12.6 Ecosystems & Us
Humans are not outside nature — we live inside these ecosystems and depend on them completely. So when we damage them, we damage ourselves.
What Ecosystems Give Us Ecosystems provide the things life needs: forests give fresh air, fertile soil, food, fibres, timber and medicines; aquatic ecosystems give water and food. They also regulate climate and offer beauty and recreation. But when we overuse or misuse these natural resources, we upset the balance that keeps them working.
A Threatened Ecosystem: The Sundarbans The Sundarbans (where the Ganges and Brahmaputra meet, between India and Bangladesh) hold the world’s largest mangrove forest — home to endangered wildlife. The mangroves shield the coast by slowing storm winds and waves, and they absorb CO₂ and release oxygen. (Villages backed by mangroves were less hit by the 2004 tsunami.) UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 1987 — yet it is threatened by tree-cutting, illegal hunting, and pollution. Across India, deforestation, overuse, invasive species and pollution endanger forests, rivers, wetlands and coasts alike.
Our Scientific Heritage: Protected Areas Protected areas are lands or waters set aside to conserve wildlife and habitats — national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and community-conserved areas. India’s include Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand), Manas (Assam), the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keibul Lamjao (Manipur). They safeguard whole habitats — and the rare species in them — for the future.
Human-made ecosystems and our farms
Ecosystems We Build Humans create artificial ecosystems — fish ponds, farms, parks. Well-designed, they can cut pollution, support biodiversity and give people green space. Unlike natural ones, they need our ongoing care to stay healthy.
Farming and the Green Revolution Facing a food crisis (1950–1965), India’s Green Revolution (tractors, synthetic fertilisers and pesticides) hugely raised food production and helped the country become food-secure. But long-term overuse is now seen as unsustainable: it can degrade the soil (killing helpful microbes and earthworms, lowering humus so soil erodes), wipe out natural pest-predators so pests multiply, breed pesticide-resistant pests, and — through monoculture (one crop, over and over) — reduce biodiversity and harm pollinators.
A Sustainable Path The answer is farming that works with nature: organic and natural methods that cut synthetic chemicals and protect soil life. India’s ancient Vrikshayurveda already stressed nourishing the soil with organic manures like Kunapa Jala (a fermented plant-and-animal liquid fertiliser). Healthy ecosystems and healthy farms go together — and protecting them is everyone’s job.