Class Note: Environmental Balance

Relevance of the Theme

Environmental Balance is a central concept within Biological Sciences and the study of Biology as a whole. It deals with the complex interdependence between living beings and non-living elements of the environment, and how imbalance in this interaction can have devastating impacts.

This theme is also of utmost importance in understanding current issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, depletion of natural resources, pollution, and others. Without a solid understanding of environmental balance, students will not be able to appreciate the urgency and seriousness of these issues, nor engage effectively in seeking solutions.

Therefore, exploring Environmental Balance allows for a comprehensive and holistic view of how nature works and how human action can disrupt this balance, providing a solid foundation for the development of environmental awareness and making informed decisions in the future.

Contextualization

Within the Science curriculum, Environmental Balance is one of the pillars of the study of Ecology - the science that studies the interactions between living beings and their environment. In the 8th grade, students have already been introduced to the fundamental concepts of Biology and begin to deepen their understanding of life and nature.

Understanding Environmental Balance serves as a starting point for more advanced studies, such as Population Dynamics, Food Chains, and Food Webs. Therefore, this theme provides the necessary theoretical basis for understanding many other concepts of Ecology that will be addressed in the curriculum sequence.

Furthermore, Environmental Balance is also intrinsically linked to other transversal and contemporary themes, such as sustainability, environmental ethics, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation. Therefore, studying this theme is not only relevant to science itself but also to the formation of responsible global citizens.

Theoretical Development

Components

• Biome: Geographical regions with similar ecosystems due to shared climatic and geographic conditions.
• Habitat: Physical space where an organism lives, including all necessary resources for its survival.
• Population: Group of individuals of the same species living in the same place and time.
• Community: Set of populations of different species coexisting in the same place and time.
• Biodiversity: Variety of living beings in an ecosystem, including genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Key Terms

• Interdependence: Concept that highlights how living beings and non-living elements interact and depend on each other.
• Ecological Balance: State of stability in the interactions between organisms of an ecosystem and their environment.
• Ecological Imbalance: Alteration in the natural interactions of an ecosystem, usually caused by external influences, which can lead to its degradation.

Examples and Cases

• Cascade Effect: A classic example of ecological imbalance is the cascade effect, where changes in one population of organisms cause imbalance in other populations subsequently.
• Deforestation and Loss of Biodiversity: The removal of large forest areas leads to habitat loss and decreased biodiversity, disrupting the balance of ecosystems.
• Global Warming and Ocean Acidification: The release of large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels has caused global warming and ocean acidification, generating imbalances in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Detailed Summary

Relevant Points

• Ecological Interactions: Living beings and non-living elements of the environment are constantly interacting with each other. These interactions sustain life on Earth and are the basis for the formation and maintenance of ecosystems.

• Ecosystem Concept: An ecosystem is composed of the set of living beings (community) and the physical environment (biotope) in which they live, and the interactions between them. These interactions determine the balance (or imbalance) of the ecosystem.

• Structure of an Ecosystem: Ecosystems are composed of different levels of organization, from the smallest - the individual - to the largest - the biosphere. Each level has its own characteristics and is interconnected with the others.

• Importance of Biodiversity: Biodiversity is essential for maintaining environmental balance. It increases the resilience of ecosystems, making them more capable of resisting and recovering from disturbances.

• Dangers of Environmental Imbalance: Environmental imbalance, whether caused naturally or by humans, can result in loss of biodiversity, natural disasters, resource scarcity, and other serious problems.

Conclusions

• The interdependence between living beings and the environment is crucial for maintaining Environmental Balance. Any disturbance in this interdependence can result in ecological imbalance.

• Ecosystems are dynamic systems, constantly changing. Understanding and monitoring them is crucial for promoting sustainability and environmental conservation.

• The study of Environmental Balance is essential for developing a critical awareness of environmental issues and for forming citizens capable of making informed and responsible decisions regarding the environment.

Exercises

1. Explain the concept of 'population' and give an example. How can disturbance in a population affect the balance of an ecosystem?

2. Describe what 'interdependence' is in an ecosystem. Why is the notion of interdependence crucial for understanding environmental balance?

3. Discuss the importance of 'biodiversity' for maintaining environmental balance. Give examples of how the loss of biodiversity can result in environmental imbalances.