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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Presentation 1
Environmental Science and Ecosystems
James Li, PhD, P.Eng.
• Ryerson Civil Engineering Department
• Monetary Times Building MON306
• Tel: (416) 979‐5345 (8:30‐16:30)
• Tel: (416) 979‐5000 Ext. 6470
• Fax: (416) 979‐5122
• E‐mail: jyli@ryerson.ca
Textbook and Course Notes
• Bram F. Noble
• Oxford University Press,
2014.
• Notes on course web site.
Grading Scheme
• Open Book Test ‐ 25%
• Group Project – 25%
• Final Examination ‐ 50%., 3 hrs, open book.
Outline
• Why do civil engineers need to learn about the environment?
• Environmental Science
• Ecosystem concept
• Ecosystem structure
• Abiotic and biotic regulators
• Productivity and energy flow
• Cycles of energy and material in an ecosystem
Why “environment”?
• Structural engineering
• Transportation engineering
• Construction engineering
• Geomatic engineering
Environmental Disturbances
Causes:
Population growth
Economic growth
Energy growth
Environmental Science
• Ecology is the study of the structure, function, and behaviour of the
natural systems.
• Environmental Science is to understand and solve environmental
problems.
How to solve environmental problems?
• Engineering • Stewardship ethnic
• Physical and social science • Biocentric world view
• Ecology • Natural system dynamics
• Economics • Environmental education
• Political science • Interdisciplinary action
• Law and ethnic • Socioeconomics
• Communication • Culture and politics
• Public participation
Ecosystems
• A system is a collection of objects … more than an
independent assembling of the parts.
• An ecosystem is formed by the interactions of a
variety of individual organisms with each other
and with their physical environments.
• Ecosystems are almost self‐contained as well as
part of the world.
• Ecosystems can be described by their physical and
biological components and their interactions.
Abiotic Components
• Sunlight
• Nutrients
• Air
• Soil
• Water
• Climate
Biotic Components
• Autotrophs, such as plants,
which produce food.
• Heterotrophs, such as
herbivores, carnivores,
omnivores, scavengers,
and decomposers, which
consume others for
energy.
Energy Flow
• Sun is our energy
source.
34% • Plants produce energy
by photosynthesis.
23% • Heterotrophs produce
energy by respiration.
• Only a very small
0.02% 42% fraction of the sun
energy is retained by
heterotrophs.
Abiotic regulators
Biotic regulators
• Organisms affect ecosystem structure (e.g., beavers)
• Predators and preys
Productivity of ecosystems
• Gross primary productivity is • Net primary productivity is the
the rate at which organic matter net gain in plant matter.
is produced during
photosynthesis.
• Deserts : 200 kcal/m2/yr
• Wet tropical forests: 20,000
kcal/m2/yr
Community Pyramids
Trophic levels describes how far the organisms is removed
from plants.
Second Carnivore
First Carnivore
Herbivore
Producer
Productivity Biomass Numbers
(mg/m2 day) (g/m2) (#/m2)
Food chain or web describes the flow of food
energy in an ecosystem.
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen
Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle
Summary
• In order to solve our environmental problems, we need to integrate
our knowledge in the environment, socio‐economics, politics, and
science.
• We should also take a holistic approach to solve our environmental
problems (we are part of the world and not apart of it).
• An ecosystem can only be described by its physical and biological
components and their interactions.
Summary (cont’d)
• A study of the food chain or web will allow us to appreciate the
potential impacts of our action to an ecosystem.
• Our energy source is the sun.
• Materials recycle in an ecosystem.