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Introduction To Environmental Science LEC 1

The document provides an introduction to environmental science, defining it as the interdisciplinary study of how the earth works and how humans interact with and impact the environment. It describes the environment as consisting of interacting physical, biological, cultural, and psychological elements. Specifically, it outlines the abiotic components of the environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. It also describes the biotic component, including producers, consumers, and decomposers that make up ecosystems.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
236 views30 pages

Introduction To Environmental Science LEC 1

The document provides an introduction to environmental science, defining it as the interdisciplinary study of how the earth works and how humans interact with and impact the environment. It describes the environment as consisting of interacting physical, biological, cultural, and psychological elements. Specifically, it outlines the abiotic components of the environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. It also describes the biotic component, including producers, consumers, and decomposers that make up ecosystems.

Uploaded by

Fantu Gech6
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCE

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENT


LECTURE 1
DEFINITIONS

• ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-An interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subject that studies how


the earth works, how we interact with the earth, and how we can deal with the environmental
problems we face.
• ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-Is the systematic study of environment and human existence in it,
using scientific methods and provide socially acceptable, economically viable and
scientifically reliable solution to environmental problems.

Read: The difference between environmental science and environmental studies

Multidisciplinary: people from different disciplines or subjects work together, each drawing on their disciplinary knowledge.
Interdisciplinary: integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines or subjects, using a real synthesis of approaches.
ELEMENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Environment is constituted by the interacting systems of physical, biological, cultural and


Psychological elements inter-related in various ways, individually as well as collectively.

PHYSICAL ELEMENTS
These include space, landforms, water bodies, climate soils, rocks and minerals.
They determine the variable character of habitats, their opportunities as well as limitations.

BIOLOGICAL ELEMENTS
Include plants, animals, microorganisms and people that constitute the biosphere.

The can collectively be called as Bio-physical environment


ELEMENTS CONT’D

• BIO-PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT is essential life-supporting environment it includes the natural


resources that provide our basic needs and opportunities for social and economic
development.

• A clean, healthy environment is important for people's physical and emotional wellbeing.
ELEMENTS CONT’D

CULTURAL ELEMENTS
Economic and sociopolitical elements are essentially manmade features, which make up cultural environment.

▪ SOCIOPOLITICAL ENVIRONMENT: includes


the immediate social relationships, and cultural settings within
which defined groups of people function and interact. It includes:

• Built infrastructure; industrial and occupational structure, labor markets;


• Social, human, and health services
• Power relations; government
• Cultural practices; the arts, religious institutions, practices; and beliefs about place and community
ELEMENTS CONT’D

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

The economic environment is the sum total of the economic conditions and the nature of the
economy in which the people has to live and compete.

The economic conditions of people also have a huge impact on their physical health, mental
health and education.
e.g. People with low income, do not have access to good education and health facilities
ELEMENTS CONT’D

PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT

Is the interaction of the various sources of stress in our lives and how we respond to them,
both individually and as communities.
The psychological environment enables us to understand the personality of an individual.
Both the person and his goal form psychological environment
It also includes the perceptions and experiences pertaining to any environmental setting.
Some environments may be stimulating and exciting while others may be dull.
COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT

Environment mainly consists of atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.


But it can be roughly divided into two types such as
• Micro environment: refers to the immediate local surrounding of the organism
• Macro environment: refers to all the physical and biotic conditions that surround the organism
externally.

It can also be broadly classified as


• Abiotic component and
• Biotic component
COMPONENTS CONT’D

ABIOTIC OR PHYSICAL COMPONENT


• refers to all abiotic factors or conditions like temperature, light, rainfall, soil, minerals etc. It
mainly determines the type of the habitat or living conditions of the human population
• It comprises of
• Atmosphere (Air)
• Lithosphere (Solid) and
• Hydrosphere (Liquid)
Abiotic cont’d

ATMOSPHERE Is gaseous layer enveloping the earth. The atmosphere with oxygen in abundance is
unique to earth and sustains life. It mainly comprises 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon,
0.039% carbon dioxide, and traces of hydrogen, helium, and noble gases. The amount of water
vapor present is variable (0-3%).
Atmosphere cont’d

• Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits, Moving upward from
ground level, these layers are named
• Troposphere (up to 12km)- Holds all the air plants need for photosynthesis and animals need to breathe, and
also contains about 99% of all water vapor and aerosols
• Stratosphere (12 to 50km) - Home to Earth’s ozone layer, which protects us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet
radiation.
• Mesosphere (50-80km)- The top of this layer is the coldest place found within the Earth system, with an
average temperature of about -85 ℃
• Thermosphere (80- 700km)- In this layer, temperatures increase with altitude due to the very low density of
molecules found here. It is both cloud and water vapor-free.
• Exosphere (700 to 10,000km)- Molecules found here are of extremely low density, so this layer doesn’t behave like a
gas, and particles here escape into space. There is no weather at all in the exosphere
Abiotic cont’d

LITHOSPHERE is the solid outer section of earth which includes earth's crust (the "skin" of rock on the
outer layer of planet earth), as well as the underlying cool, dense, and fairly rigid upper part of
the upper mantle.
The lithosphere extends from the surface of earth to a depth of about 100 km. The main
component of lithosphere is earth’s tectonic plates.
It is bounded by the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere (another part of the upper
mantle) below.
There are two types of lithosphere: oceanic lithosphere and continental lithosphere. Oceanic
lithosphere is associated with oceanic crust, and is slightly denser than continental lithosphere.
Abiotic cont’d

HYDROSPHERE Comprises of all forms of water bodies on earth including on the surface, marine
(oceans, seas) freshwater (rivers, lakes, ponds, streams), underground (wells and aquifers) and in
the air (vapor in cloud and fog)
A planet's hydrosphere can be liquid, vapor, or ice.

The frozen part of Earth's hydrosphere is made of ice: glaciers, ice caps and icebergs. The frozen
part of the hydrosphere has its own name, the cryosphere.
HYDROSPHERE CONT’D

It covers 71% of earth’s surface. 97% of water found on earth is in the oceans in the form
of salt water. Only 3 % of water on earth is freshwater. Out of this, 30.8% is available as
groundwater and 68.9% is in frozen forms as in glaciers. Amount of 0.3% is available in
rivers, reservoirs and lakes and is easily accessible to man.
COMPONENTS CONT’D

BIOTIC COMPONENT
The biological component consisting of all living things such as plants, animals and small micro-
organisms like bacteria.

This component interacts with the abiotic component of the environment. This interaction of two
components forms various ecosystems and a self sufficient large ecosystem is called Biosphere
Biotic cont’d

All ecosystems consist of three different types of living organisms, PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS and
DECOMPOSERS

PRODUCERS: are generally green plants and other photosynthetic bacteria (e.g. Cyanobacteria)
which produces various organic substances such as carbohydrates, proteins etc. with the help of water,
soil and light energy
Producers are also called Autotrophs
There are two basic types of autotrophs: photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophs.
• Photoautotrophs use energy from sunlight to make food by photosynthesis. They include
plants, algae, and certain bacteria
• Chemoautotrophs use energy from chemical compounds to make food by chemosynthesis. They
include some bacteria and also Archaea (microorganisms that resemble bacteria)
Biotic cont’d

CONSUMERS: organisms that depend on other organisms for food


They include all animals and fungi. They also include many bacteria and even a few plants,
such as the pitcher plant.
Consumers are also called heterotrophs. Heterotrophs are classified by what they eat:
• Herbivores consume producers such as plants or algae. They are a necessary link between
producers and other consumers. Examples include deer, goat, rabbits, elephant etc.
• Carnivores consume animals. Examples include lions, polar bears, hawks, frogs, salmon,
and spiders.
• Omnivores consume both plants and animals. They include humans, pigs, mice, brown
bears, gulls, crows, and some species of fish.
Carnivore plants
Biotic cont’d

DECOMPOSERS
When organisms die, they leave behind energy and matter in their remains. Decomposers break down the remains
and other wastes and release simple inorganic molecules back to the environment. Producers can then use the
molecules to make new organic compounds.
Decomposers are classified by the type of organic matter they break down:

• Scavengers consume the soft tissues of dead animals, vultures, raccoons, and blowflies.
• Detritivores consume detritus- the dead leaves, animal feces, and other organic debris that collects on
the soil or at the bottom of a body of water. On land, detritivores include earthworms, millipedes, and dung
beetles. In water, detritivores include “bottom feeders” such as sea cucumbers and catfish.
• Saprotrophs are the final step in decomposition. They feed on any remaining organic matter that is left after
other decomposers do their work. Saprotrophs include fungi, bacteria, and single-celled protozoa.

Fungi are the only organisms that can decompose wood.


DISCUSSION

ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT


(HUMAN - ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION)
HUMAN - ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

Human environmental interactions can be defined as interactions between the human


social system and (the “rest” of) the ecosystem.
Human social systems and ecosystems are complex adaptive systems (Marten, 2001).
• Complex because ecosystems and human social systems have many parts and many
connections between these parts.
• Adaptive because they have feedback structures that promote survival in a
constantly changing environment.
INTERACTION CONT’D

HUMAN SOCIAL SYSTEM


In order to analyze human environmental interactions it is important to be aware of
specific characteristics of the human social system.
The type of society strongly influences peoples attitude towards nature, their behavior
and therefore their impact on ecosystems.
INTERACTION CONT’D

Important characteristics of human social systems include population size, social


organization, values, technology, wealth, education, knowledge etc.
Especially values and knowledge strongly influence peoples “view of life” and
consequently define the way people act.
The choice of possible actions is then limited by the available technology and wealth.
People modify the environment for their purposes and obtain benefits (ecosystem
services) from it. These ecosystem services are essential for human well-being
While using these resources people affect the environment in a lot of ways.
CONSTITUENTS OF WELL-BEING
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Security
Provisioning • Personal security
• Food • Secure recourse access
• Fresh water • Security from disasters
• Wood and fiber
• Fuel Basic material for
….
Supporting good life
Regulating • Adequate livelihoods
• Nutrient cycling
• Sufficient nutritious food
Freedom of
• Soil formation • Climate regulation choice and
• Shelter
• Primary production • Flood regulation
• ….. • Disease regulation
• Access to goods action
• Water purification Opportunity to be able
….. Health to achieve what an
• Strength individual values doing
Cultural • Feeling well and being
• Aesthetic • Access to clean air and
• Spiritual water
• Educational
• Recreational
….. Good Social relations
• Social cohesion
LIFE ON EARTH- BIODIVERSITY • Mutual respect
ARROW'S COLOR ARROW’S WIDTH • Ability to help others
Potential for mediation by Intensity of linkage between ecosystem
socioeconomical factors services and human well-being
Low Weak
Medium Medium
Source: millennium ecosystem assessment
High Strong
INTERACTION CONT’D

COEVOLUTION AND COADAPTATION


The terms coevolution and coadaptation describe the never-ending process of mutual
adjustment and change between human social systems and the environment.
Peoples actions have consequences on the environment. But also the environment
influences human activities. Human social systems have to adapt to their specific
environment. Natural phenomena like storms, earthquakes force people to react.
INTERACTION CONT’D

Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response Model
The drivers-pressures-state-impact-response (DPSIR) model was originally developed by
the European Environmental Agency (EEA) and is used to assess and manage
environmental problems.
Many national and European institutions adopted this conceptual framework. It
identifies the various causal chains of links between human activities and
environmental degradation.
Human activities increase pressure on the environment. The driving forces which initiate
human activities are mainly socio-economic and socio-cultural forces.
Driving Forces Pressures
Direct stress from the anthropic
Anthropic Activities and processes Generate
activities on the natural environment:
that cause pressure:
release of polluting substances
Production(agriculture, industry,
(emission to Air, Water, Waste…),
part of transports…), consumption,
radiation emissions, intake of natural
recreation…
Eliminate, recourses, use of soil, other changes of
reduce, the natural environment
prevent
Modify,
substitute, Influence,
remove modify

Restore,
influence
Responses
Actions of the anthropic system to State
solve environmental problems: Conditions and tendencies in the
pollution prevention and reduction natural environment: air, water and
activities, economic “environmental Compensate, soil quality, global temperatures,
damage” prevention and reduction, mitigate evolution patterns
sustainable use of resources…

Stimulate,
ask for
Impacts Provoke,
cause
Effects on the anthropic system due to
changes in the state of the natural
environment: negative consequences on
human health, economic loss in
Anthropic Activities : Action resulting from or production activities, floods…. Source: ISTAT, C. Costantino, F. Falcitelli, A. Femia, A.
influenced by human activity or intervention. Tuolini, OECD-Workshop, Paris, May 14–16, 2003)
THANK YOU!

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