One of key elements of sound environment is preservation of natural ecosystems and landscapes.

In Belarus this goal is achieved by creating specially protected natural territories (reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, natural landmarks).

So far Belarus has Bereza Biosphere Reserve, 4 national parks (Belovezhskaya Puscha, Braslav Lakes, Narochansky and Pripyatsky) and 85 national sanctuaries. Besides, there are 353 local sanctuaries and 853 natural landmarks. The protected lands account for 7.7% of the total area of Belarus.

The operation, protection and management of the protected territories, preservation of natural ecosystems, biological and landscape diversity, determination of the main promising areas of development and management of the protected areas are regulated by the National Strategy of Development and Management of Protected Areas and Scheme of the Rational Distribution of Protected Areas both active by 1 January 2015.

Pursuant to Presidential Decree #146 of 6 March 2008 the State Program of Development of Protected Areas of Belarus 2008-2014 was drafted and adopted based on the above-noted documents.

Taking into consideration great tourism potential and natural appeal of the protected areas local executive committees as agreed upon with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection set up special management facilities at the reserves. They include 21 state agencies managing 23 national sanctuaries. The main purpose of the agencies is to develop ecotourism, one of the most promising types of tourism.

Preservation of flora and found species listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus is another priority of Belarus. Efforts are taken to take stock, detect and protect the habitat of endangered species. As of 1 January 2010, some 2,612 wildlife habitats were taken under protection (1,653 fauna and 959 flora habitats). To protect European Bison an Action Plan for Preservation and Rational Use of European Bison 2009-2013 was developed.

Wild animals are an essential element of the natural environment and biological diversity, as well as an important component of ecosystem regulation and stabilization.

For preservation and rational use of animal species Belarus has been maintaining a fauna registry and implementing a range of programs aimed at sustainable use of wildlife.

Consistent implementation of comprehensive measures under the Sate Program of Game Husbandry Development, Republican Program of Fishery Development and law enforcement in the area of wildlife protection and management resulted in a constant increase in husbandry resources and fish stock restoration.

Thus, over the last three years the total number of wild ungulate animals grew by 18.5% to reach nearly 132,000 (the moose deer population grew by 18.6%, that of deer – by 6.6%, roe deer – 8.5%, wild boar – 32.9%).

According to estimates, the total fish stock in Belarus’ fisheries is 17.92 thousand tonnes.

Since 2006 commercial catch grew more than 1.8 times and reached 1070 tonnes in 2008, an increase of 19.9% as compared to 2007. The amateur catch totaled 7,800 tonnes. There is a stable upward trend in fish catch both commercial and amateur.

To ensure rational management of wildlife, hunting and fishing facilities of Belarus have been regularly inspected.

Unit 3

A DNA Library

Within the past few years, the technologies of recombinant DNA have mushroomed. We will follow a typical sequence of procedures that might be used to solve a particular problem or to produce a specific product.

The first task in recombinant DNA technology is to produce a DNA library – a readily accessible, easily duplicable assemblage of all the DNA of a particular organism. The entire set of genes carried by a member of any given species is called a genome. Why build a DNA library of a species’ genome? A DNA library organizes the DNA in a way that researchers can use it. restriction enzymes, plasmids, and bacteria are the most commonly used tools in assembling a DNA library.

Many bacteria produce restriction enzymes, which sever DNA at particular nucleotide sequences. In nature, restriction enzymes defend bacteria against viral infections by cutting apart the viral DNA. (The bacteria protect their own DNA, probably by attaching methyl groups to some of the DNA nucleotides.) Researchers have isolated restriction enzymes and use them to break DNA into shorter strands at specific sites.

Most restriction enzymes recognize and sever palindromic sections of DNA, in which the nucleotide order is the same in one direction on one strand as in the reverse direction on other strand. (A palindrome is a word that reads the same forward and backward, such as “madam”.) These single-stranded cut pieces of the DNA fragment are called ‘sticky ends’, because they will stick to (form hydrogen bonds with) other single-stranded cut pieces of DNA with the complementary series of bases. If the appropriate DNA repair enzyme (called DNA ligase) is added, DNA from different sources cut by the same restriction enzyme can be joined as if the DNA had occurred naturally. Segments of DNA from fundamentally different types of organisms, such as bacteria and humans, can be joined if they have complementary sticky ends.

Many different restriction enzymes have been isolated from various species of bacteria. Each cuts DNA apart at different but specific palindromic nucleotide sequences. The variety of restriction enzymes has enabled molecular geneticists to identify and isolate specific segments of DNA from many organisms, including humans.

Suppose now that human DNA is isolated from white blood cells and is cut apart into many small fragments with a restriction enzyme. The same restriction enzyme is then used to sever the DNA of bacterial plasmids. Now both human and plasmid DNA have complementary sticky ends that, when mixed, form hydrogen bonds. When DNA ligase is added, it bonds the sugar-phosphate backbones together, inserting segments of human DNA into plasmids.

The new rings of plasmid-human DNA (recombinant DNA) are mixed with bacteria, which take up the recombinant DNA. Millions or billions of plasmids collectively could incorporate DNA from the entire human genome. Usually, 100 to 1000 times more bacteria than plasmids are used, so that no individual bacterium ends up with more than one recombinant DNA molecule. The resulting population of bacteria containing recombinant plasmid-human DNA constitutes a human DNA library.

Unit 4

Lisbjerg Green Quality Plan

The Lisbjerg Green Quality Plan is an overall strategy towards developing the areas of a new city for about 10.000 inhabitants, outside the centre of Aarhus, the second biggest city in Denmark. The layout of the new city is dominated by large green areas laid out in a fan, that references to the old typical danish star shaped pattern. The Green Quality Plan gives out guidelines for the green areas defined in the already fixed master plan. The areas inside the new city will have a high quality of landscape, but also around the city there will be close to forests, lakes and meadows.

The focus points in developing the plan, has been on how to make space for modern living, with focus on closeness, health, identity, togetherness, sustainability, nature and history.

In connection to the focus on sustainability it has been of great importance to focus on handling the rainwater and on how the surplus land from building the city can be used on site as land formations that will give the city identity.

The landscape in the new city shall be the element that connects the high density housing with mixed appearance. The landscape has to be a significant space that is heterogeneous, active, challenging and inviting.

The city’s green spaces should basically be thought of as social spaces that provide people to interact with each other. Parks, sports fields and playgrounds are central meeting places in the new city. It is the kind of place where the very important informal and random encounters between people occurs.

The plan is divided into different landscape characters; the forests, the strips and the avenues.

 The forests lie in the edge of the plan and connect the new city to the existing forestland works as a buffer between the new city and the highway.

The avenues works as connecting roads/ paths, that makes the underlined star shape visible, and as connections between the strips. The avenues in the star shape, has their centre in the town common. The avenues, that connects the strips crosses the other avenues.

The strips work as nearby recreational areas that will encourage to everyday activity, different nature experiences, and make space for peace and contemplation. The strips will have a large variety that will give each area its own identity; this will be good not only for the sense of belonging but also towards a better orientation in the new city. In the strips there are laid out a number of different characters and functions all connected by paths. The different functions in the strips are: sports, lakes, ‘superfurnitures’, fruit grooves, historical elements, land formations, water features, meadows, nature, town common and lots more.

In the strips the management of the rainwater will give the spaces an extra dimension with the sound and feeling that water provides. By making water a key element it creates other advantages. Water sounds have a meditative and relaxing effect on people and it can also serve as an element you meet around.

 To create a feeling of identity in the strips,’ superfurnitures’ are scattered almost randomly throughout the new urban area. ‘Superfurnitures’ are huge permanent elements designed so simple that they are not perceived as art, but will invite to be sat or climbed upon.

Today the city is slowly being developed and over the next 20-30 years it will be finished. The Green Quality Plan will be a guideline every time a new housing area is being built in the new city of Lisbjerg. The landscape in between the houses will be developed alongside the housing and sometimes even before.

Unit 5