Dr.
Sristisri Upadhyaya
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Botany
Mangaldai College
Darrang-784125, Assam
What is called Environment ?
French word ‘ENVIRON’ means
encircle
Everything that affects an
organism during its lifetime is
collectively known as its
environment.
Basic components of environment :
Atmosphere Hydrosphere
Lithosphere Biosphere
Environmental science is the understanding of the
functions of various components of environment.
OR
It is the combination of physical and social science that
integrates knowledge from several disciplines including
physics, chemistry, biology (especially ecology), geology,
geography, engineering, resource conservation and
management, demography, economics, politics, sociology,
psychology, law and ethics.
We can say environmental science is the study of
interaction of biotic components ( plants,
animals, microorganisms) among themselves and
together with the abiotic component (temperature,
rainfall, RH, soil, air, fire, atmosphere and topography)
of nature = the environmental biology = ecology.
OR
In other words we can say that environmental science is
the study of how all the components of nature and
human societies adapt and interact. For example,
the human environment.
The study of environmental science is of great
importance from the human perspectives. Because
any kind of socioeconomic development plan of human
is interrelated with the environment or vice versa.
From a human perspective environmental issues involve
concerns about science , nature , health , employment,
profits , politics , ethics and economics.
On the other hand most social and political decisions
are made with respect to political jurisdiction but
environmental problems do not necessarily coincide
with the artificial political boundaries.
Study of environmental science receives top priority
because there occur vast difference between resource
need and its availability OR demand and supply .
Most of the environmental problems come from over
utilization of Natural Resources. Many environmental
problems presently we are facing are due to :
Over population
Wasteful use of resources
Destruction and degradation of wildlife habitats
Deforestation
Depletion and contamination of surface and ground
water.
Depletion of non-renewable fuels and minerals.
Conversion of productive croplands and grazing
lands to desert and desertification or else.
Loss of biodiversity due to extinction etc.
All are interconnected.
Major environmental problems arising out of the
over utilization of earths resources
Air Pollution Biodiversity Depletion
Major Environmental
Problems
Water Pollution Waste Production
Food Supply Problems
What are Resources ?
All means of satisfying human needs, at a given time
and place are resources.
What are Natural Resources ?
Natural components like land, rain, water, minerals,
forest, wildlife, or even a man himself are considered
as natural resources
Types of Natural Resources
a) Renewable (Flow) Resources: Resources capable of
natural regeneration; provided their capacity to
regenerate is not damaged by natural catastrophe or
human activities. Once degraded beyond a certain
point, resources may never recover. Eg. Clean water,
flora, fauna, soil, clear air.
b) Non renewable (stock) resources: Available in finite
quantities; renewal is very slow compared to human
life. Eg. Oil and Natural gas, other minerals, ground
water etc.
c) Continuous Resources: Continues to be available
(with possible exceptions.) Eg. Solar energy, wind,
gravity, tidal energy, geothermal energy etc.
d) Extrinsic Resources: fickle resources prone to
breakdown or degradation (need well management).
Eg. Human skills, institutions, management abilities
etc.
Environmental Management
Control the population growth.
Conserve natural resources like water,
forest, soil, biodiversity.
Reduce the waste of matter and energy
resources.
Place more emphasis on pollution
prevention and waste reduction.
Compost, recycle and reuse atleast 60% by
weight of matter from the resources we use.
Make things that last longer and are easier to
reuse, recycle and repair
Shift to dependence on locally available
renewable energy from the sun, wind, flowing
water and biomass.
Help sustain earth’s biodiversity with
emphasis on protecting vital habitat for wild
species.
Use potentially renewable resources such as
water, soil, plant and animals judiciously less
faster then they are renewed.
