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Sustainable Habitat

A sustainable habitat is an ecosystem that produces food and shelter for people and other organisms, without resource depletion and in such a way that no external waste is produced. Thus the habitat can continue into future tie without external infusions of resource.^[1] Such a sustainable habitat may evolve naturally or be produced under the influence of man. A sustainable habitat that is created and designed by human intelligence will mimic nature, if it is to be successful. Everything within it is connected to a complex array of organisms, physical resources and functions. Organisms from many different biomes can be brought together to fulfill various ecological niches.

A sustainable habitat is achieving stability between the economic and social development of human habitats together with the defense of the environment, shelter, basic services, social infrastructure and transportation.^[1]

A sustainable habitat is required to make sure that one species' waste ends up being the energy or food source for another species. It involves preservation of the ecological balance in terms of a symbiotic perspective on urban development while developing urban extensions of existing towns.^[1]

The term often refers to sustainable human habitats, which typically involves some form of green building or environmental planning.

History

Sustainability of marine ecosystems is a concern. Rigorous fishing has decreased top trophic levels and affected the ecological dynamics and resilience of fisheries by reducing the numbers and lengths of food webs.^[2] Historically intense commercial and rising recreational fishing pressures have resulted in “unsustainable rates of exploitation for 70% of the snapper-grouper complex, which consists of over 50 species, mainly of groupers and snappers” in Florida and the Florida Keys.^[2] The systematic and widespread conversion of estuarine habitats into agricultural, industrial, and urban uses has demonstrated a historical devotion to valuing the use of land for purposes from a position of simple but defective logic. Unused land provides no products, which is useless land.^[3]

The ecosystem services approach fills gaps in a sustainability analysis by demanding the account for the linkages between ecosystem goods and services, and ecosystem processes and human wellbeing.^[3]

The World Commission on Environment and Development states that “sustaining oceans are marked by a fundamental unity.” Interconnected cycles of energy, climate, marine living resources, and human activities move through coastal waters, regional seas, and the closed oceans. Global pressures on the ocean include rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions, which impact species and food webs throughout ocean ecosystems, deoxygenation, overfishing, and run-off pollution from land and coastal sources.^[4]

Transformation to a thriving ocean system requires changes in governance across sectors and scales. “The end result would be a form of polycentric governance that can manage shared resources and ocean space.”^[4] A polycentic governance goal from The World Commission on Environment and Development is "to support multiple governing bodies by establishing a shared vision, and creating principled guiding frameworks and processes to facilitate coherent systems-oriented regulation."^[4]

Types of Sustainable Habitats

Coral Outcrop Flynn Reef.

Coral Reefs

A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Coral reefs serve as a habitat for a diverse range of fish and invertebrates, while also providing economic resources to fishing communities.^[5]

The coral reefs’ foundation is made up of stony corals with calcareous skeletons that protect shores from storm surges. They also help produce sand for recreational beaches and aquariums.^[6]

Coral reefs are a largely self-sustaining ecosystem and up to 90% of the corals’ nutrients may come from their symbiotic relationships.^[7] The coral polyps and microscopic algae zooxanthellae in coral reefs have a symbiotic relationship wherein the algae provides nourishment to the coral polyps from within their tissue.

Beech Forest (AU), Great Otway National Park, Beauchamp Falls.

Parks

A park is a protected area of wildlife. It is a natural sustainable habitat. Parks promote a culture of wellness that engages members of their surrounding communities and promotes healthy and active lifestyles. People who volunteer at parks may support these sustainable habitats and help to maintain them.^[8]

Parks may serve as recreational areas for communities, encouraging people to spend time in nature. Urban parks are in urban areas, creating a natural space that benefits those living in cities.^[8]

Plants and animals may flourish in parks, where they are able to have a sustainable habitat away from the interference of humans. This is especially true of national parks, where land is set aside and preserved. These habitats are sustainable in nature.^[8]

Saint Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland.

Cities

A sustainable city is a city that is designed and built in an ecologically friendly way. Sustainable cities may also be known as eco-cities or green cities. These cities are constructed with guidelines about spatial planning and operational rules pertaining to urbanism in mind. Spatial planning takes into account ecological, social, cultural, and economic issues and policies.^[9] This leads to the creation of mindfully built cities that are aware and conscious of their impact on the environment.

Sustainable cities in earthquake-prone areas are built with input from civil engineers, architects, and urban planners who collaborate on safe architecture that can withstand disasters. This reduces waste and ensures that buildings will last for many years to come. In areas that are protected because of nature and cultural heritage, this heritage may be reflected in the choice of construction materials and the design of the buildings. This helps to preserve culture. Additionally, construction materials and building orientation may be chosen with the intent to mitigate the effects of climate change. Cities may also be planned to include green spaces and trees that reduce heat stress.^[9]

Remedial Efforts

Mauricie National Park.

Restoration and Protection of Parks

The restoration and protection of parks begins with the acknowledgement of the need for actions. After a government or state is aware of the need for restoration, protection, and the creation of these sustainable habitats, action takes place.

The need for funding creates the foundational roadblock in protecting and restoring parks . Funding can be received by state legislations and fundraising projects hosted by supporting organizations.^[10] This funding can then be systematically distributed to encompass movements that make a significant stride towards protecting and restoring parks. These movements include but are not limited to setting up fences around parks, establishing park security, and supplying and resupplying proper nutritional elements to the parks to sustain and promote growth of habitats.

Ocean Governance

Ocean Shoreline Drone Shot.

Ocean Governance is defined as the “integrated conduct of the policy, actions, and affairs regarding the world’s oceans to protect ocean environment, sustainable use of coastal and marine resources as well as to conserve its biodiversity.”^[11]

Ocean governance as a process is recommended to be integrated horizontally and vertically. Integrating a process horizontally entails requiring the participation of “governmental institutions, the private sector, NGOs, academics, [and] scientists”, while integrating a process vertically entails essential communication, collaboration, and coordination between the chosen governmental institutions and other participatory agencies.^[11]

Partnership is an essential aspect of ocean governance as it covers all bases of collective remedial efforts. Essentially, it connects local and state governments who both want to induce the remedial efforts. Communication between inter-governmental agencies and regional institutions aids in strengthening collective efforts that are set into motion.^[11]

Coastal national parks and oceans are facing many threatening changes to their equilibrium. These include but are not limited to rising sea levels, damaged coral reefs, storm activity, and erosion. At the Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve and the Cumberland Island National Seashore, teams such as the National Park Foundation (NPF), National Park Services (NPS), and the Green Team Youth Corps at Groundwork Jacksonville are all making strides to prevent and stabilize eroding shorelines, regrowing native marsh grasses, and reemerging the once stable habitat that was once known as home for a plethora of marine species.^[12]

Green Building

Green building is a foundationally different mode of building and operating a series of buildings that contrast to those built in the past in their aspects of sustainability. The buildings funded for by the Green Building Initiative and the United States Green Building Council enable access to “environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment[s] that improve[s] the quality of life.”^[13]

A system by the name of LEED, is “the world’s most widely used green building system with more than 100,000 buildings participating” to date.^[13]

Buildings that are funded by the Green Building Initiative and LEED have been proven to be financially, environmentally, and efficiently healthier for individuals. Lower carbon emissions, healthier living spaces, and improved efficiency are all the reap of the crop of the USGBC’s remedial efforts that are “constructed and operated through LEED.” ^[13]

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