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Plants, Gardens & Nature

Environmental Matters
Chemicals
This is a diverse category of human made substances. They can be split into 3 categories:
Pesticides
Fertilizers
Other Toxic Compounds

Pesticides: used to control pest species and classified by their target organisms e.g herbicide for plants, acaricide for mites, insecticide for insects etc... There is a huge range of chemicals in use. Some are very general as to which species they attack and some are very precise. Environmentally, it is best to use a specific as possible pesticide to control the pest species so as not affect other organisms, many of which are beneficial. When applying the chemical restrict it's spread, especially when using sprays. Follow the manufacturers instructions and use on a day with little or no wind to avoid spray drift. Keep well away from children and pets. Another increasingly inportant reason to reduce and avoid the use of chemical pesticides is resistance. Increased use against a pest often leads to the ability of the pest to resist the effects of the chemical, and in effect this renders us powerless to control it. A similar situation is now being realized in human health with regards to antibiotics. This happens because quite often a pest species is a problem because, besides causing damage, it reproduces prolifically and when challenged by a chemical the majority will die, but a few survive and over time the population can recover and is now immune. This does not apply to every chemical, but more cases are being encountered and any new developed technologies need to be, where possible, able to avoid the same problem. There is an increasing case for an ecological approach, which considers ecological processes, which with regard to pesticides, means that although pest species are present, careful management can contain the population at a level which is either not aesthetically or economically serious, without strong impact upon other species and ecosystems.
Fertilizers: Like pesticides there are many formulations and sources. Also in excess they are environmentally damaging and ecologically important. They can be generally classed as organic (complex mixtures of naturally occurring or moderately processed materials, e.g. manures) or inorganic (artifically produced compounds). Excess of either will impact a plant and the area treated. The nutrients supplied are vital to plant growth, the amount required varies per species, but there is a balance to be struck between avoiding poor growth, achieving good growth or creating excessive growth and pollution due to excess fertilizer leaching. Excessive growth means that, depending on the desired result for plant growth (whether natural, garden or crop production levels of plant growth), toxic effects or lush growth can result which can make the plant more susceptible to exploitation by generalist and opportunist species (pests). Excessive fertilizer use can pollute the environment. Large applied quantities cannot be used by plants and soil organisms or incorporated into the soil structure quickly enough before they are washed off or through the soil. This increased supply of particularly Nitrogen, can cause vegetation and habitat changes on land and in aquatic systems (rivers, pools & lakes) which through ecological processes causes death of fish and other wildlife.
Other Toxic compounds: This is too large a group to address here. However, it is safe to say that such compounds whether acids, oils, fabrics or any wastes should be disposed of in a safe and non polluting manner. How practical this is depends on the particular waste product, and sadly on where you live, but the hazards to human health and ecological impacts must be considered. Check with your local authority/council, where recycling facilities may be available such as for oils, toxic substance containers and batteries. Many compunds sythetically produced today, never existed before and they pollute because they may mimic natural substances or are so toxis or alien that in a sense natural processes cannot handle them, they do not breakdown, or are not processed by the microbiota (bacteria, fungi).