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Environmental studies are scientific projects, groups of research, and experiments that special scientists conduct to study the patterns of the environment, its resources, and human impact on it. The study of the environment helps to predict future changes in nature. This is important so that humanity can prevent the development of ecological disasters that may occur due to excessively rapid industrial development and rapid pollution of the environment.
Ecological studies conducted in the last decades in many countries have shown that anthropogenic factors' increasingly destructive impact on the environment has brought it to the brink of crisis. Among the various components of the ecological crisis (depletion of raw materials, shortage of clean fresh water, possible climatic disasters), the problem of pollution of irreplaceable natural resources – air, water, and soil – by industrial and transport wastes has assumed the most threatening character.
This is the importance and relevance of the studying environment. They are applied as follows:
1. Of great importance for ecology are field studies, which allow for the establishment of the result of the impact on an organism or population of a particular set of factors affecting the development of the species in specific conditions.
2. Monitoring allows scientists to continuously monitor the state of ecological objects, to give a forecast and recommendations for managing the state of the environment. Methods of physical and chemical express analysis, probing, telemetry, and computer processing of data obtained are used to assess the state of the environment
3. The demographic methods, i.e., the study of population dynamics are widespread in studying the composition of populations, predicting species mortality, and improving the bio productivity of ecosystems.
4. Experimentation, which allows the analysis of the influence of certain factors on the development of an organism under artificially induced conditions and the study of the ecological mechanisms responsible for its normal functioning, is another equally important method.
5. In medicine, modeling of biological phenomena, i.e., reproduction of various processes peculiar to living nature in artificial conditions, is widely spread. Examples of biological models are artificial circulatory apparatus, artificial kidneys, artificial lungs, prostheses, etc. Using this method and modern computer programs, it became possible not only to create various ecological scenarios but also to give and substantiate ecological forecasts. The definition of environmental studies has become particularly relevant in the modern world. This is due to the scientific breakthrough in technology and the industrial revolution.
1. Ecology serves as a scientific basis for any measures on the use and protection of natural resources, on the preservation of the environment in a favorable condition for human habitation. Environmental study on energy and power conversion in ecosystems contributes to the quantity and quality of food produced in the biosphere. Studies of natural mechanisms of population growth regulation serve as the basis for planning and developing systems of measures to manage the abundance of economically important species.
2. Ecological research serves as the basis for the development of measures for the transition from harvesting wild species of plants and animals to their cultivation and other forms of their more rational use. The basic rational management of fisheries, fish farming, and hunting is based on ecological data.
3. With the help of ecological research studies the interaction of agricultural and natural ecosystems, and the combination of cultivated and natural landscapes. One of the most important practical tasks of ecology is to study the eutrophication of inland water bodies, resulting from the violation of their biological and hydrochemical regime, leading to unfavorable consequences for humans: mass development of plankton blue-green algae ("water bloom"), the disappearance of valuable fish species, deterioration of water quality. The development of measures for the protection and rational use of wildlife, the creation of a network of nature reserves, sanctuaries, and national parks, and landscape planning are also carried out according to recommendations developed by ecologists.
4. Ecological studies help to form an idea of the main problems of interaction between mankind and nature, the forms, sizes, and consequences of anthropogenic impact on the natural environment, and global, regional, or local problems of our time.
The crisis state of the biosphere puts the problems of nature protection and restoration of biogeocenoses among the most important problems of our time. A huge amount of factual material has been accumulated, which requires generalization and introduction into practice. The need for a proper relationship between man and nature to ensure sustainable livelihood on the planet should be realized not only by ecologists but also by the general public, as well as by government leaders and the business community. The list of research institutes for environmental studies grows every year. And it is not surprising, because the relevance of solving environmental problems is also growing. When choosing an institution for environmental research, you should pay attention to several criteria:
● First, what areas for experimental environmental research the institution has, and whether they coincide with your request.
● Second, what technical facilities does the institute you are interested in has. Whether the institution is technically-equipped enough to conduct the research you need.
● Third, whether the institute has experience in conducting this type of research. After all, environmental research has its specifics, and without sufficient experience, the results of studies may be incorrect and not applicable in practice.
● Finally, the location is also of great importance. The location determines what types of environmental studies the institution has already encountered.
The modern ecological situation is such that before all who carry out scientific and technical progress and use its achievements, has risen an urgent objective requirement: to take into account the vulnerability of nature, not to exceed the limits of the possibility of restoration of natural processes, comprehensively and deeply to study and know the complex, dialectically interrelated natural phenomena, not to aggravate the negative contradictions with natural laws, not to cause irreversible processes in the environment. And thanks to the development of environmental study, mankind will be able to fulfill this requirement.