Environmental Ethics

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 32

the Dodo. Since the bird has become extinct, only a few old trees of this species are now left and their seeds are not germinating. Seeds of many other trees germinate only after passing through guts of certain animals. Microorganisms are main producers of vitamin B-12. Microphytes, macrophites, algae, fungii, crabs, larva, planktons were brought from natural water source to clean Susan lagoon by their interacting food chain. Halophytes, Haloxylan recurvum (Lana), Sasoda harrorosona (Sajji), Suada nudifora (Lunia) accumulate salts from saline water upto 40-50% and contain 20-30% oil and 10-20% protein, are good fodder and poultry feed. Phytoremediation of fluoride contaminated ground water can effectively be done by the aquatic plant Hydrilla verticillata and the plant does not show any toxity symptoms, grows and multiplies normally in presence of fluoride (S.R. Ambika and S. Sumanlatha, Bangalore University). Likewise symbiotic association in root zone of bacteria and micorrhiza fungi is an effective rhizosphere bioremediation of soil contaminated with xenobiotics being increasingly released eversince industrial revolution (Bidisha Ghosh, University of Bombay). Various insects, butterflies, honey bees etc. take nectar from flowers of trees and plants and help in pollination. Human beings, animals, birds etc. by eating fruits of trees and then carrying, dispersing the seeds help trees in dispersal of their seeds. Deep sea creatures detrites live on detritus of food, plants, dead bodies etc. from above, filter the detritus and maintain cleanliness. Many animals and birds, hyena, vulture etc. are scavengers and eat left over by others and also dead bodies and help in maintaining cleanliness.
Many microorganisms also break up and decompose toxic pollutants as found in guts of whales, digesting naphthalene and anthracene petroleum products. Extremophiles, the bacteria living in extremely hot boiling volcano vent, convert poisonous hydrogen sulphide into organic matter. Professor Darrek Lovely has diverted power of extremophiles in turning
17