7.1Fragile+envirnments+and+sustainability

Unique biomes/ecosystems (map insreted) each with specific characteristics..
 * 1. What is a fragile environment and how does this link with sustainability ** ?

media type="file" key="biomes.swf" width="420" height="420" align="left"Biomes are climatically and geographically defined areas. They have similar ecological communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms and are often referred to as ecosystems. They have related plant families which are alike in structure (such as trees, shrubs, and grasses), the same leaf types (such as broadleaf and needle-leaf), plant spacing (forest, woodland, savannah), and climate.

These depend on climate, rocks, soils, natural vegetation, animals and human activity. Man has changed most of the Earth’s surface but there are still those indigenous groups who live in harmony with their environment

The Awá are a small tribe living in the Amazon state of Maranhão. They are one of only two nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes remaining in Brazil. Some live in tiny family groups living in the rainforest outside legally recognized territories while approximately 40 individuals living in the Araribóia reserve. If the Awá are to survive it is vital that their forest home remains intact and that they are not exposed to doiseases transmitted by outsiders and to violence at their hands. The Awá hunt, fish and gather forest produce such as nuts and fruits. Those who are nomadic live in highly mobile, self-sufficient groups of no more than 20-30 people. As they travel, they keep the embers of their fires lit, relighting the fire as they arrive at their destination. [] These tribes are part of a group labelled by various organisations such as Survival International, as ‘uncontacted’. This does not necessarily mean that no outsider has ever seen them but it does mean that they have chosen to (and been supported by their governments) to live their own lives, with little or no input from outside. Although if you follow the link, you will see that there ar

[[image:7.1D_Maldive_map.png width="422" height="348" align="right"]]
e problems there too.

The president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, unveiled on 15 March 2009 a plan to make his country carbon-neutral within a decade. The announcement comes only days after scientists issued stark new warnings that rising seas caused by climate change could engulf the Maldives and other low-lying nations this century. []

What are fragile environment?
Fragile environments are those biomes that under threat form change, damage or unsustainable use. Although natural hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, can cause a lot of damage, it is mainly human intervention that causes the most – even seemingly natural events like floods and droughts are often made worse by man.

Issues include
**Protecting biodiversity (plants and animals) is more difficult**: we want to conserve that which we have but our desire to visit and see these areas is destroying them
 * Undeveloped land is becoming scarcer **: as there is less undeveloped land available, the pressure increases on that that remains.
 * Desert edges are becoming deserts ** through ** overgrazing ** and **the removal of trees/shrubs ** which give rise to **soil erosion**, and the **decreasing rainfal**l all combine to turn productive farmland into useless scrub.

At the other end of the climate scale, ** deforestation ** of rain forests flows as the natural resources are **exploited**.
 * Illegal logging** - 20% of the timber supply comes from illegal sources. " **//Europe remains one of the main markets for illegal timber despite a 2003 EU action plan to combat illegal logging and related trade. Strong legislation to halt illegal timber trade and to decrease Europe's devastating impact on the world's forests should be adopted as a bare minimum - there is no time to lose,//**" said Friedrich Wulf from ProNatura / Friends of the Earth Switzerland.

Burkina Faso: Here is some of the ways they are coping with the problems raised by living in a fragile environment This article is particularly good. The film shows the area but is not quite so informative. media type="custom" key="4537896"

Human and industrial waste pollute rives and seas. At sea, oil spills and deliberate toxic dumping causes widespread pollution. Many local problems cause more widespread difficulties. Traffic in towns causes congestion and pollution. Building new roads can solve these problems but causes others such as the destruction of rural environments. This can also lead to more traffic and acid rain, production of greenhouse gases and global climate change.. If the diversity and the environment are to survive then careful management is necessary. Local decisions have international effects. International co-operation and legislation will be the only way to resolve the issues which will help us work together and sustain the world for future generations. This diagram shows some of the ways the world is being used in an unsustainable way . //**"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"**//. World Commission on Environment and Development. This means that if you need timber, for example, you must replant as much as you cut down. If resources are managed sustainably, then present and future demands for food, shelter, clothing and recreation will be met.