Global water use – Quick facts

Water is the most important resource on our planet. Since the world population rapidly grows so does the water demand, especially with the increased urbanization in developing countries.

The researchers have calculated that the global water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of global population increase.

It is estimated that the global water use will increase by 50% by 2025 in developing countries, and close to 20% in developed world.

Climate change could have severe impact on global water use in form of more severe floods, droughts and shifts from past precipitation patterns.

There is a lot of water on our planet but only 2,5% of total water on our planet refers to fresh water, two-thirds of which are frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps.

Irrigation is the largest fresh water user in the world by using around 70% of the planet's freshwater resources. Industry accounts for approximately 22%, and domestic use accounts for only 8%.

More than one billion people in the world lack access to clean drinking water, which leads to different waterborne diseases and million of deaths each year.

Desalination of the water may just be the solution to satisfy the ever-growing demand for water as the result of rapid global population increase. Science is already working on affordable and effective desalination solutions such as using different nanotechnology solutions.

Sustainable water management on global level is the best solution to tackle climate change and global population growth, the two main threats to future global water use.

The term water stress has been coined to describe the situations where there is not enough water for all uses, or in other words the situations where total water demand is bigger then the actual water supply.

Water pollution is already playing big role in global water use by decreasing the total amount of drinking water in the world, especially in the form of sewage disposal.

The increasing water scarcity in some areas of the world could also become a source of future wars.

Ecological Glossary:

· adaptive behavior - In behavioral ecology, this is any behavior which contributes to an individual's reproductive success and is thus subject to the forces of natural selection.

· Adaptive management - a systematic process for continually improving management policies and practices by learning from the outcomes of operational programs

· adoption - when an organism permanently assumes the role of parent towards a juvenile individual which is not its offspring.

· aerobic metabolism - the process of cellular respiration that occur in the presence of oxygen

· agroecology - the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design, development, and management of agricultural environments

· agroecosystem - an assembly of mutually interacting organisms and their environment in which materials related to crop production are interchanged in a largely cyclical manner

· allee effect - a biology-related concept that is characterized by the relationship between the size of the population and the growth rate of the species.

· anaerobic metabolism - the fermentation of organic compounds in which air is not breathed in. Contrary to aerobic respiration which needs oxygen to be carried out.

· Animal behavior - studied in ethology & zoology. the desire to understand animals and their use of communication, emotions, sex, and other behaviors.

· Applied ecology - the practice of employing ecological principles and understanding to solve real world problems (includes agroecology and conservation biology)

· area effect (island biodiversity) - the hypothesis that larger islands can support more species than smaller islands

· atmosphere - earth's atmosphere is composed of gases and water that are retained by earth's gravity and help the earth retain heat and reflect UV radiation.

· bacteria

· Behavioral ecology - studies the ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior, focusing largely at the level of the individual

· biodegradable - capable of decaying through the action of living organisms

· biodiversity - diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment

· Biogeochemistry - effect of biota on global chemistry, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space

· biogeochemical cycle - the pathway through which a chemical, element, or molecule moves through the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.

· Biogeography - the study of the geographic distributions of species

· bioinvader - non-native species

· biomass - the sum of all living living organisms in an area.

· biomass pyramid - also called a ecological pyramid, it is a graph that illustrates the productivity in a trophic level

· biosphere - the sphere of life; all living matter of the planet occupied by life

· biogeographic realm - is the largest scale of the Earth's surface based on the distribution patterns of plants and animals.

· biogeography - the study of the distribution of organisms, past and present, and of diverse processes that underlie their distribution patterns

· biological magnification - the increase in concentration of a substance

· biota - the total collection of organisms of a geographic region or a time period.

· biotic potential - under ideal conditions, the maximum rate of increase of a population in a given area

· boreal forest - forest areas of the northern North Temperate Zone, mostly made of coniferous trees, also known as taiga.

· camouflage - used to deceive or disguise from surroundings

· carrying capacity - the maximum number of individuals an environment's resources can support, including the food and water available for the environment

· Charismatic megafauna - a species of large animal species with widespread popular appeal that environmental activists use to achieve conservation goals well beyond just those species. Examples include the Giant Panda, the Bengal Tiger, and the Blue Whale. See also: Flagship species

· Chemical ecology - which deals with the ecological role of biological chemicals used in a wide range of areas including defense against predators and attraction of mates

· climate - The long term average weather pattern in a particular place.

· climate change - change in weather conditions such as cloud cover wind speed, temperature, rainfall or humidity in a specific region.

· cohert - an individual in a population that is of the same species

· climax community - a biological community of plants and animals that has reached a constant state occurring when the species is best adapted to average conditions in that area

· climax-pattern model - a community is adapted to many environmental factors that vary in their influence over a region

· conservation ecology - which studies how to reduce the risk of species extinction

· community - a group of various organisms living in the same environment

· community assembly theory - explains how environmentally similar sites have different species or similar species because of the resources they need or "niche requirements"

· Community ecology (or synecology) - studies the interactions between species within an ecological community

· consumer - an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals.

· competition - when organisms from the same or different species compete against each other for food, better living conditions, better reproductive success, or any limited resource where the most fit or most adapted individual comes out on top and thus survives and reproduces

· competitive exclusion principle - states that two species can not both exist if they are competing for exactly the same resource. Therefore there is always one with a small advantage that will cause the other species in most cases to become extinct.

· coniferous forest - is a land biome, or large section of land

· cooperation - is the process of working or acting together, intentionally or not. It encompasses working in harmony, side by side, while also involving something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a nation.

· deciduous broadleaf forest - a forest in a more mild climate with dry seasons, where the tree's foliage changes with the varying seasons.

· Decomposition - process by which tissues of dead organisms break down to more simplistic forms of mater and organic matterial, freeing up the limited space in the biome

· Desert ecology - The sum of the interactions between both biotic and abiotic factors of the desert biomes. including the interactions of plant, animal, and bacterial populations in a desert community.

· desert - a landscape that receives less than 10 inches of rain per year

· desertification - a process by which areas become desertlike wastelands with low biodiversity

· Demographics - the characteristics of human populations for purposes of social studies.

· demographic transition model - a model, which represents a shift from high to low birth rates and death rates as part of the economic development of a country

· detrital food web - a food web depicting energy flow from photoautotrophs through detrivores and decomposers

· decomposer - organisms that breakdown substances into simpler substances

· dry woodland - a type of biome that forms when rainfall is averaging around 40 to 100 centimeters, and also has many tall trees

· dominance hierarchy - organization of individuals into groups with a social structure.

· Dominance species - a species which characterizes and predominates an ecological community as measured by primary productivity or biomass.

· doubling time - the amount of time a population takes to double its size.

· ecology - The study of interactions between organisms and their environment

· ecological literacy - is the ability to understand the natural systems that make life on earth possible

· ecological selection - ecological processes that operate on a species' inherited traits without reference to mating or secondary sex characteristic.

· Ecological succession - a focus on the understanding that directs vegetation change

· Ecophysiology - which studies the interaction of physiological traits with the abiotic environment

· ecosystem - the total of interacting organisms (biocoenosis) and non-living things (biotope) in a specific environment

· Ecosystem ecology - which studies how flows of energy and matter interact with biotic elements of ecosystems

· ecosystem modeling - The use of math, computer programs and models to foreshadow unanticipated problems of the ecosystem

· Ecosystem services - resources and processes that are supplied in a natural ecosystem that benefits organisms.

· ecotoxicology - looks at the ecological role of toxic chemicals (often pollutants, but also naturally occurring compounds)

· el Nino - short period of change in the Pacific Ocean's climate around Equator.

· ecozone - an area that has characteristics of natural origin such as climate, terrain, vegetation, etc. It is also the largest division of the Earth's surface filled with living organisms.

· endangered species - a species that contains numbers so low that it risks becoming extinct

· environmental restoration - repairing damages to an area caused by humans, natural disasters or industry.

· evaporation - is the slow vaporization of water from either the soil or surface water.

· evolutionary ecology - (or ecoevolution) the evolutionary changes in the context of the populations and communities in which the organisms exist

· exotic species - introduced species not native or endemic to a habitat

· extinction - when organisms completely die off and there are no more of that organism left.

· emigration - leaving ones native region to go to another

· estuary - a body of water on the coast attached to the ocean and rivers or streams that often give it a black color as a result of silt and sediment.

· fire ecology - which looks at the role of fire in the environment of plants and animals and its effect on ecological communities

· flagship species - is a species chosen to represent an environmental cause, such as an ecosystem in need of conservation.

· food chain - a group of organisms interrelated by the fact that each member of the group feeds upon on the one below it.

· functional ecology - the study of the roles, or functions, that certain species (or groups thereof) play in an ecosystem

· Genetic bottleneck - is an evolutionary event in which a significant percentage of a population or species is killed or otherwise prevented from reproducing.

· geographic dispersal - when an organism moves into another region to join another community.

· Global ecology - examines ecological phenomena at the largest possible scale, addressing macroecological questions

· global ecophagy - is a term coined by Robert Freitas that means, literally, the consuming of an ecosystem.

· global warming - the warming of the Earth's average temperature of near-surface air and oceans

· grassland - and where grass or grasslike vegetation grows as the dominant form of plant life

· greenhouse effect - warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere, which is caused by gases that allow sunshine to pass through but absorb heat that is radiated back from the warmed surface of the earth

· habitat - Specific ecological or environmental areas that are inhabited by specific plants and animal species.

· habitat connectivity - Allowing for the conservation or maintenance of continuous or connected habitats, so as to preserve movements and exchanges associated with the habitat.

· habitat corridors - a strip of land that helps with the movement of a species between disconnected areas of their natural habitat.

· habitat fragmentation - a process of environmental change that describes the discontinuations, or fragmenting, of a species' natural habitat.

· host - an organism that has another organism on on in itself

· human ecology - a field of study that deals with relationships between humans and their societies; their natural, social, and created environments.

· immigration - The one-way inward movement of individuals or into another population or population area.

· indicator species - is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. The presence and/or abundance of organisms of these species are typically used to indicate the health and an ecosystem

· instinctive behavior - occurs when an animal has a particular internal state while it is in the presence of an external stimulation called a releaser

· interspecific competition - this occurs when different species try to use the same resources in an environment

· invasive species - a non-native species whose introduction to an area is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health

· keystone species - keystone species is a species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species affect many other organisms in an ecosystem and help to determine the types and numbers of various others species in a community.

· La Nina - when the ocean surface cools

· lake - a body of liquid on the surface of the Earth; it is considered a lake when it is not part of an ocean, is inland, and is fed by a river

· Landscape ecology - studies the interactions between discrete elements of a landscape

· learned behavior - a type of action or reflex that you learn

· limiting factor - any essential resource that is in short supply in an environment

· macroecology - the study of large scale ecological phenomena

· mangrove wetland - mangroves are most often defined as trees or shubs found in sub tropic climates. where plants "assemblage or mangal" and provide habitat for many marine organisms

· microbial ecology - the ecology of micro-organisms

· micro-climate - an area influenced by either natural or manmade features that change the climatic conditions from the normal regional climate

· microecology - the study of small scale ecological phenomena

· migration - the movement of organisms from one place to another

· mimicry - imitative behavior. animal species resembling one another.

· molecular ecology - a field of evolutionary biology concerned with applying molecular population genetics, molecular phylogenetics, and genomics to traditional ecological questions. Essentially the same as ecological genetics

· mutualism - A biological interaction between individuals of two different species, where each individual derives a fitness benefit. It includes relationships which are mutualistic, parasitic or commensal.

· natural selection - happens over a long period of time and is defined as a certain trait and how species with this trait can or can not survive, and how it effects the reproduction of this good or bad trait. Therefore if a species carries a bad trait that lowers its survival rate its reproductive rate will lower as well.

· natural resource - naturally forming substances that are considered valuable in their natural or unrefined form

· negative feedback loop - feedback that reduces the output of a system. ex. when the temperature rises in a room, it turns off the thermostat so that the temperature remains stable

· neutralism - belief that changes in evolution are caused by random mutation rather than by natural selection.

· niche - a position or function of an organism in a community of related organisms.

· nitrification - the oxidation of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite

· nitrogen cycle - this is a continuous cycle by which nitrogen from the atmosphere and compounded nitrogen keeps getting exhanged through the soil into substances that can be taken up and used by green plants, what is left returns to the air as a result of denitrification.

· nitrogen fixation - conversion of nitrogen into nitrogen compounds (ex. nitrate and nitrite) that is carried out naturally by certain bacteria and algae.

· nutrient - provides nourishment and promotes growth.

· paleoecology - a science which seeks to understand the relationships between species in fossil assemblages

· parasite - an organism which survives with another through a symbiotic relationship with another organism—its host—which it does not usually kill directly but does negatively effect.

· parasitoid - An organism that is a parasite for most of its life and will usually kill its host

· permafrost - permanently frozen layer of terrain found beneath the arctic tundra

· per capita - a measurement indicating "per unit of population"

· pheromone - a chemical which is typically given off into the environment as a signal which causes a natural behavioral response in members of the same species

· pioneer species - species that first inhabit an environment which was previously unoccupied

· population density - the number of individuals of a species living per unit of an area.

· political ecology - still under development, this term describes how political and economic power effects ecology, and how ecology can also shape the political economy, by understanding and analyzing environmental influences on social activity.

· population ecology (or autecology) - deals with the dynamics of populations within species, and the interactions of these populations with environmental factors

· population pyramid - a graphic illustration which shows the age structure in a population (typically that of a country or region of the world), which normally forms the shape of a pyramid.

· population size - a statistic (n) which describes the number of individuals of a species in a particular geographic range.

· predation - the interaction among populations when one organism consumes another one.

· predator - an organism that lives by killing and consuming another living organism.

· prey - living organisms that predators feed on

· primary producer - an autotroph that obtains energy directly from the nonliving environment through photosynthesis or less commonly through chemosynthesis

· primary production - production of organic compounds from carbon through photosynthesis. This effects all life on Earth either directly or indirectly

· population distribution - means the pattern of where people and animals live. Throughout the world distribution is uneven for example places which contain small amounts of people are considered sparsely populated whereas places which are densely populated contain many people.

· rain shadow - A dry area of land that is leeward of a mountain range that results in arid or semiarid conditions

· reproductive base - includes all members of a population that are of reproductive and pre-reproductive ages.

· resource partitioning - when two or more species share, and compete for a resource in different ways in order for both species to coexist

· Restoration ecology - attempts to understand the ecological basis needed to restore impaired or damaged ecosystems

· run-off - the flow of water over land from rain, melting snow, or other sources

· savanna - A flat grassland with scattered trees in tropical or subtropical regions

· social parasite - A group or individual that latches on to another group or individual to benefit itself. This type of process affects the original pattern of the group its feeding off.

· social behavior - behavior of an individual towards society and members of the same species as a whole.

· soil - the naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering on the Earth's surface

· soil ecology - the ecology of the pedosphere

· southern pine forests - a forest consisting of a pine species that thrives in the sandy, dry, and nutrient-poor soil on the coastal plains of the south Atlantic and Gulf states.

· speciation - the evolutionary process where new biological species come about

· stream - a flowing-water ecosystem that starts out as freshwater springs or seeps

· survivorship curve - a graph showing the number or proportion of individuals surviving at each age for a given species

· symbiosis - is a relationship between two or more individuals in a species mainly concerning food. (For example: if the species is competing for the same food, trying to avoid getting eaten or is attempted to eat the other.) There are five different types of symbolic relations which describes who benefits from the relation.

· territory - an area that one or more individuals defend against competition.

· threat display - a signal used by any certain species in order to show that the user intends to attack

· Theoretical ecology - the development of ecological theory, usually with mathematical, statistical and/or computer modeling tools

· total fertility rate - the average number of children that a mother bears in a population during their years of reproduction.

· trophic level - describes the way an organism is on the food chain—what it eats, and what eats it

· tropical rain forest - a biome characterized by regular, heavy rainfall, with a humidity of 80 plus percent, and biodiversity

· tundra - a permanently frozen, treeless expanse between the icecap and treeline of Arctic regions

· umbrella species - species which are selected for making conservation related decisions, typically because protecting these species indirectly protects the many other species that make up the ecological community of its habitat.

· upwelling - when the flow of water is in an upward direction created by atmospheric winds that blow over the ocean's surface away from the coastline and cause deeper, colder, water to rise to the top.

· Urban ecology - the study of ecosystems in urban areas

· virus - an infectious agent (that cannot be seen even under the most powerful optical microscope) that is capable of growing and reproducing outside of a host cell. Viruses can infect all forms of cellular life.

· warning coloration - a warning signal that prey uses to warn off predators

· water cycle - (a.k.a. hydrologic cycle) the nonstop movement of water on, above, and below Earth's surface. The water changes between liquid, vapor, and ice at different times during the cycle.

· water vapour - the gaseous state of water.

· watershed - the land where water from rain and show melts drains downhil into a body of water (i.e. a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean).

· web of life - also known as the food chain, food network, or trophic social network. It descriped the eating relationships between different specied in a certain ecosystem.

· xeric - extremely dry.

· xylophagous - feeding on wood

· Yellow rain - A powdery, poisonous, yellow substance reported as dropping from the air in southeast Asia and found to be the excrement of wild honeybees contaminated by a fungal toxin

· zero population growth - The population of a given area neither increases or decreases over a period of time.