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Biotope is an English loanword derived from the German "Biotop", which in turn came from the Greek bios='life or organism' and topos='place'. (The related word geotope has made its way into the English language by the same route, from the German "Geotop".) So a biotope is literally an area where life lives. More precisely, a biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. A biotope is almost synonymous with the term habitat, but while the subject of a habitat is a species or a population, the subject of a biotope is a biological community.[1] Taken in the broadest sense, a forest or sea could be a biotope but generally a biotope is often considered to be within the circle of human everyday life. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...
A loanword (or loan word) is a word directly taken into one language from another with little or no translation. ...
Geotope is the geological component of the abiotic matrix present in an ecotope. ...
In Botany a Flora (or Floræ) is a collective term for plant life and can also refer to a descriptive catalogue of the plants of any geographical area, geological period, etc. ...
Fauna is a collective term for animal life. ...
Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ...
For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ...
A biocoenosis (alternatively, biocoenose or biocenose), termed by Karl Möbius in 1877, describes all the interacting organisms living together in a specific habitat (or biotope). ...
Nowadays, its original meaning as an ecological space itself is less emphasised and biotopes are more widely known as a touchstone word in the preservation of the environment. However, some people delineate and advocate Healing Biotopes as “self-sufficient future communities. Dieter Duhm’s book "The Sacred Matrix" (2006) describes biotopes as: “greenhouses of trust” and “acupuncture points of peace”. [2] This author has worked with people to construct a biotope prototype in Portugal. Duhm and others offer theories and practices for developing peace villages and global healing. [3]
Ecology
The concept of a biotope was first advocated by Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919): a German zoologist famous for the recapitulation theory. In his book General Morphology (1866), which defines the term "ecology", he stresses the importance of the concept of habitat as a prerequisite for an organism's existence. Heackel also explains that with one ecosystem, its biota is shaped by environmental factors (such as water, soil, and geographical features) and interaction among living things; the original idea of a biotope was closely related to evolutional theory. Following this, F.Dahl, a professor at the Berlin Zoological Museum, referred to this ecological system as a "biotope" (biotop) (1908).[4] Ernst Haeckel. ...
The theory of recapitulation, also called the biogenetic law or ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, is a theory in biology which attempts to explain apparent similarities between humans and other animals. ...
For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ...
It has been suggested that Biota (taxonomy) be merged into this article or section. ...
Biotope Restoration Although the term "biotope" is considered to be a technical word with respect to ecology, in recent years the term has assumed a greater ecological movement and is generally used in administratitive and civic activities. Since the 1970s,the term "biotope" has received great attention as a keyword throughout Europe (mainly Germany) for the preservation, regeneration, and creation of natural environmental settings.[5] Used in such a context, the word biotope often refers to a smaller and more specific ecology and is very familiar to human life. In Germany especially, activities related to regenerating biotopes are enthusiastically received. These activities include: - making roof gardens
- reconstructing rivers to restore their natural qualities
- leaving bushes or trees on farms
- building nature parks along motorways "Autobahn"
- making school gardens or ponds by considering the ecosystem
- bearing in mind ecological considerations in private gardens
Various sectors play a part in these activities, including architecture, civil engineering, urban planning, traffic, agriculture, river engineering, limnology, biology, education, landscape gardening, and domestic gardening. In all fields, all sorts of people are seeking a viable way for humans to respect other living things. The term "biotope" would include a complete environmental approach.[6] It has been suggested that German Autobahns be merged into this article or section. ...
A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ...
Limnology is a discipline that concerns the study of inland waters (both saline and fresh), specifically lakes, ponds and rivers (both natural and manmade), including their biological, physical, chemical, and hydrological aspects. ...
Biology studies the variety of life (clockwise from top-left) E. coli, tree fern, gazelle, Goliath beetle Biology (from Greek: βίος, bio, life; and λόγος, logos, knowledge), also referred to as the biological sciences, is the study of living organisms utilizing the scientific method. ...
Landscape gardening refers to the art of creating a sculptured look to large or small scale gardens. ...
Characteristics of Biotope The following four points are the chief characteristics of biotopes.[7]
Microscale First, a biotope is generally not considered to be a large-scale phenomenon. For example, a biotope might be a neighbouring park, a back garden, even potted plants or a fish tank on a porch. In other words, the biotope is not a macroscopic but a microscopic approach to preserving the ecosystem and biological diversity. So biotopes fit into ordinary people's daily activities and lives. Thus more people can participate in biotope creation and continuing management.
Biotope Network Second, it is commonly emphasised that biotopes should not be isolated. Instead biotopes need to be connected to each other and other surrounding life for without these connections to life-forms such as animals and plants, biotopes would not effectively work as a place in which diverse organisms live. So one of the most effective strategies for regenerating biotopes is to plan a stretch of biotopes, not just a point where animals and plants come and go. (Such an organic traffic course is called a corridor.) In the stretch method, the centre of the network would be large green tracts of land: a forest, natural park, or cemetery. By connecting parcels of land with smaller biotope areas such as a green belt along the river, small town parks, gardens, or even roadside trees, biotopes can exist in a network. In other words, a biotope is an open not a closed system and is a practicable strategy. A wildlife corridor is the artificial joining of fragmented habitats. ...
In human daily life Third, the term biotope does not apply to biosphere reserves which are completely separate from humans and become the object of human admiration. Instead it is an active part of human daily life. For example, an ornamental flower bed may be considered to be a biotope (albeit rather a small one) since it enhances the experience of daily life. An area which has many functions, such as human living space, and is home to other living things whether plant or animal, can be considered a biosphere reserve. A Biosphere Reserve is an international conservation designation for reserves designated by UNESCO under the MaB (Man and the Biosphere) Programme. ...
Artificial Finally, when artificial items are introduced to a biotope setting, the design and arrangement of these specific items is of great importance for biotope regeneration. Tree-planting areas where the surface is uneven results in plants which sprout and the nesting of small insects. A mat or net made from natural fibres will gradually biodegrade as it is exposed to the weather. So there is not binomial opposition between the natural and the artificial in a biotope. Rather, such artificial materials are widely used.
In Germany It is especially characteristic in Germany, which is the birth-place of the term biotope, that the authorities take the initiative in conserving biotopes, maintaining consistency with urban or rural planning and considering the regions' history and landscape.[8]
Legal Basis The federal nature-protect law (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz, since 1976) requires that wild animals and plants and their community should be protected as part of the ecosystem in the specific diversity which has grown naturally and historically, and their biotope and other living conditions should be protected, preserved, developed, and restored. (Number 9, Clause 1, Article 2) The law also requires that some kinds of biotope which are full of specific variety should not be harmed by development. So there is a law which obliges the protection of biotopes. There is also a provincial law corresponding to the federal one.
Landscape Plan Many German states are obliged by law to produce a landscape plan (Landschaftsplan) as part of their urban planning, though these plans vary somewhat from place to place. The purpose of the "Landschaftsplan" is to protect the region's environment and landscape. These plans use text and figures to describe the present environmental state and proposed remedies. They consider, for example, the regional lie of the land, climate, wind direction, soil, ground water, type of biotope, distribution of animals and plants, inhabitants' welfare and competition with development projects.
Citizen Welfare Biotope preservation in cities also emphasises recreation and relaxation for citizens and improving the urban environment. For example, in the reserve of Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg people can cycle on the bike path or walk the dog, although it is forbidden to gather plants and animals there or walk in the exclusion zone. At the core of biotope preservation is the idea that if civic life is surrounded by a rich profusion of nature whose background is in local history and culture, it is improved by protecting nature and preserving the landscape. Karlsruhe (population 285,812 in 2006) is a city in the south west of Germany, in the Bundesland Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border. ...
Location Coordinates , , Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE1 Capital Stuttgart Minister-President Günther Oettinger (CDU) Governing parties CDU / FDP Votes in Bundesrat 6 (from 69) Basic statistics Area 35,752 km² (13,804 sq mi) Population 10,741,000 (11/2006)[1] - Density...
Objection A Biotope is not truly natural because it is left to people to decide which organisms appear in a biotope. So while the concept of a biotope is that it is fine for people to live alongside nature, our selfishness is inclined to be reflected there; the biotope is controlled nature, which suits our wishes and convenience, and such diversity of living things may be not absolutely justice. Therefore making a biotope needs a far-sighted and cautious approach. Constructing and managing a biotope costs a lot, and even in Germany, where the biotype concept is widely known, local inhabitants' understanding of biotopes is not always achieved. So it is hard to put all biotope plans of biotope into practice.[9]
Biotope aquarium The term "biotope" is also used by aquarium hobbyists to describe an aquarium setup which tries to simulate the natural habitat of specific fish. The idea is to replicate conditions such as water temperature, natural plants, water type (fresh, saline or brackish), lighting, and other native fish which represent a particular real-world biotope. An example of one South American biotope type might be lots of bogwood, a few native plants, with dark substrata and subdued lighting with floating plants, along with marbled hatchets, angels, cardinals, ottos, corys and plecostomus. “Aquaria†redirects here. ...
Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ...
References - ^ Toshiyuki Hoshino. Fundamental research in nurtural management of large biotope aiming for regeneration of nature: Introduction., from [1]
- ^ Dieter Duhm; translated by Sten Linnander (2006). The Sacred Matrix. Berlin, Germany: Verlag Meiga. ISBN 3-927266-16-7.
- ^ Dieter Duhm (2006-01). Theory of global Healing. Retrieved on 2007-09-13.
- ^ Atushi Iwasawa.(2005). Preservation of biotope from zoological view point: Introduction: What is biotope?, from The January,2005 munber of Biological Science News
- ^ School biotope is a subject matter for environmental and lifelong learning. Retrieved October 24.2006.,from Eco Culture Lab Net
- ^ Masahiro Matsuda.(n.d.) What is biotope? Retrieved December 10.2006, from Pages of environmental information in Germany
- ^ Shin Mizukoshi.(2005). Media Biotope: Characteristics of biotope,p. 73-78.
- ^ [2]Atsushi.I.(2005)
- ^ [3]Masahiro.M.(n.d.).The trial in Karlsruhe for reference
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...
is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
See also Ecological land classification is defined as being a cartographical delineation of distinct ecological areas, identified by their geology, topography, soils, vegetation, climate conditions, living species, water resources, as well as anthropic factors. ...
Ecotopes are the smallest ecologically-distinct landscape features in a landscape mapping and classification system. ...
Geotope is the geological component of the abiotic matrix present in an ecotope. ...
External links - Biotope Aquariums at Badman's Tropical Fish
- CORINE Biotopes Abstract on-line at EEA of CORINE Biotypes - The design, compilation and use of an inventory of sites of major importance for nature conservation in the European Community
- MarLIN The Marine Life Information Network for Britain & Ireland
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