Theories of Natural System - KUET

Lecture 04 - 05:

Theories of Natural System

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August 03, 2015

URP 4141: Environmental Planning and Management

Course Teacher:

Md. Esraz-Ul-Zannat Assistant Professor

Dept. of URP, KUET

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CKNOWLEDGEMENT

These slides are aggregations for better understanding of the topic mentioned in the previous slide . I acknowledge the contribution of all the authors and photographers from where I tried to accumulate the info and used for better presentation.

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^{BJECTIVE OF THE}

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^LASS

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To introduce with the theories and concepts of natural system, human system, the interaction between them and the subsequent impacts.

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^{OPICS TO BE}

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^{OVERED BY THIS}

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RESENTATION

 Natural System

 Cycles of the earth system

 The Energy Balance

 The Carbon Cycle

 The Rock Cycle

 Ocean in Motion

 The Active Atmosphere

 The Water Cycle

 The Nitrogen Cycle

 Natural Resources: Vital to Human Survival

 Watershed Ecosystem Dynamics

 The Urban water cycle

 Complex Engineered and Natural Systems

 Natural system and human system

 4 System Conditions of a Sustainable Society

 Current Unsustainable Situation

 Operating Manual for the Planet

 Ecological Footprint

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

Natural System can be cogently summarized in terms of the three "central dogmas" of physical, biological and psychological science:

 The dominant systems at the levels of physical, biological and psychological organization on Earth have dual control structures.

 The two control elements are structurally nearly identical, but are functionally specialized.

 One of the control structures is specialized for the long-term stability of the system and the other is specialized for the immediate control of the system's periphery. Both functions are essential; neither function is "dominant".

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^ATURAL

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^YSTEM

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

The significance of control dualities at these three fundamental levels of material organization lies in the fact that the emergent properties of "atomicity" (stable, unitary physical systems that are more than the sum of the contained particles), "life" (self-replicating, metabolizing systems that are more than the sum of many biochemical reactions) and "mind" (systems capable of coherent, unitary cognition and self-awareness) are found only when the control duality is present, but are not found in similar systems lacking the functional specialization of the dual control elements.

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^YSTEM

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 Our planet is constantly changing. Natural cycles balance and regulate Earth and its atmosphere. Human activities can cause changes to these natural cycles.

 Life on Earth is well adapted to our planet’s cycles. In our solar system, Earth is the only planet with air to breathe, liquid water to drink, and temperatures that are just right for life as we know it.

Because our existence depends on our planet and its climate, we need to understand how what we do affects the Earth.

 Scientists try to figure out how our planet works by studying Earth’s cycles. Changes to Earth’s cycles can cause changes in the climates of our planet.

 The more we know about these cycles, the more we will understand how humans are affecting them and how that might change the planet.

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^{YCLES OF THE}

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^ARTH

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^YSTEM

Ref:https://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles1.htm

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 Cycles of the earth system

 The Energy Balance

 The Carbon Cycle

 The Rock Cycle

 Ocean in Motion

 The Active Atmosphere

 The Water Cycle

 The Nitrogen Cycle

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^{YCLES OF THE}

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^ARTH

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^YSTEM

Ref: https://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles1.htm

The Energy Balance

Carbon (CO₂)

Water Cycle Nitrogen

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^{YCLES OF THE}

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^ARTH

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^YSTEM

The Rock Cycle Ocean in Motion The Active Atmosphere

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^NERGY

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^ALANCE

 Earth gets all its energy from the Sun and loses energy into space If more energy is lost into space than is received from the Sun, the planet gets cooler. If it loses less energy than it receives, the planet will warm up.

 Today, most clouds act more like a sun umbrella and help keep our climate cool. However, this could change if global warming affects the type of clouds, their thickness, and how much water or ice they contain.

 While it might be quite warm in the countryside on a summer day, it can get unbearably hot in a nearby city! That’s because the buildings and pavement in cities absorb oodles of sunlight, much more than the countryside. These cities are called “heat islands.” The countryside is also cooled by water evaporating from lakes and given off by the plants in forests and fields. Cities have fewer plants and bodies of water and so are not cooled very much by evaporation.

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^NERGY

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^ALANCE

The Energy Balance

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^ARBON

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^YCLE

(CO

₂

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 All living things are made of carbon. Carbon is also a part of the ocean, air, and even rocks. Because the Earth is a dynamic place, carbon (in the form of Carbon dioxide) does not stay still. It is on the move!

 Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food and grow. The carbon becomes part of the plant. Plants that die and are buried may turn into fossil fuels made of carbon like coal and oil over millions of years. When humans burn fossil fuels, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

 Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and traps heat in the atmosphere.

Without it and other greenhouse gases, Earth would be a frozen world. But humans have burned so much fuel that there is about 30% more carbon dioxide in the air today than there was about 150 years ago, and Earth is becoming a warmer place. In fact, ice cores show us that there is now more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there has been in the last 420,000 years.

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^HE

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^ARBON

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^YCLE

(CO

₂

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Carbon (CO₂)

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^OCK

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^YCLE

 Over many thousands of years, energy from the Sun moves the wind and water at the Earth’s surface with enough force to break rocks apart into sand and other types of sediment. When sediment is buried and cemented together, it becomes a sedimentary rock such as sandstone or shale.

 If rocks are buried very deeply, they are in an environment that is very hot and has high pressure. If, deep underground, rocks are put under too much pressure and temperatures that are too hot, they will melt, forming molten rock called magma. Sometimes magma cools and forms igneous rock deep underground. Other times magma flows to the Earth’s surface and erupts from a volcano.

 Rocks can affect the atmosphere! Erupting volcanoes send tiny particles of ash and gases into the atmosphere. Tiny particles of ash help make raindrops in the atmosphere as water condenses around them. The gases released from volcanoes can become sulfuric acid droplets that screen out sunlight. Large volcanic eruptions can even reduce Earth’s temperature for months or several years.

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^OCK

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^YCLE

The Rock Cycle

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^OTION

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The ocean water is in motion because of differences in temperature and saltiness. Water that is warmed at the sea surface near the equator moves toward the chilly poles.

Cold, salty currents flow into the deepest parts of the sea.



Oceans can hold a large amount of heat energy – much

more than the atmosphere. In the past few decades,

Earth’s oceans have become warmer. Even as far as 2

miles (3.2 kilometers) below the surface of the sea, the

ocean water has been warmed. Scientists estimate the

oceans may have absorbed up to half of the energy

trapped by greenhouse gases over the last century.

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^{CEAN IN}

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^OTION

Ocean in Motion

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^CTIVE

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^TMOSPHERE

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Has Earth’s atmosphere ruffled your hair, blown your homework down the street, or turned your umbrella inside out?

The atmosphere, a thin blanket of gases that surrounds Earth, transports heat and water and filters out deadly ultraviolet radiation. Whether it is just a gentle breeze or a hurricane-force gale, Earth’s atmosphere is constantly on the move.

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When the atmosphere moves, it evens out differences in temperature between the chilly poles and the warm equator. Warm air from the equator moves toward the poles and cold air from the poles moves toward the equator. This circulation of air is disrupted a bit by the Earth’s rotation.

This makes counterclockwise winds around hurricanes, winter

storms, tornadoes, and other low-pressure areas north of the

equator and clockwise south of the equator.

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^CTIVE

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^TMOSPHERE

The Active Atmosphere

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^ATER

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^YCLE

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Water plays many different roles on the Earth. Some is at the poles in ice caps, and some is in the snow and glaciers at the tops of high mountains. Some is in lakes and streams, and some is underground. Some is vapor in the atmosphere. But most of the water on Earth is in the oceans.

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Water is always on the move! The Sun’s energy causes water to evaporate from oceans and lakes into the atmosphere.

Plants and animals also release water vapor into the

atmosphere as they breathe. When the atmosphere cools,

water vapor condenses; making clouds that might produce

rain or snow. Water has been recycled in its different forms

as ice, liquid, or vapor --for more than 3.5 billion years.

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^ATER

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^YCLE

Water Cycle

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^ITROGEN

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^YCLE

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Take a deep breath. Most of what you just inhaled is nitrogen. In fact, 80% of the air in our atmosphere is made of nitrogen. Your body does not use the nitrogen that you inhale with each breath. But, like all living things, your body needs nitrogen. Your body gets the nitrogen it needs to grow from food.

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Most plants get the nitrogen they need from soil. Many

farmers use fertilizers to add nitrogen to the soil to help

plants grow larger and faster. Both nitrogen fertilizers and

forest fires add huge amounts of nitrogen into the soil and

nearby lakes and rivers. Water full of nitrogen causes plants

and algae to grow very fast and then die all at once when

there are too many for the environment to support.

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^ITROGEN

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^YCLE

Nitrogen Cycle

 Renewable resources:

 Perpetually available: sunlight, wind, wave energy

 Renew themselves over short periods of time: timber, water, soil

These can be destroyed

 Non-renewable resources: can be depleted

 Oil, coal, minerals

Natural resources = substances and energy sources needed for survival

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^ATURAL

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^ESOURCES

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^{ITAL TO}

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^URVIVAL

Slow geological cycles (volcano eruptions and weathering)

Slow geological cycles (sedimentation and mineralization)

Closed system with respect to matter

1) Nothing disappears 2) Everything disperses

Open system with respect to energy

« Photosynthesis pays the bill »

Sustainability is about the ability of

our own human society to continue

indefinitely within these natural

cycles

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^LANETARY

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^YCLES

(E

^ARTH

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Relatively large flows of materials from the Earth’s crust

Introduce persistent compounds foreign to nature

Physically inhibit nature’s ability to run cycles

Barriers to people meeting their

basic needs worldwide

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^OW

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^{NFLUENCE THE}

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^YSTEM

...concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust,

...concentrations of substances produced by society,

...degradation by physical means

...people are not subject to conditions that

systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing...

and, in that society...

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^YSTEM

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^{ONDITIONS OF A}

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^USTAINABLE

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^OCIETY

Declining

resources and ecosystem services

Increasing

demand for resources and ecosystem services

Through innovation,

creativity & the unlimited potential for change we can reopen the walls of the funnel to a Third Industrial Revolution!!!

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^URRENT

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NSUSTAINABLE

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^ITUATION

Scarce metals Abundant metals

Fossil Fuels Renewables

Inefficient Use Efficient Use

Dissipative Use Tight Technical Cycles

OBJECTIVE 1

1. Reduce and eventually eliminate our contributions to the systematic accumulation of materials taken from the earth’s crust.

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^LANET

Dissipative use

Persistent and Unnatural Abundant & breakdown easily Tight Technical Cycles

Inefficient use

Efficient use

2. Reduce and eventually eliminate our contribution to the systematic accumulation of substances produced by

society.

OBJECTIVE 2

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^PERATING

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^LANET

Inefficient use of resources and land Resources from poorly managed ecosystems

Resources from well- managed

ecosystems Efficient use of

resources and land

3. Reduce and eventually eliminate our contributions to the ongoing physical degradation of nature.

OBJECTIVE 3

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^LANET

Unsafe and unhealthy production and use

Safe and healthy production and use Violations of human

rights

Respect for human rights

Economic barriers Sufficient resources for livelihood

4. Reduce and eventually eliminate our contributions to conditions that systematically undermine people’s abilities to meet their own needs.

OBJECTIVE 4

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^LANET

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Closed system

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Sun pays the bills

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There is no away (Everything Must Go Somewhere)

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Sustainability means maintaining the balance

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^ERRARIUM

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^ATERSHED

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^COSYSTEM

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^YNAMICS

Wastewater Conduits

Stormdrains

Septic Systems

Impervious Surfaces

Artificial Channels

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Wells

Water Table

Hyporheic &

Parafluvial Zones

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RO

Regional GW Local GW

Riparian &

Upland

Forest Patches

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Rooting Zone

Water Supply Pipes

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Interbasin Transfers of

Water &

Wastewater

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Courtesy of Ken Belt, USFS

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^RBAN

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^YCLE

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Complexity in

 Engineered systems

 Natural systems

 Interface of engineered and natural systems

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Challenge

 Creation of common principles, unified theories, and methods to design, operate, and protect complex engineered systems.

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Sources of complexity

^:

 Too much information, too many components, too many constraints, too many parameters for consideration to accomplish a particular task

 Not enough information about essential elements or components of a system or about their interfaces

 Not enough information about how elements or components will behave under known or unknown conditions that may lead to unintended consequences

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^OMPLEX

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^{NGINEERED AND}

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^YSTEMS

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^{YSTEM AND}

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^YSTEM

Source: http://www.montana.edu/hansenlab/documents/labslides/lec.9.pdf

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^{YSTEM AND}

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^YSTEM

Source: http://www.montana.edu/hansenlab/documents/labslides/lec.9.pdf

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Figure: Coupled human-environment system showing some of the components and the inherent feedbacks within the system. Modified from the Boston Report of the NEON Land Use Committee http://www.neoninc.org/documents/LUC_Boston_Report.pdf .

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^{YSTEM AND}

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^YSTEM

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^COLOGICAL

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^OOTPRINT

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The amount of ecologically productive land used by individuals, cities, countries, etc.

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Production and use of goods and services involve land

use: have ecological footprints

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The environmental impact of a person or population

 Amount of biologically productive land + water

 For resources and to dispose/recycle waste

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Overshoot: humans have surpassed the Earth ’ s capacity to support us

We are using 30% more of the planet ’ s resources than are available on a sustainable basis!

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^COLOGICAL

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^OOTPRINT

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The ecological footprints of countries vary greatly.

 The U.S. footprint is much greater than the world’s average.

 Developing countries have much smaller footprints than developed countries

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^COLOGICAL

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^{OOTPRINTS ARE NOT ALL}

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^QUAL

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^HAT

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^{E HAVE}

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^OVERED

….

 Natural System

 Cycles of the earth system

 The Energy Balance

 The Carbon Cycle

 The Rock Cycle

 Ocean in Motion

 The Active Atmosphere

 The Water Cycle

 The Nitrogen Cycle

 Natural Resources: Vital to Human Survival

 Watershed Ecosystem Dynamics

 The Urban water cycle

 Complex Engineered and Natural Systems

 Natural system and human system

 4 System Conditions of a Sustainable Society

 Current Unsustainable Situation

 Operating Manual for the Planet

 Ecological Footprint

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^HAT

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^E

L

^EARNT

 Understanding of the natural system and human system and the interactions between them and the subsequent impacts.

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What Next?

Lecture 06 - 07:

Importance of environmental planning, and the

environmental impacts of human actions