Ecosystem Environmental Assessment

Our need to appreciate landscapes and the changes that lands have undergone in the past decades has increased. This has been partly due to an increased demand for understanding the best way to manage changes in land and ecosystems. This has resulted in innovative new techniques which help us to understand natural countryside and also help us to support ecosystems to remain stable whilst they undergo changes and accommodate development.

The most important subject for understanding landscapes is learning about the character of the landscape itself. Landscape character assessment, or LCA, is a technique which uses the description of the distinct and recognizable patterns of landscape components, such as field size, hedges, building layout, that occur in a particular area. Each distinct landscape character area has characteristics that distinguish it from other land character areas. Landscape architects judge those key characteristics which give rise to the overall landscape character, in order to understand the particular land character of an area. Using this knowledge of various landscape characteristics, one can differentiate between land management and land design methods. These methods are used to enhance the future landscape for social, environmental and economic purposes. LCA also allows judgments to be made about the land by government appointed policy makers, developers and land managers. With this understanding we have knowledge of how places differ so that future development is sensitive to the area and location in which it is to be situated.

The characteristics of the land can be judged by landscape character assessment, as part of this is concerned with the quality assessment of the condition of any given landscape. The quality assessment is usually done as part of a strategic planning process. This is undertaken to estimate the capacity of land to accept new development to determine and ascertain any impact the proposed development will have on the countryside. A systematic investigation of existing conditions and the processes of landscape and ecosystems are undertaken, with an analysis of any changes to LCA produced by a given development. These are then used to give landscape design mitigation measures which produce both the desired developmental outcome and help to enhance the landscape character. Continue Reading

Contact with some sort of ecosystem is a daily occurrence for everyone. It surrounds us and is a part of everything we touch. The impact that humanity plays on the Earth’s ecosystems is not realized by many people. Constant attention and wisdom is required to maintain this delicate balance. It is distressing that a vast majority of people are unaware of the way they effect their immediate environment, not to speak of the delicate balance of nature’s ecosystem. Are you aware of the importance? The ecosystems are many and what is important for us to know is how they affect our daily lives and how we are an integral part of them. The purpose of this audio program is to present the basic concepts of ecosystems, and we may even look more closely at how they are classified. Hopefully, this article will address the issues you may want to know about your ambient environment.

What is the system for classification of an ecosystem?

Ecosystems are categorized accordingly using multiple various methods. The classification can also be based upon the vegetation and terrain like a rain forest ecosystem. Classification may be according to the kind of atmosphere where they live, such as the marine ecosystem. A consistent classification system still remains elusive although experts and researchers studying ecosystems are working hard to define a universal classification system that can identify ecosystems for protection purposes.

What do you infer from Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

Scientists and researchers in 2001 undertook an effort to study the ecosystems of the world and determine the extent of the damage that has been done to them by mankind. It was the biggest project ever that attempted to list and label all the ecosystems on Earth. In conclusion, the past fifty years has seen more damage to the Earth’s ecosystem compared to any other time in the history of humankind. If we want to continue to live in a sustaining environment then this assessment is important to humans everywhere. We must be clear what are the effects on the environment for us to make the required changes to ensure a brighter future for our planet. Continue Reading

Eco-friendly Products are referred to as the goods and services that people consume and or create, which inflict minimal or no harm to the environment. To make consumers more responsive, these kinds of produce are often marked with eco-labels. Eco-label is a labeling system for consumer-related goods, excluding food and medicine-food has a different form of eco-labeling-that are made in a manner that avoids damaging the environment. The labeling of eco-friendly products has been instituted in a number of developed states to aid in the protection of the ecosystem. However, for the reason that there is no single international standard for this concept, the International Organization for Standardization regards such labels too imprecise to be significant. Thus, eco-labeling is voluntary, and not enforced by law. An example of a labeling that is obligatory is the Green Sticker, mandated by law in North America where they are tagged on major pieces of equipment and automobiles.

For research and development of new products and technology, a simple way to assessing eco-friendly products is implemented through the planning stage, the manufacturing stage, and the production stage. There is a method called Life-Cycle Assessment which is used to quantitatively calculate the ecological effects of a product through all the phases it undergoes, including material procurement, construction, circulation, use, and disposal.

The first step to assessing and achieving eco-friendly products is to have a standard Life-Cycle Assessment program. Identifying and creating a desired concept to fit in to a product before starting with its research, blueprint, and or development is a good way to go. To correctly set objectives, pick out existing products which can be compared with the new product specifications, execute the standard method of assessment needed, and utilize the outcome. When the product specifications are clear, estimate the consumption of energy and perform the assessment standards to see whether the target will be attained. In producing a product massively, perform the Life-Cycle Assessment based on real measurement statistics such as yield and energy utilization, and evaluate the ecological responsiveness of the product. Continue Reading