Introduction to the

UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE Environment

ENVIRONMENT
Structure
1.1 Introduction
Objectives
1.2 Concept of the Environment
1.3 Types of Environments
1.4 Concept of Biosphere and Ecosystem
1.5 Why should We be Concerned about the Environment
1.6 Summary
1.7 Terminal Questions

1.1 INTRODUCTION
The Earth is the only planet known to support life as we know it. It supplies us with
all the resources, the materials we use and the food that we eat or drink. All living
organisms have a specific surrounding or medium with which they continuously
interact, from which they derive sustenance and to which they are fully adapted. This
surrounding is their environment.
An understanding of the environment requires that we know what makes up the
environment, and what its limits are and why is a scientific study of the environment
important. In the natural world where we all live on the planet Earth, life is confined
to a very thin sphere around the globe where conditions for sustenance are favourable.
Anywhere below or above this layer conditions become limiting. In introducing the
environment we familiarize you with the various components of the environment and
their interaction that make the functional units. You will come to appreciate the
interdependence of various components of the environment as you proceed along this
course.
Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
• define environment;
• describe the various components that make the environment ;
• distinguish between natural and man-made environment;
• recognize the significance of the environment for life’s proper functioning; and
• understand the concept of biosphere and its functional unit − the ecosystems.

1.2 CONCEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Prior to 1950s, for most people the term environment meant the set of conditions at
home or in their work places. In the years that followed, with the publication of
Rachel Carson’s landmark book “Silent Springs ” (1960) as well as the occurrence of
major environmental events such as the spilling of oil along the picturesque northern
coast of France, the death of fish and other organisms in thousands in Swedish lakes
due to long range air pollution and the much publicized threats of extinction of many
species, the concept of the environment gained widespread acceptance.
Today the environment is widely accepted as a major issue for the very survival of
humans and other life forms the world over with serious social and political
ramifications. It is realised that a concern for the environment is an integral part of the
overall process of development and economic growth. This issue is particularly
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Our Environment and its important for developing nations, which need to keep promoting economic activities
Components in order to improve the living standards of their people.
At present there are three points on which there is general agreement with regards to
the environment:
• The environment is a common concern for both industrial and developing
countries although problems resulting from poverty and affluence are different.
• The solution of environmental problems can only be achieved through
international cooperation.
• Integration of economic growth and environmental protection must be done
according to the sustainable development approach.
Although the importance of certain environmental issues may change with time, the
principles governing the underlying biological and physical systems do not change.
Hence, the basic ecological concepts need to be understood too, for Ecology deals
with the interactions between the organisms and their environment.
Let us now examine what we mean by the environment in scientific terms. You are
aware that no organism can exist in isolation, without interacting with other organisms
and its physical influences like light, moisture, temperature soil etc., in very broad
terms we can say its env ironment or surroundings. Thus we can define environment
as the sum total of living and non-living components, influences and events
surrounding an organism. The living components are called the biotic components
while the non-living are called abiotic or physical components (Table 1.1). However,
The term ecology was it is important to understand that the living and physical components are intimately
coined in 1868. It has been interwoven and interdependent, they cannot be looked upon in isolation and we
derived from two Greek
words Oikos meaning home
classify them in separate categories only for convenience.
or estate and Logos meaning
For example, the Earth as a planet has been profoundly altered by the life that inhabits
study.
it. The Earth’s air, oceans, soils and sedimentary rocks are very different from what
they were before the evolution of life. In many ways, life helps control the makeup of
air, oceans and sediments.
Table 1.1: Components of the environment

Abiotic Biotic
Light (Energy, Radiation) Microbes
Atmospheric gases and wind Plants
Temperature and heat flow Animals
Water (including human beings)
Gravity
Topography
Geological Substratum
Soil

The physical components set the condition for the survival of the biotic components
which in turn take care of the maintenance of the environment. Thus linkages among
components of the environment are pathways for the flow of energy and cycling of
materials For example, green plants obtain essential resources from the physical realm
− water and minerals from the soil, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and light
energy from the sun, and manufacture their food. Animals depend on plants and other
animals for their source of food. We in turn harvest the land and the seas for our food;
obtain minerals, fuel from the Earth’s crust. We will learn more about these later in
this course.
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 Introduction to the
1.3 TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS Environment

Recall the definition of the environment, and consider a fish living in a natural pond.
Its external environment will be the water in the pond which it primarily inhabits.
The water would contain nutrients, oxygen and other organisms that the fish requires
to sustain its life. As opposed to the external environment, the body cavity within the
fish provides an internal environment quite separate from the outside environment.
The body surface acts as an exchange barrier between the internal and the external
environment of the fish. The internal environment is relatively stable as compared to
the external environment. However, illness and injury or even environmental stress
can upset it. But when the cause of the upset is removed, the internal environment
comes back to its original condition.
The pond which the fish inhabits is a natural environment. The abiotic factors of the
pond, like light, temperature, depth, nutrients, and dissolved gases will provide the life
supporting chemical and physical factors for the fish. The other living organisms
inhabiting the pond, like bacteria, insects, worms, molluscs, tadpoles, frogs,
submerged vegetation etc. could be food for the fish. Examples of such natural
environments on land include forests, grasslands, savannah, deserts, etc. In any of
these natural environments the climate, physiological, edaphic (soil-related) and biotic
factors interact with each other and influence the life forms. So far we have discussed
only the natural environment but there are several components of environment which
are created by humans, like crops fields, cities, industrial spaces etc. (Fig.1.1and
Table 1.2). These are places made artificially by humans through planned
manipulation. For example, let us consider a city. The city environment is totally
created by human beings. One of the most important components − water is not taken
from streams directly but is first filtered, purified and used for drinking and other
municipal purposes. The metabolic waste and garbage are not disposed off locally but
are carried for treatment or dumping to a remote place, away from the city. Food for
the people in cities often comes from rural areas.

Natural
Environment
Ocean,
lakes/ponds,
rivers, forest,
grasslands,
deserts etc.

Man-modified
Environment
Orchards,
plantations,
sanctuaries ,
parks,

Man-made
Environment
Industries, cities,
towns, crop
fields, artificial
lakes, dams

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Our Environment and its Fig.1.1: Examples of different types of environment
Components
An environment made by humans results in the consumption of excessive amounts of
materials and energy necessitating care, supervision and management, and often
interferes with the natural environment.
Significance of the environment for life
Whatever type of environment organisms inhabit, they all need life supporting
elements for their survival. These include air that they breathe, food and water they
take in, and shelter either as natural enclosures (like caves and tree holes) or as
artificial dwellings (like houses). Env ironment is the only source that provides these
life supporting elements.
We make use of the land for cultivating crops. Soils provide nutrients needed for the
growth of plants. The land form determines the soil types found in any one area and
soil itself varies from place to place. Some soils are rich in nutrients and others are
lacking in them. The soils lacking nutrients need the addition of fertilizer s.
Climate and short term weather changes are characterized mainly by wind,
temperature, pressure and rainfall and are determined by the properties of the
atmosphere. Air in the atmosphere provides living organisms with oxygen, without
which survival of most of the living organisms will be threatened.
From the above description you have learnt about the concept of the environment, the
different types of environments and about the significance of the environment for life.
Next we will find out where these environments exist on planet Earth.

SAQ 1
Define the environment and explain the difference between external and internal
environment.

1.4 CONCEPT OF BIOSPHERE AND ECOSYSTEM

The relatively thin zone of air, soil and water where life exists is known as the
biosphere . It extends from the depths of the oceans to about 10 km high up in the
atmosphere and includes all the rivers, lakes, ponds as well as the solid sediments that
exchange material with living beings. Life in this zone depends on the Sun’s energy
and on the circulation of heat and essential nutrients. The only exceptions are the life
forms found in the deep-sea hydrothermal vents that depend on the energy from the
Earth. This energy is used and given off as materials are recycled. Since living
organisms need essential elements for survival like air, water and land, the biosphere
includes parts of th e atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere (Fig.1.2).
When the concept of the biosphere was first proposed it was considered to be the
Earth’s integrated living and non-living life supporting system. Although it was
proposed as early as 1920, by the Russian scientist Valdimir Ivanovich Vernadsky
(1868-1945) it was only in the recent times that it has been widely adopted and used.
The integration of living organisms and the non-living life supporting system
mentioned in the concept of the biosphere has occurred in many ways. For instance,
the biosphere
• contributes to the global energy system;
• affects rates and patterns of weathering within the lithosphere;
• plays an important role in the water cycle;
• links the lower atmosphere (troposphere) with the lithosphere;

8 • provides a vehicle for the transfer of chemicals via the bio -geochemical cycles.
 Introduction to the
Environment

Fig.1.2: Idealized scheme of the biosphere in relation to atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.
The area of contact and interaction between these components is important for life, for it
is here that the basic processes of life like photosynthesis and respiration occur

You will come to know more about the above processes in later units.
Originally the concept of the biosphere was applied to the Earth’s surface where plants
and animals made their home. In recent times the biosphere has been extended by
Gaia hypothesis to include parts of the atmosphere and subsurface geology that were
previously thought of as non-living.
For centuries scientists have viewed the Earth and its environmental systems as a sort
of mechanical machine, driven by physical forces like volcanoes, rock weathering and
the water cycle. It was clear that organic activities played an important role in some
environmental systems, such as the biogeochemical cycles. However, until quite
recently biological factors were seen as secondary to physical and chemical ones.
A revolutionary new theory was put forward by James Lovelock in 1970s. He called it
the Gaia hypothesis, after the Greek Earth goddess. The theory was revolutionary
because it treated the Earth as a single living organism, in which the biological,
chemical and physical factors played important roles. Lovelock argued that the Earth’s
living and nonliving systems form an inseparable whole, regulated and kept adapted
for life by living organisms themselves. He sees Gaia as a complex entity involving
the Earth’s biosphere, atmosphere, oceans and soil and constituting a feedback system
which seeks an optimal physical and chemical environment for life on this planet.
However, Lovelock regarded the biosphere as a “single organism ” (called a super The term ecosystem was
coined by the British plant
organism by some scientists). ecologist Sir Arthur George
Tansley to stress the concept
Looking closely at plants and animals in the biosphere, naturalists observed groups of of each locale or habitat as an
plants and animals in the biosphere arranged in an orderly manner. Two concepts integrated whole.
emerged from their observations which led to the use of the term “ecosystem” to
describe the complex interactions between living organisms and their non-living
surroundings.
The first concept was that plants and animals formed a natural association, each with
distinctive members. Just like morphological data allowed systematists to assign
species to a hierarchy of taxonomic groups, detailed studies of the ecological
distributions of plants led to the classification of biological communities.
The second concept was the realization that organisms are linked, both directly and
indirectly by means of their feeding relationships. Arising from these, the concept of
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Our Environment and its the ecosystem was formulated. A system is a collection of interdependent parts that
Components function as a unit and involve inputs and outputs. An ecosystem represents the sum of
all natural organisms and the non-living life supporting substances within an area. It
was considered as an open system with a ser ies of major inputs and outputs and these
effectively “drive” the internal dynamics of the system.
The ability to recognize distinctive ecosystems in the biosphere gave ecologists a
convenient scale with which to consider plants and animals and their interaction. This
is because it is more localized and thus more specific than the whole biosphere. A
variety of natural ecosystems are found in the biosphere and you will come to know
about them, their components and their functioning in later units.

SAQ 2
What is the Gaia Hypothesis?

1.5 WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE

ENVIRONMENT
Why is there so much concern about the environment today ? The answer is simple;
our very existence depends on the conservation or well being of the environment. The
unprecedented population growth and economic progress of the 19th and 20th centuries
have expanded our demands on the environment. However, today the whole world
particularly the developing countries are facing a near -crises situation regarding the
environment.
Perception of environmental concerns differs with different societies. What some
people may consider to be a serious problem may be the solution for a different
problem. For example, if a factory is set up in a village, the villagers might be happy
because as it provides more jobs for the local population’s economic growth. While
some others may feel that the setting up of the factory would pollute the environment,
generate more waste and decrease the standard of living.
However, broadly there are three prevailing viewpoints regarding the environmental
concerns:
1. The environmental concern is a conspiracy of the developed First World against
progress in the Third World and that environment will become an issue of
importance only when the underdeveloped countries reach the levels of
production and consumption of the industrialised nations.
2. The second viewpoint argues strongly that the emphasis on preserving for
instance, the tiger and the aesthetic beauty of green belts is diverting the attention
from the problems of the poor and that environment has nothing to do with
providing a better deal to the large and ever-growing population.
3. The third, in a paradoxical turn, holds this very same, large and ever -growing
population responsible for the environmental crisis, maintaining that there is too
little of everything except people.
The three different views illustrate how little we know of ecosystems and eco-
balance. Let us examine each of these views briefly.
The first view is that environmental concerns are the business of rich countries which
cause most of the pollution. But environment and development are not necessarily
incompatible. The mistake made by developed countries can be avoided if proper
developmental strategies are worked out. Further, there is no division such as the
environment of developed countries and that of developing countries. Degradation of
the environment is going to affect each of us irrespective of the country, region or
area. An example is the Chernobyl disaster which has the potential to affect a total of
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thousands of human and animal lives and devastate large areas of land within and Introduction to the
Environment
outside the former Soviet Union.

Fig.1.3: Chernobyl and its effect on human beings

(Source : ohamill.netfirms.com/chernobyl.htm and
http://www.cems.alfred.edu/students/wirkuscp)

Proponents of the second viewpoint would prefer development to improve the lot of
the poor at the cost of environmental conservation. But in this model the poor will get
the worst of everything, including the effects of pollution resulting from
industrialization and urbanization. We had a burning example of this in Bhopal
tragedy in which thousands of the poorest of poor people died. The poor are worst
affected by impure drinking water, unsanitary living conditions, disease and so on.
The point raised in the third viewpoint that population pressure leads to environmental
degradation is an old one. The problem is not so much of the poor destroying the
environment by their sheer numbers as that they are deprived of their share in the
distribution of resources. It should, therefore, be clear that there are factors other than
poverty and population which are responsible for the pollution on the Earth.
You must understand that environment is not just pretty trees, threatened plants,
animals and ecosystem. It is literally the entity on which we all subsist, and on which
the entire agricultural and industrial development depends. Development without
concern for the environment can only be short term development often causing
enormous environmental degradation apart from human suffering, increased poverty
and oppression. With these few words of caution, we summarise the contents of this
unit.

1.6 SUMMARY
• The concept of environment is the surrounding of an organism, including its life
supporting physical and biological factors.
• The different types of environments include external environment, internal
environment of an organism and the natural and man made environment in which
the spec ies survive.
• Biosphere is the region on the Earth where all living organisms survive. An
ecosystem is the basic functional unit in nature, defined by ecologists. Ecologists
help to understand the complex relationships between living organisms and their
surrounding.
• Human beings in search of food shelter and material comfort affect the
environment either advertently or inadvertently. The impact of the human society
has multiplied over last several hundred years.
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Our Environment and its
Components

1.7 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Define the terms environment, biosphere and ecosystems.
2. Describe the concept of biosphere.
3. Discuss the significance of the environment to living organisms.

REFERENCES
1. The Environment − Principles and Applications by Chris Park.
2. Human Environment Block 1 IGNOU publication.

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