aged 95 Credited as a founder of the modern environmental movement Commoner was among the world’s best known ecologists in the 1960s, 70s and 80s . He was famous for his public campaigns against nuclear testing, chemical pollution and environmental decay In the early 1970s, he wrote “The closing circle”, in w/c he discussed the rapid growth of industry & technology & their persistent effect on all forms of life.

4. He suggested that we can reduce the negative effects by sensitizing, informing & educating ourselves about our connection to the natural world. He summarized the basic of ecology into what he termed “laws of ecology”. Others have also used this idea to develop simple statements that help us understand & remember our connections to nature. He was best known for his “Four (4) Laws of Ecology” BARRY COMMONER

5. FOUR (4) LAWS OF ECOLOGY : Everything is connected to everything else Being connected is seen not only in the relationship among the organisms but also in the relationship of organisms with physical factors. 2. There is strength & stability in the Unity of Differences The ecosystem has different components, and each is needed for the ecosystem to function. 3. Consumption must not exceed production Any ecosystem has the capacity to sustain life. This is called its carrying capacity. 4. Everything has a Purpose Each of us has a role to perform & responsibility to protect the environment.

6. These laws form the basis for studying and understanding the relationships and interdependencies found in communities and ecosystems. They further explain that humankind is, in fact, only one member of the biotic community and that people are shaped and nurtured by the characteristics of the land.