ECOBEKO
By law and by nature
We are all part of nature, which means that our activities and our relationships are influenced by the fundamental laws of the environment. And this is even reflected in folk proverbs and sayings. Let's have a look together at how the laws of the environment manifest themselves in our daily lives.
Aliya Gilmullina
Environmental engineer
"A chain is no stronger than its weakest link"
First, consider the law of the minimum, or limiting factor, formulated by the German agrochemist I. Liebig, who developed the theory of mineral nutrition for plants. The law states that if any of the indicators differs significantly from the norm in the organism (ecosystem), then it is the most critical one for survival.
First, consider the law of the minimum, or limiting factor, formulated by the German agrochemist I. Liebig, who developed the theory of mineral nutrition for plants. The law states that if any of the indicators differs significantly from the norm in the organism (ecosystem), then it is the most critical one for survival.
Liebig's barrel
By way of illustration, let's look at a well-known example. This is Liebig's barrel. It has a drawback in the form of one short board. This means that the liquid flows out over the short board, and the length of the others does not matter. In our case, the shortest board is the limiting factor that deviates the most. Therefore, the repair of the barrel should begin, first of all, with the replacement of the shortest board. That is, we can say that Liebig's law of the minimum is fully consistent with the Russian proverb "A chain is no stronger than its weakest link".
The way this works with plants is, for example, if the soil lacks nitrogen, no matter how much potassium you add, the plants don’t grow better. Winter is another example when indoor flowers lack sunlight, it makes no sense to water and fertilize them more than usual.
The same is true for our factory: if any department is struggling, that department's performance is the factor that limits the productivity of the entire site, whether or not other departments are doing their best.
The way this works with plants is, for example, if the soil lacks nitrogen, no matter how much potassium you add, the plants don’t grow better. Winter is another example when indoor flowers lack sunlight, it makes no sense to water and fertilize them more than usual.
The same is true for our factory: if any department is struggling, that department's performance is the factor that limits the productivity of the entire site, whether or not other departments are doing their best.
"Holy place is never empty"
The environmental law says: "Nature abhors a vacuum". Any niche is the habitat of some animal or plant. If it is empty as a result of the extinction of a species, then it is immediately taken by another species. Fires or landslides can create wastelands in forests, and a volcanic eruption can devastate entire islands. Free areas are invariably repopulated first by grass, and then by trees.
Coming back to our factory: have you ever seen us have empty space? There is always something to put in an empty locker or on an empty table. In this case, you may rush to take an empty locker, but later you may be asked to free it for another employee.
The same applies to the home appliance market. As soon as one company leaves the market, their place is immediately taken by the products of others.
The environmental law says: "Nature abhors a vacuum". Any niche is the habitat of some animal or plant. If it is empty as a result of the extinction of a species, then it is immediately taken by another species. Fires or landslides can create wastelands in forests, and a volcanic eruption can devastate entire islands. Free areas are invariably repopulated first by grass, and then by trees.
Coming back to our factory: have you ever seen us have empty space? There is always something to put in an empty locker or on an empty table. In this case, you may rush to take an empty locker, but later you may be asked to free it for another employee.
The same applies to the home appliance market. As soon as one company leaves the market, their place is immediately taken by the products of others.
People not only impact the environment, but also fall under its influence. To track this impact, a new science was created - human ecology. The environment is currently changing at a tremendous speed. These changes have a significant impact on our quality of life and health. Human ecology is designed to monitor and analyze these changes.
"There's a time and a place for everything"
So says the law of self-organization. The most important property of all organisms is their ability to create and maintain a high degree of internal order. The classical law of entropy physics states that all systems tend towards chaos and destruction. The law of self-organization of biological systems allows maintaining this order. In a natural ecosystem, the balance of structural elements is always maintained. The desire of any ecosystem for self-regulation is to ensure its full functioning.
In simple terms, when you clean your workplace, you show high self-organization. However, after a while, the mess returns, which forces us to fight, thereby maintaining a balance in our overall system.
So says the law of self-organization. The most important property of all organisms is their ability to create and maintain a high degree of internal order. The classical law of entropy physics states that all systems tend towards chaos and destruction. The law of self-organization of biological systems allows maintaining this order. In a natural ecosystem, the balance of structural elements is always maintained. The desire of any ecosystem for self-regulation is to ensure its full functioning.
In simple terms, when you clean your workplace, you show high self-organization. However, after a while, the mess returns, which forces us to fight, thereby maintaining a balance in our overall system.
Now let's look at the relationships between living organisms in the wild. Do they have similarities with human society?
Mutualism means symbiosis, in which both species benefit from their relationship. A classic example of mutualism is the symbiosis of mushrooms and trees. The fungi provide the trees with minerals, while the trees provide the fungi with available carbohydrates.
Commensalism means that some species benefit while others receive neither harm nor benefit. The swallows living under your roof are a great example of commensalism. Birds do you no good or harm, but they are protected and sheltered.
Neutralism means no benefit or harm to either party. This kind of relationship is very rare because of the interconnection of everything in nature. The relationship between squirrels and moose is an example: they do not interfere with each other in any way, but they do not help either.
As for predation, everything is clear: one species feeds on another. Predators benefit, prey harm. The predator wins, the prey loses.
Parasitism means using another species for profit. Unlike predation, parasites never kill, since it is beneficial for them to profit from the “host” for as long as possible. Examples of pathogenic parasites are known, as well as the cuckoo, which lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, and the cuckoo chicks, after hatching, are thrown out of the nest of the native chicks of the host bird.
Amensalism means a relationship in which one species is oppressed by the vital activity of another species. Thus, the crowns of large trees inhibit the growth of light-loving plants in the forest due to shading.
What kind of relationships do you think you can find in our factory, within your and between departments?
Enviromental laws govern all natural processes, including human life. However, it is worth remembering that human relations are regulated not only by the laws of nature, but also by ethics and humanism.
Commensalism means that some species benefit while others receive neither harm nor benefit. The swallows living under your roof are a great example of commensalism. Birds do you no good or harm, but they are protected and sheltered.
Neutralism means no benefit or harm to either party. This kind of relationship is very rare because of the interconnection of everything in nature. The relationship between squirrels and moose is an example: they do not interfere with each other in any way, but they do not help either.
As for predation, everything is clear: one species feeds on another. Predators benefit, prey harm. The predator wins, the prey loses.
Parasitism means using another species for profit. Unlike predation, parasites never kill, since it is beneficial for them to profit from the “host” for as long as possible. Examples of pathogenic parasites are known, as well as the cuckoo, which lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, and the cuckoo chicks, after hatching, are thrown out of the nest of the native chicks of the host bird.
Amensalism means a relationship in which one species is oppressed by the vital activity of another species. Thus, the crowns of large trees inhibit the growth of light-loving plants in the forest due to shading.
What kind of relationships do you think you can find in our factory, within your and between departments?
Enviromental laws govern all natural processes, including human life. However, it is worth remembering that human relations are regulated not only by the laws of nature, but also by ethics and humanism.
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