The natural world is like a web in itself. Each and every organism, from the tiniest bacteria to the largest of whales is directly or indirectly, in one way or the other, dependant on each other. Every organism does its bit, which helps in maintaining a balance in the natural world. But over the years it has been witnessed that the threads connecting one species to another have started loosening as Man is attempting to conquer the web of life, thus threatening the existence of every living organism.
1. Population Control in Nature- It has been observed that smaller organisms have healthy populations, they fall prey to creatures larger than them, who have comparatively smaller populations, and finally come the super predators(tigers, lions etc), who reproduce at a very slow rate, and thus have low populations. In this way, nature has devised her own method of population control.
Human Invasion- Humans in their attempt to rule the web of life have caused a severe ecological crisis. Poaching and hunting(mainly of super predators) and trapping of animals for monetary purposes have led to a drastic increase in populations of smaller animals causing an imbalance.
Immediate Aftermath- In the absence of natural predators, the populations of smaller animals increase and they become parasitic on man.
2. Pest Control in Nature- Rodents and insects(like locusts) are a major pest to Humans. Their populations have increased worldwide due to the absence of natural predators. Yet snakes, mongooses, owls, frogs etc do great service to Man by ridding him of these unwanted pests. In return Man punishes them with death.
Human Invasion- Snake skin (mainly of cobras, pythons and ratsnakes) is used for making leather bags, boots and other accessories. Mongooses are trapped in cages by baiting, where they starve to death. Mongoose hair is used in making paint brushes. Owls fall prey to myths and superstitions. Frogs become victims of inhuman experiments as they are used for dissections.
Immediate Aftermath- Increase in pests means reduction in agricultural productivity and increase in the number of diseases.
3. Tree Plantation in Nature- Tree plantation in nature is a continuous process. Butterflies and other nectar-sucking birds and insects transfer pollen grains from one flower to another. Frugivorous bats, civets, parakeets, hornbills etc are important animals which help in seed dispersion and cross-pollination. These animals feed on fruits and the undigested seeds fall on the ground along with their scats. These seeds lie preserved in the ground until the monsoons when they first experience the joy of growing tall. Though this process is continuous, unplanned development is also a continuous task in the present day world, for which thousands of trees are chopped off.
1. Population Control in Nature- It has been observed that smaller organisms have healthy populations, they fall prey to creatures larger than them, who have comparatively smaller populations, and finally come the super predators(tigers, lions etc), who reproduce at a very slow rate, and thus have low populations. In this way, nature has devised her own method of population control.
Human Invasion- Humans in their attempt to rule the web of life have caused a severe ecological crisis. Poaching and hunting(mainly of super predators) and trapping of animals for monetary purposes have led to a drastic increase in populations of smaller animals causing an imbalance.
Immediate Aftermath- In the absence of natural predators, the populations of smaller animals increase and they become parasitic on man.
2. Pest Control in Nature- Rodents and insects(like locusts) are a major pest to Humans. Their populations have increased worldwide due to the absence of natural predators. Yet snakes, mongooses, owls, frogs etc do great service to Man by ridding him of these unwanted pests. In return Man punishes them with death.
Human Invasion- Snake skin (mainly of cobras, pythons and ratsnakes) is used for making leather bags, boots and other accessories. Mongooses are trapped in cages by baiting, where they starve to death. Mongoose hair is used in making paint brushes. Owls fall prey to myths and superstitions. Frogs become victims of inhuman experiments as they are used for dissections.
Immediate Aftermath- Increase in pests means reduction in agricultural productivity and increase in the number of diseases.
3. Tree Plantation in Nature- Tree plantation in nature is a continuous process. Butterflies and other nectar-sucking birds and insects transfer pollen grains from one flower to another. Frugivorous bats, civets, parakeets, hornbills etc are important animals which help in seed dispersion and cross-pollination. These animals feed on fruits and the undigested seeds fall on the ground along with their scats. These seeds lie preserved in the ground until the monsoons when they first experience the joy of growing tall. Though this process is continuous, unplanned development is also a continuous task in the present day world, for which thousands of trees are chopped off.
Human Invasion- Human invasion in this case comes mainly from the illegal pet trade. Parakeets, even today, are trapped in large numbers and sold as pets. Bats face persecution due to myths and have been directly affected by concretization. Major threats to the survival of hornbills is the lack of suitable nesting trees and hunting for their casks. Civets are again sufferers of habitat loss and urbanization.
Immediate Aftermath- Slaying of ‘tree-planters’ and uprooting of trees will directly affect humans. In a world bereft of fresh air, survival would become difficult or rather impossible.
In any case, Humans will have to suffer in the days to come. Over the years, we have tried to modify the environment to meet our needs. In doing this we might have been successful in the present, but will the future be similar? Every creature on earth is playing its role with perfection in maintaining the right balance in nature. But are we doing our bit? Humans are the most intelligent and superior animals of our planet. Their role is to protect all other creatures in their surroundings and not to interfere in the web of life. Our efforts have brought us to such a crisis that even restoring ecological balance has become difficult. But there is hope. After all nature is resilient. Given a chance she will bounce back.
Immediate Aftermath- Slaying of ‘tree-planters’ and uprooting of trees will directly affect humans. In a world bereft of fresh air, survival would become difficult or rather impossible.
In any case, Humans will have to suffer in the days to come. Over the years, we have tried to modify the environment to meet our needs. In doing this we might have been successful in the present, but will the future be similar? Every creature on earth is playing its role with perfection in maintaining the right balance in nature. But are we doing our bit? Humans are the most intelligent and superior animals of our planet. Their role is to protect all other creatures in their surroundings and not to interfere in the web of life. Our efforts have brought us to such a crisis that even restoring ecological balance has become difficult. But there is hope. After all nature is resilient. Given a chance she will bounce back.
2 comments:
hey rohit,
nice article man...good language and this is what our young generations have to realise good work keep it up..
thanx a lot!..i'm glad to hear that u likd the article...
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