The mountains are getting burnt & degraded

   Fire is one of the important force that has shaped the Human civilization, it was approximately around 400 million years ago that fire first appeared and the key to this transformation was vegetation. Land plants that had just appeared provided fuel for fire that took in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and pumped back large quantities of oxygen; providing the second most essential ingredient for fire - oxygen, brought about by the process of photosynthesis. The triggering of a wild fire was the lightning, that gave in mankind's hand fire to keep warm and to survive harsh cold winters. 

   The notion that fire can be a useful tool became known to early humans when they first took advantage of fire’s effects on the African savannas several million years ago to manipulate vegetation and wildlife. The threat that fire posed to their security and livelihoods was likely obvious to these early people too. As humankind spread throughout the world, they created new fire regimes that continued to shape and modify landscapes. There also continued to be fires that destroyed homes, crops, livestock and other resources. There has always been these “two faces of fire”—beneficial fire and detrimental fire.*1 

   Fire has become a conservation issue because many areas around the world depend on fire to maintain native species, habitats and landscapes. These are fire-dependent ecosystems. Conversely, there are other areas where fire can lead to the destruction or loss of native species and habitats. These areas are called fire-sensitive ecosystems. Services provided by ecosystems such as clean air, clean water and healthy and productive soils can be affected negatively or positively by fire depending on the adaptations of the species and other characteristics of the environment, and on how often and how intensely an area burns. These facts are just beginning to come to light in the relatively new science of fire ecology.*2

   But the wild fires in and around Panchgani, situated along the western Ghats are mostly caused by anthropogenic reasons every year creating degraded soils and loss of rich biodiversity. These are fire-sensitive  ecosystem which can have adverse effects on  the soil, native vegetation and fauna. Here fire is caused by naked flame, cigarette or bidi, electric spark or any source of ignition coming into contact with dry grass or inflammable material. The wild fire almost cook the soil reaching 100 to 150 degree celsius destroying the topmost fertile soil and making it hydrophobic soils - causing erosion.

   There are many reasons as to why people burn the dry grass even though being aware of the harm caused by wild fire or Vanva. One of the reason being the belief that if they burn the old grasses new set of fresh grasses will take its place which is not true, it is rather more poor and less nutritive ones that take its place that is to say less sensitive to fire. Such fire destroys also the rich seed bank in the shallow soil that is necessary for the growth of vegetation. 

   The other being, it requires less time or human effort to clear tall grasses making the path visible especially when you want to go to your field but in this way a lot of important organisms are destroyed which has its own functions in the ecosystem and also giving rise to accelerated erosion carrying away essential fertile soil and not allowing water to percolate into the ground resulting in decreased groundwater table. The burning of vegetation gives off not only carbon dioxide but also a host of other, noxious gases (green house gases) such as carbon monoxide, methane, hydrocarbons, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide, that lead to global warming and ozone layer depletion. 

   I see people today are not keen on growing grass or other native trees that preserves or restores back the ecosystem or the flow at the spring source. It is driven nowadays by external economic factors of industrialization and urbanization. We tend to forget that we can never give back to nature, it is the nature that provides. Our only role is to conserve and preserve it. I am reminded of an African proverb that fits quite well here.

"The world is not ours, the earth is not ours , it is a treasure we hold in trust for future generation"  

Rich in biodiversity and a pristine forest located on the opposite side of the valley
(Reserved Forest Land).
 Location Kamalgad, Wai

Springs originating in forest land. Location Kamalgad, Wai  

Recent forest fire in Panchgani where flames reached also the crown of the tree and shrubs.

Surface fire burning dry leaves, twigs and grasses destroying many animal habitats.

These very image was a lush and thick shrubby and grassy area -  a habitat for the Jungle fowl and Jungle Bush Quail destroyed completely by fire.

Huge burned patches seen in black colour  near Panchgani. 

Degraded and barren slope before the wild fire, near Dhoom Dam, Wai (May 2012)

After the wild fire, near Dhoom Dam, Wai (June 2012) 

Reference:

*1,2 Ronald L Myers (2006): Living with Fire— Sustaining Ecosystems & Livelihoods Through Integrated Fire Management, The Nature Conservancy

Unravelling the mystery behind the curved tree trunks near Budher caves

   It has been quite some time that I had some observations to write about the curved tree trunks that I noticed during my visit to Chakrata especially at Budher area which is located at an altitude of 2738 m approx. in the middle Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand. Apart from noticing the rich biodiversity and enjoying tall trees especially the Deodhar and wild fox, birds, plants, etc.; the curved tree trunks kept on showing in almost all our treks especially on the upper reaches of the mountains. I was wondering if the Deodhar trees and others likewise have some growth problems. But the occurrence of groundwater oozing out from the rocks as springs and landslides were common phenomenon that were noticeable, where an entire slope had slid down and blocked the roads. Evidence of it was visible also on our walk to Tiger fall where the sides of the valley are loaded with evidence of past landslides. On which the people now do their terrace farming. Though people living in the mountains have a good system of selective logging for the trees when cutting for timber. I fear  that uprooting or cutting has made the slopes more prone and susceptible to landslides and degradation.

Area showing curved tree trunks at Budher, Chakrata, Uttarakhand. (Courtesy: Google Earth)

Curved Tree trunks on the way to Budher Caves. (Photo Credit: Amar Oke)

Curved tree trunks on the mountain slopes. (Photo Credit: Amar Oke)

   But when I started connecting all these dots I started to realize that the trees has a message in its curved trunk growth at its base. As this became more evident when I bumped onto a research paper by R. Ian Harker from Department of Geology, University of Pennsylvania, titled “Curved Tree Trunks: Indicators of Soil Creep and Other Phenomena” published by the University of Chicago Press in the  The Journal of Geology, Vol. 104, No. 3 (May, 1996), pp. 351-358. The trees curved at the base that were studied at Mount Rainer National Park and the curved tree trunks of Budher area are very similar and fitting. The Budher area is underlined by limestone rocks which are shattered due to metamorphism and the water has carved out an interesting system of caverns underneath.

View from inside of the limestone cave. (Photo Credit: Nikhil Rajwade)

Stalactites inside the caves at Budher. (Photo Credit: Nikhil Rajwade) 

Spring water flowing down the gully.  (Photo Credit: Gurudas Nulkar) 

Water acts as a lubricating fluid for landslides. (Photo Credit: Gurudas Nulkar) 

      The trees grown on this terrain show curved trunk as a result of the unstable, brittle geology and also many external factors like snow/ice pressure, availability of light, catastrophic events and soil creep. These curved trunks at Budher are indicative of soil creep and are a useful indication of slope instability. Curves induced by soil creep are quite distinct from those from other factors mentioned earlier. His paper describes very well about this curved tree phenomenon. If the trunk curvature is of a character to be expected on selected slopes as a result of soil creep then similar such studies should be carried out by The Geological Survey of India to ascertain any impending dangers to the ecosystem and the local people. As the purpose of this is that we protect this fragile  landscape from further degradation. Not to mention the extent of how the winding roads have made the slopes more prone to instability.

Himalayan Pit Viper near Budher. (Photo Credit: Nikhil Rajwade) 

Common bluebottle butterfly at Budher. (Photo Credit: Nikhil Rajwade) 

Mangroves our line of defense and the cradle of biodiversity

My recent visit to Kerala via the Konkan route reminded me of my Konkan visit in Ratanagiri, Maharashtra I had two months back to study the role of the Mangrove ecosystem along the coast. Mangroves are an interesting and important forest rich in biodiversity I have seen so far with its interesting pipe like roots that stick out of the water to breathe just like the the pipes used by swimmers during snorkeling and another thing that was quite amazing to witness is that the seeds of the tree germinates still when they are hanging on to the branches as like a baby in the womb of a mother. These trees have features almost like humans but the roots have anchored themselves to the soggy muds stabilizing and protecting the coast line.  They have come to light in India after their role in protecting the Indian coast against Tsunami and cyclones.

Mangrove forest along the estuary in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. (Photo credit: Abhijit  Gandhi)

Mangroves are 'Evergreen Xerophytes' that grow in the inter-tidal areas and estuary mouths between land and sea. Mangroves provide critical habitat for a diverse marine and terrestrial flora and fauna. Mangrove forests fix more carbon dioxide per unit area than phytoplankton in tropical oceans. Full carbon credits for that!!

They are salt-tolerant forest ecosystems found in specific regions mainly in tropical and sub-tropical inter-tidal regions of the world. They grow in shallow and muddy salt water or brackish waters, especially along quiet shorelines and in estuaries. Typically they produce tangled masses of arching roots that are exposed during low tides. The Ecosystem is highly fragile, subjected to long duration of intrusion as well as incessant physiological drought and morphological stresses, salinity effect, aeration and onslaught of wave action.

Mangrove Ecosystem is distributed all over the coast lines of the world and their occurrence is largely limited to the regions between 30° north and south of the Equator. According to estimate made by F.A.O./ UNDP a total area of 7.1 million hectare is covered under the mangrove formation in the world.

Map showing distribution of Mangroves around the globe. (Map Courtesy: Britannica Encyclopedia)

The total area of mangroves in India is about 6,740 sq. km, which is about 7% of the world's total area of mangroves. Luxuriant patches of mangroves are found on all the other continents but the best mangroves are found in Asia, especially in India and Bangladesh - the Sunderbans are the largest mangrove forest in the world both in size as well as biodiversity. 

Stilt roots of a Mangrove tree connected to the Cable roots below. (Photo credit: Abhijit  Gandhi)

       During my Kerala journey I could see large stretches of Mangrove forest especially along the coast of Kasaragod, Kannur and Kozhikode that have anchored and stabilized the coastal area with their highly developed roots. It is a bit strange that they haven't appeared in the State/UT wise Mangrove Cover Assessment 2009.

       The stilt roots are the main organs for breathing especially during the high tide. This very roots of these plants help in binding the soil and also help the establishment of micro-organisms which further help in stabilizing the area. Stabilization starts from the land side and gradually shifts towards the sea. These pioneer plants are slowly replaced by other mangrove plants and then mangroves gradually spread towards the sea. Once mangroves grow, the submerged banks are fully stabilized; after this, mangroves slowly reach climax vegetation stage. Climax vegetation is represented by the complete circle of life where there are different species of plants, animals (both terrestrial and aquatic) and micro-organisms forming an ecosystem called the tropical salt marsh or the mangrove ecosystem. In case the sediments are not stabilized, submerged banks are washed out. Like in Gangetic delta, thousands of deltas are formed and washed out every year before they can be stabilized.

       The major plant species forming the mangrove ecosystem have aerial roots, commonly known as prop roots or even stilt roots. Stilt roots serve to anchor the plants, but also are important in aeration, because the mangrove mud tends to be anaerobic. Rhizophora spp. (Red mangroves) have prop roots descending from the trunk and branches, providing a stable support system. Other species, including the white mangroves (A. marina) obtain stability with an extensive system of shallow, underground ”cable roots” that radiate out from the central trunk for a considerable distance in all directions and the pneumatophores extend from these cable roots. 

Breathing roots (Pneumatophores). (Photo credit: Abhijit  Gandhi)

      Breathing roots are special vertical roots, called Pneumatophores, form from lateral roots in the mud, often projecting above soil permitting some oxygen to reach the oxygen-starved submerged roots.

Stages of Development of a Mangrove tree. (Photo credit: Abhijit  Gandhi)

     Virtually all mangroves share two common reproductive strategies they are dispersal by means of water and vivipary. Vivipary means that the embryo develops continuously while attached to the parent tree. They may grow in place, attached to the parent tree for one to three years, reaching length upto one meter, before breaking off from the parent plant & falling into the water, these seedling then lodged in the mud where they quickly produce additional roots and begin to grow.

     The first line of defense for many mangroves is to prevent much of the salt from entering by filtering it out at root level. The leaves of many mangroves have special salt glands. Another method is the retention of water in the leaves giving rise to leaf succulence in many species. Third method of coping with salt is to concentrate it in bark or in older leaves which carry it with them when they drop.

  

   The Indian mangroves are represented by approximately 59 species (inclusive of some mangrove associates) from 29 families. These forest are the breeding grounds for many faunas especially the fishes. There are lots of birds that use the Mangroves for roosting like the western reef egret, purple heron, black kite, red wattled lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Brown-headed Gull. Other important faunas are the grasshoppers, crocidiles, snakes, crabs.

       Mangrove forests are one of the world’s most threatened tropical ecosystems. More than 35% of the world’s mangroves are already gone. The figure is as high as 50% in countries such as India, the Philippines, and Vietnam, while in the Americas they are being cleared at a rate faster than tropical rainforests. 12 species of mangroves found in India are considered to be ‘Critically Endangered’ and a total of 57 mangrove and mangrove-associated species are considered threatened. The main reasons for the destruction in the area are mainly due to population pressure in and around the mangrove belts. There are several other specific reasons for degradation of mangrove area. 

      Natural threats like change in climate can have effects on Mangrove forests as they require stable sea levels for long-term survival. They are therefore extremely sensitive to current rising sea levels caused by global warming and climate, Cyclones, typhoons and strong wave action. Infestation by barnacles that interfere with respiration and photosynthesis can delay in seedling growth. Oysters, Crabs, Gastropods also damage the plant parts. Browsing and trampling by wildlife damages young seedling, leaves, flowers, roots and fleshy tissues. Insect pests such as Wood borers, Caterpillars, beetles which eat the mangrove foliage do damage the wood. Infestation by weeds such as Acrostichum aureum and Acanthus species, which often occupy deforested mangrove areas and restrict the re-growth of mangrove tree species.

       Destructive activities by human like the use of mangrove land for urban development. 

• This has been one of the most visible reasons for accelerated disappearance of the mangrove. Mangrove forests are cleared to make room for agricultural land, anchoring of boats, human settlements, resettlement activities, infrastructure, and industrial areas. More recently, mangrove clearing for tourist development, shrimp aquaculture, and salt farms has also taken place.

• Over harvesting of Mangrove trees for firewood, construction wood, wood chip and pulp production, charcoal production, and animal fodder. While harvesting has taken place for centuries, in some parts of the world it is no longer sustainable, threatening the future of the forests.

• Dams and irrigation have reduced the amount of water reaching mangrove forests, changing the salinity level of water in the forest. If salinity becomes too high, the mangroves cannot survive. Freshwater diversions will to lead to mangroves drying out. In addition, increased erosion due to land deforestation has massively increased the amount of sediment in rivers. This can hamper the mangrove forest’s filtering ability, leading to the forest being smothered.

• Coral reefs provide the first barrier against currents and strong waves. When they are destroyed, the stronger-than-normal waves and currents reaching the coast can undermine the fine sediment in which the mangroves grow. This can prevent seedlings from taking root and wash away nutrients essential for mangrove ecosystems.

• Pollution is the major problem through out the world. Fertilizers, pesticides, discharge of industrial effluent, solid waste dumping, pollutants, and sewage into creeks, rivers, and estuaries has several consequences, such as blocking of the mangrove pneumatophores, decreased oxygen level in the surrounding water bodies. Other toxic man-made chemicals carried by river systems from sources upstream can kill animals living in mangrove forests, while oil pollution can smother mangrove roots and suffocate the trees.

• Due to many anthropogenic (Commercial, religious, cultural) activities, the inlet water channels to the mangrove patches have been stopped or diverted. This diversion of water flow has resulted in the elevation of the surrounding lands, deposition of one way flow of salt water & intrusion of less or non-salt tolerant grass species resulting in disappearance of many of the mangrove dense patches.

Ecological & Economical importance of mangroves

       Ecological significance: -

    Mangrove forests are among the most productive terrestrial ecosystems and are natural and are a renewable resource. Mangroves are not a marvel just for their adaptations but also for the significant role they play in our environment.

• Mangrove ecosystem act as Buffer Zone between the land and sea.

• Mangroves protect the coast against erosion due to wind, waves, water currents and protect coral reefs, sea-grass bed and shipping lanes against siltation. They are also known to absorb pollutants. Mangroves host a number of threatened or endangered species, different animal species- mammals, reptiles, amphibians and bird- offer nutrients to the marine food web and provide spawning grounds to a variety of fish and shellfish, including several commercial species

• It has been suggested that the large loss of life (300,000 to 500,000 lives) in Bangladesh during the 1970 typhoon was partly due to the fact that many of the mangrove swamps protecting those populated coastal regions had been removed and replaced by rice paddies. 

• In mangrove areas water level is shallow, warm water temperatures due to various decaying activities, water current is slow (nearly stagnant) hence ideal place for growing of sea algae and for spawning for fish and marine animals. They are breeding, feeding and nursery grounds for many estuarine and marine organisms.

• Purify the water by absorbing impurities and harmful heavy metals and help us to breathe a clean air by absorbing pollutants in the air.

• The tidal swamp is an ideal sanctuary for avifauna some of which are migratory

• Mangrove forests are also important in terms of aesthetics and tourism. Many people visit these areas for sports fishing, boating, bird watching, snorkeling, and other recreational pursuits.

       In addition to these ecological roles, mangrove forest possess attributes that are specifically important to humans:

• Mangroves are also a source of a vast range of wood and non-wood forest products including timber, fuelwood, charcoal, fodder, honey, pulp, tannin, medicine and thatch etc.

• The ecosystem has a very large unexplored potential for natural products useful for medicinal purposes & also for salt production, apiculture, fisheries products fuel and fodder, etc.

• Mangroves also provide opportunities for education, scientific research and eco tourism.

• It is essential to systematically conserve the biodiversity in the mangrove ecosystem and manage well for the use of mankind.

         The Government of India had set up the National Mangrove Committee at the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1976 to advise the government about mangrove conservation and development and also a legislative framework for the conservation and management of mangroves is already in place like the Indian Forest Act, 1927; The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; The Forest Conservation Act, 1980; Coast  Guard Act, 1978; The Environmental (Protection) ACT, 1986. We cannot survive without mangroves. Despite their importance, mangrove forests are being neglected by a majority of the population. Despite all the legal framework there has been incidences of encroachment and violations by humans on to these lush mangroves for the development of various housing societies, laying of railway lines, sports complex, constructing of golf courses, pipelines, jetties, sewerage treatment plants, garbage disposal project….etc and this story is not just from India but also from other Mangrove forests in the world. 

      We tend to forget that life first originated in water and these very forest has been protecting and providing the required nutrients  and providing organisms with shelter and food for them to grow and evolve. If we continue to destroy this precious forest then we will be left with no life on our Planet. We will be breaking the very foundations of the food Pyramid.

Lets protect our Mangrove forest!! (Photo credit: Abhijit  Gandhi)

P.S: Most of the information provided is accessed from ENVIS Newsletter 2008, ENVIS Centre, Environment Department, Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai
Mangrove Ecosystem in Maharashtra, Retrieved on 30th April, 2012 from  <http://envis.maharashtra.gov.in/envis_data/files/Mmain.html> 

Water - the life blood of the Earth

On the day of World Water Day, I thought to share the cartoon that I made for the Cartoon Contest: Climate Change in Asia Pacific, A People's Perspective (Please have a look at the link provided to other cartoons on climate change). But most importantly to share the message I had in mind while making the cartoon which is deeply connected to depleting groundwater with changing climate.

Cartoon by R. Thomas © 2012

“The wealth of the nation is its air, water, soil, forests, minerals, rivers, lakes, oceans, scenic beauty, wildlife habitats and biodiversity… that’s all there is. That’s the whole economy. That’s where all the economic activity and jobs come from. These biological systems are the sustaining wealth of the world.” - Gaylord Nelson

   Economy of any nation depends on the resources that come from its nature and this is what we need to value and preserve rather than destruction our environment. Nature services are taken for granted and ignored, the present economy believes that the nature is resilient to any anthropogenic activity. I strongly feel that the message through the cartoon should make people think & move more people to actively participate in the restoration of the ecosystem which is threatened by us - the Humans. Man has entered an era where he is changing Earth and things in it so dramatically than any living being to ever exist on the face of the Earth and for most people this ability to change things is the climax of human ingenuity and development. People who set up industries and other polluting firms have hardly understood the functions and importance of every organism in the functioning of the ecosystem. We all should be aware that the water which makes the Earth a living planet, the air we breathe and the land where we live is not an unlimited pool were we can continue to dump our waste but rather a very precious resource on which we are completely dependent, one that we  unfortunately continuing to pollute. It is our home, if we do not take care then we will be writing our own death sentences. Climate change is a serious threat and the answer to the problem is conservation and preservation of Biodiversity in the Nature. 

A series of chain events kick starts when the focus of the economy is industrialization rather than conservation of natural resources - which has indeed taken millions of years to evolve. Farmers either cut down the old trees or burn grasses to expand the agriculture field, and today’s farming is focused on getting more yield from the land by drugging the land with chemicals and pesticides rather than being content from what we have. This greed has resulted in increase in number of wells – the outcome is decrease in water table. We are pumping more harmful gases into the atmosphere and changing the very composition of it and changing the global rainfall distribution. It has initiated a number of chain reactions and this is what I have tried to portray through the cartoon. I believe that the situation can be reversed if we limit our wants and be content with what we have. Conservation means adopting a new lifestyle and it starts with 'me'.

The Plate boundaries: The line of Prosperity and Fire

"Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice." - Will Durant (1885-1981), American writer, historian and philosopher.


Human civilization has come a long way from settling along the rivers like the Harappan civilization along the Indus valley to settling and cluttering along the now modern day roads - a sign of globalization and sophistication. Humans have moved from fertile valleys of water to the fiery boundaries that demarcate the Earths tectonic plates where these very roads connect and interconnect to the places of rich valuable minerals and metal resources and equally dangerous fault lines. And it is bit strange that this ground breaking discovery of plate boundaries has made little difference to how we live, as ten out of twenty major cities of the world are located along these boundaries. It is sometimes not an easy question for me to think as to why people live so close to or build their town on a disaster prone area like near a volcanoes or a fault line. It’s really disturbing sometimes to hear the news of people who passed away during the Tsunami in Japan or the Earthquakes along the Indonesian islands and the list goes on and on along the plate boundaries round the world and will still continue as the Earth's plate keeps moving against each other, but then you are faced with other questions which also carry equal weightage like why then people live near a coast where you might face the fury of a cyclone or in the arid regions of Sahara where hardly anything grows!? I was thinking about it more recently and wanted to pin down the reasons as to why people live in such places of real life danger. But it is evident from ages until now that people are willing to take such high-risk gambles for the most basic things of life especially food or food in exchange of natural mineral resources.....I guess that's how trade and civilizations began. We have been drawn to these plate boundaries or fault lines ever since the dawn of civilization not just for minerals but for water that came up in the form of springs due to faulting. The Earth's crust, on which we live and depend, is in large part a product of millions of once-active volcanoes and tremendous volumes of magma that did not erupt but instead cooled below the surface. Such persistent and widespread volcanism has resulted in many valuable natural resources throughout the world the scars of  ancient plate boundaries. So there are ancient extinct plate boundaries that criss-crosses the Earths surface apart from the present day plate boundaries or faults.The Earth has closed and opened many chapters of which we are part of the last chapters or just another chapter of the long history of our Earth. 

A simplified map with plate boundaries, earthquake, volcanoes & larger cities with more than one million inhabitants, modified after U.S.G.S. 2005. (Source: blogs.scientificamerican.com) 

There exist different views toward hazards, some may think there're hazards everywhere and it's worthless  to move around. One of the reasons in spite of  all the dangers poised by the area, is the attractions of living in a place. Japan is a very good example in this regard. It is a wealthy country with good job prospects. An economic interest is one of the main reasons for people when choosing places to live. People might live in an area such as California that's quite often affected by earthquake but because their ancestors are early settlers, the job prospects are interesting, the environment has much to offer in terms of social opportunities and natural beauty, and the climate is pleasant. 

Close to an erupting volcano the short-term spuing of destructive pyroclastic flows, heavy falls of ash, and lava flows can be complete, the extent of the damage depending upon the magnitude of eruption. Crops, forests, orchards, and animals grazing or browsing on the volcano's slopes or surrounding lowland can be leveled or buried. But that is the short-term effect. In the long run, volcanic deposits can develop into some of the richest agricultural lands on earth. Life-forms on the Earth's surface exist primarily by consent of nature's partnership -- heat from the sun, and nutrients from rocks that have been decomposed and recombined into soluble molecules by chemical reactions with moisture and gases such as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Volcanic rocks make some of the best soils on earth because they not only have a wide variety of common elements but are also readily chemically separable into its elemental components. Example worth mentioning in this regard is the effect of volcanoes on agricultural lands in Italy. Except for the volcanic region around Naples, farming in southern Italy is exceedingly difficult because limestone forms the basement rock and the soil is generally quite poor. But the region around Naples, which includes Mount Vesuvius, is very rich mainly because of two large eruptions 35,000 and 12000 years ago that left the region blanketed with very thick deposits of tephra which has since weathered to rich soils. Benefits of earth movements provide important nutrient rich volcanic ash that makes soil rich and farmland fertile. Volcanic ash can be considered as a time-release capsule, rich in nutrients. Volcanoes both harass and help mankind. Volcanoes can wreak havoc and devastation in the short term. However, it should be emphasized that the short-term hazards posed by volcanoes are balanced by benefits of volcanism and related processes over geologic time. For example, volcanic ash blown over thousands of square kilometers of land increases soil fertility for forests and agriculture by adding nutrients and acting as a mulch. Valuable minerals such as diamond and gold can be found in volcanic regions. . Groundwater heated by large, still-hot magma bodies can be tapped for geothermal energy. And over many thousands of years, heated groundwater has concentrated valuable minerals, including copper, tin, gold, and silver, into deposits that are mined throughout the world. Volcanic eruption also create beautiful relief feature and attract tourists.

Volcanoes can clearly cause much damage and destruction, but in the long term they also have benefited people. Over thousands to millions of years, the physical breakdown and chemical weathering of volcanic rocks have formed some of the most fertile soils on Earth. In tropical, rainy regions, such as the windward (northeastern) side of the Island of Hawaii, the formation of fertile soil and growth of lush vegetation following an eruption can be as fast as a few hundred years. Some of the earliest civilizations (for example, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman) settled on the rich, fertile volcanic soils in the Mediterranean-Aegean region. Some of the best rice-growing regions of Indonesia are in the shadow of active volcanoes. Similarly, many prime agricultural regions in the western United States have fertile soils wholly or largely of volcanic origin.

Given enough rainfall, areas buried by new lava recover quickly; revegetation can begin less than one year after the eruption. Erosion and breakdown of the volcanic material can form fertile soils over periods of tens to thousands of years. These rich soils fostered the agricultural development of the Hawaiian Islands, as represented principally by the sugar, pineapple, coffee, and macadamia nut industries.

Geothermal energy can be harnessed from the Earth's natural heat associated with active volcanoes or geologically young inactive volcanoes still giving off heat at depth. Steam from high-temperature geothermal fluids can be used to drive turbines and generate electrical power, while lower temperature fluids provide hot water for space-heating purposes, heat for greenhouses and industrial uses, and hot or warm springs at resort spas. For example, geothermal heat warms more than 70 percent of the homes in Iceland, and The Geysers geothermal field near Santa Rosa, in Northern California produces enough electricity to meet the power demands of San Francisco. The Geysers area is the largest geothermal development in the world. In addition to being an energy resource, some geothermal waters also contain sulfur, gold, silver, and mercury that can be recovered as a byproduct of energy production.

Most of the metallic minerals mined in the world, such as copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc, are associated with magmas found deep within the roots of extinct volcanoes located above subduction zones. Rising magma does not always reach the surface to erupt; instead it may slowly cool and harden beneath the volcano to form a wide variety of crystalline rocks (generally called plutonic or granitic rocks). Some of the best examples of such deep-seated granitic rocks, later exposed by erosion, are magnificently displayed in California's Yosemite National Park. Ore deposits commonly form around the magma bodies that feed volcanoes because there is a ready supply of heat, which convectively moves and circulates ore-bearing fluids. The metals, originally scattered in trace amounts in magma or surrounding solid rocks, become concentrated by circulating hot fluids and can be redeposited, under favorable temperature and pressure conditions, to form rich mineral veins. 

The active volcanic vents along the spreading mid-ocean ridges create ideal environments for the circulation of fluids rich in minerals and for ore deposition. Water as hot as 380 degrees gushes out of geothermal springs along the spreading centers. The water has been heated during circulation by contact with the hot volcanic rocks forming the ridge. Deep-sea hot springs containing an abundance of dark-colored ore minerals (sulfides) of iron, copper, zinc, nickel, and other metals are called "black smokers." On rare occasions, such deep-sea ore deposits are later exposed in remnants of ancient oceanic crust that have been scraped off and left ("beached") on top of continental crust during past subduction processes. The Troodos Massif on the Island of Cyprus is perhaps the best known example of such ancient oceanic crust. Cyprus was an important source of copper in the ancient world, and Romans called copper the "Cyprian metal". People have been using volcanic products ever since the stone age for tools, building houses to today's road-building materials, as abrasive and cleaning agents, and as raw materials for many chemical and industrial uses. 

But many are limited by choice. Within Japan itself, the Japanese cannot move to a safer place. Also moving out means great change, some people are used to their country and are not willing to change. Family tie is a reason too. The person may own his family and friends, all living in the country. In order to keep in close relationship; he may not choose to move out.

There's no place on earth completely free from hazards. And as the world population increases, places to live will become more and more scarce and limited with already enough damages being done to the environment by cutting of our precious natural forest. Furthermore, there is danger no matter where you live. It could be from natural disasters, air pollution, or crime. Unless the phenomenon are always occurring, you get a "not in my time" attitude. Also, the area around some volcanoes is quite fertile, more important to farmers than a little 'smoke chimney'.

But it is visible apart from the boundaries of seismic areas people are now facing drought and having a difficult life inspite of the modern technologies available. Humans are now in itself a force to reckon with. We  have entered a new era of human civilization where we are changing the face of the Earth in a big way and I hope we ourselves don't write this chapter - the Anthropocene Era with a mass extinction. We are depleting the water resources and degrading the natural resources and destroying the delicate balance of the Earth. We are taking out more than what the Earth can provide, eventually stripping out life that is so essestial for life on Earth for our very own existence. Everything is linked and we should realize that we have done nothing in the formation of the Earth or in formation of life on Earth, and we are just part of the millions of years of evolution and our role is to enjoy the nature. This knowledge has humbled me to take care more of the things around me. We have been bestowed with everything in life, free by the nature so all the more it demands that we live responsibly and share with those who don't have these resources.

Today everything in life has boiled down to the bargain of economic returns from these plate boundaries in exchange of precious life, and life is not just about money. I remember what I had been hearing when I was with some very special friends I ever had in my life, they used to say was this "Man came naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. We must leave the Earth as we came into it, contentment is better than excess riches or gains". 

The Churning inside the Earth that makes it still a living planet

  The internal working inside the Earth's core is central to life on Earth. We have not explored the core of the Earth as much we have explored the universe. The core still remains a mystery but is vital for life on the Earth. It creates the Earth's magnetic field - assisting the annual mass migration including us to find our direction in life of course with a magnetic compass!! Also protecting life itself from the harmful cosmic and solar rays by creating a magnetic shield which has helped in the evolution of living organisms.

The Magnetosphere shielding Earth from harmful solar particles and cosmic radiation. (From: Climatepedia.org)

 Life on the surfaces of the Earth depends upon processes that happen inside the Earth's core, it has shaped the face of the Earth by creating habitats and environments for life to prosper. It is the churning/convection that takes place inside the earth that makes the crust (plates) move. 

An analogy of boiling water showing what happens inside the Earth.  

Plate Tectonic Boundaries driven by convection currents in the Mantle. (Source: Wikipedia)

  The day the churning stops it will have a disastrous consequences, there will be no mountains creation, no ocean basin formation and life will come to a standstill. Importantly we will be devoid of the protection of the Magnetosphere, the solar and cosmic radiation will strip off the Earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere just the same way it did for Mars and Venus. The interiors of the other terrestrial planets are similar to that of the Earth, although Mars has cooled so fast that its core is no longer molten making it a dead planet. The composition of the moon is similar to the crust of the Earth, and formerly had a molten core that has cooled and solidified. In general, small bodies cool more quickly than large ones because there is less material around their cores to trap the heat of their formation just like as you need a pullover to keep yourself warm in times of cold.

Comparison between the cores of Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury and Moon.

  The core also gives rise to another important phenomenon that is the reversals in the poles, when there is a magnetic fluctuation happening inside the core. The core is an active place having storms and this being evident on the surface of the Earth with growing South Atlantic anomaly, which is moving westwards. All this shows that the Earth is a dynamic and a living planet in comparison to other planets in the solar system and it is important to appreciate and know that we are a small speck in the geological time scale.