Environment

‘ Environment’ is derived from the French word Environner,

which means to encircle or surround. All physical and
biological surroundings of an organism along with their
interactions.
The sum total of water, air and land and the interrelationship that
exist among them and with the human beings, other living
organisms and materials.
 Environmental Studies
Environmental studies deals with every issue that affects an
organism.

It is essentially a multidisciplinary approach that brings about an

appreciation of our natural world and human impacts on its
integrity.

It is an applied science as its seeks practical answers to making

human civilization sustainable on the earth’s finite resources.
Its components include biology, geology, chemistry, physics,
engineering, sociology, health, anthropology , economics
statistics, computers and philosophy.
 Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
1. Life sciences including botany, zoology, microbiology,
genetics, biochemistry, biotechnology help in understanding
the biotic components and their interactions.

2. The physical and chemical structure of the biotic components

and energy transfer and flow are understood with the help of
basic concept of physics, chemistry, atmospheric science and
oceanography.

3. Mathematics, statics and computer science serve as effective

tools in environmental modelling and management.
4. Economics, sociology and mass communication provides the
input for dealing with socio economic aspects associated with
various developmental activities.

5. A synthesis with environmental engineering, civil engineering

and chemical engineering form the basis for various
technologies dealing with the control of environmental
pollution, waste treatment and development of cleaner
technologies that are important for protection of environment.

6. Environmental laws provide the tools for effective

management and protection of the environment.
 OBJECTIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

1. Creating the awareness about environmental problems in the

students.

2. Giving basic knowledge about the environment

and its related problems to the students.

3. Developing an attitude of concern for the environment amongst

the students.

4.Motivating students to participate in

environment protection and environment improvement.

5. Acquiring skills to help the concerned individuals in

identifying and solving environmental problems.
 Scope of Environmental Studies
Scope of the environmental studies is broad based and it
encompasses a large no of areas and aspects broadly listed
below.
1.Natural resources–their conservation and management.
2. Ecosystem structure and function.
3. Environmental pollution and control .
4. Environmental management.
5. Research and development.
6. Environmental journalism.
7. Balance between Environment and industrial growth.
1. Natural resources-conservation:- Natural aspects such as forests
contribute towards maintaining a balance in the environment,
managing and maintaining of forests and wild life is an
important task under natural resources conservation.

2. Ecosystem structure and function:- The study of the ecosystem

mainly consists of the study of the processes that link with the
biotic components to the non living (or) abiotic components.

3. Environmental pollution and control:- With the knowledge of

the environmental science one can look for methods to control
pollution and manage waste effectively.
4. Environmental management:- There are several independent
environmental consultants working with the central and state
pollution control boards. These consultants offer advice related
to environment problems and their solutions. The consultants
involved in policy making, pollution control and maintenance
of ecological balance
5. Research and development:- With increase in public awareness,
regarding environment issues, there is tremendous scope for
research and development in this field. They conduct research
studies in order to develop theories of monitoring and
controlling environment.

6. Environmental journalism:- There is an increasing demand for

people who can report on environment issues to generate
awareness among people. Environmental journalism is an
emerging field which helps in bringing environmental
problems to public notice.
7. Balance between Environment and industrial growth. Rapid
industrialization is increasingly degrading the environment
to minimize this, there is a
growing trend towards manufacturing of “green” goods
and products.
 Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a region with a specific and recognizable
landscape form, such as forest, grassland, desert, wetland or
coastal area.
The living community of plants and animals in any area together
with the non-living components of the environment such as
soil, air and water, constitute the ecosystem.

• Some ecosystems are fairly robust and are less affected by a

certain level of human disturbance.
• Others are highly fragile and are quickly destroyed by
human activities.
Mountain ecosystems are extremely fragile as degradation of
forest cover leads to severe erosion of soil and changes in
river courses.
Island ecosystems are easily affected by any form of human
activity which can lead to the rapid extinction of several of
their unique species of plants and animals.
Evergreen forests and coral reefs are also examples of species
rich fragile ecosystems which must be protected against a
variety of human activities that lead to their degradation.
River and wetland ecosystems can be seriously affected by
pollution and changes in surrounding land use.
 Structure of Ecosystem
A. Biotic components
• Producers
• Consumers
• decomposers
B. Abiotic components
• Physical factors,
• Chemical factors
 Biotic components
• Producers
Mainly green plants that mainly synthesize food by the process of
photosynthesis.

• Consumers
Organisms who get there food by feeding upon other organisms.
They may be of one of following:
Herbivores (plant eaters)
Carnivores (meat eaters)
Omnivores (feed on plants and animals)
Detrivores ( feed on dead organisms, waste, decomposed

matter, for e.g termites, ants, crabs,

earthworms)
 Abiotic components
Physical and chemical components of an ecosystem. Include climatic factors,
soil factors, geographic factors, energy, nutrients, and toxic substances.
• Physical factors
Sunlight and related factors, temperature related factors, rainfall
related factors, water related factors, wind related factors, soil related
factors, etc.
• Chemical factors
Availability of major essential nutrients like carbon, nitrogen,
oxygen, salts, presence of organic matter in soil, etc.

Biotic and abiotic components are influenced by each other and are linked
together through energy flow and matter cycle.
 Functions of Ecosystem

• Food chain, Food web and trophic structures

• Energy flow
• Cycle of nutrients ( Biogeochemical cycles),
• Primary and secondary production
• Ecosystem development and regulation
• Food chain
Sequence of eating and being eaten in an ecosystem is known as food chain.
There are two major types of food chains:
1. Grazing food chain
2. Detritus food chain

• Trophic level
Each food level in a food chain is called as trophic level and the amount of
living matter at each level is at any given time is known as standing crop/biomass.

• Food web
It is a network of food chains where different types of organisms are
connected at different trophic levels, so that there are a number of options of eating
and being eaten at each trophic level.
 Ecological pyramids

An ecological pyramid is basically a pyramidal depiction of

the number of organisms, biomass, and productivity in each
trophic level in an ecosystem.

Typically, ecological pyramids start with producers located at the

bottom and transcend through various trophic levels as you go
up the pyramid. The top of the pyramid represents the highest
level in the food chain.
 Ecological pyramids – Types

A. Pyramid of numbers

B. Pyramid of biomass

C. Pyramid of energy
 Pyramid of numbers

The first pyramid is the pyramid of numbers which graphically

represents the population (total number of individuals) present
at each trophic level.

We may have upright or inverted pyramid of numbers. A

grassland/forest and pond ecosystem are upright ecosystem.
Parasitic food chain is inverted.
 Pyramid of Biomass
Pyramid of biomass is a depiction of the amount of food available at each
trophic level. Most the biomass that animals consume is used to provide
the energy, converted to new tissues, or just remain undigested.

Like the pyramid of numbers, the pyramid of biomass can either have two
forms: upright and inverted. Usually, terrestrial ecosystems are
characterized by an upright pyramid of biomass having a larger base
(primary producers) with the smaller trophic levels (consumers) located at
the top.

On the other hand, aquatic ecosystems are the complete opposite as they will
assume the inverted structure of the pyramid. This is because the
phytoplankton producers (with generally smaller biomass) are located at
the base while the consumers having larger biomass are located at the top
of the pyramid.
 Pyramid of Energy

This pyramid shows that energy is transferred from lower

trophic levels with more amount of energy (producers) to
higher ones (consumers) and converted in the biomass.

Unlike the first two ecological pyramids, the pyramid of energy

is always illustrated in an upright position, with the largest
energy carriers at the base.
Pyramid of energy is always upright.
 Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

Energy has been defined as the capacity to do work.

The source of energy required by all living organisms is the chemical

energy of their food.

Energy flow is always unidirectional or one way flow. Unlike the

nutrients (like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous etc.), which move in
cyclic manner and are reused by the producers after flowing
through the food chain, energy is not reused in the food chain.
Flow of energy follows the two laws of thermodynamics.
 Energy Flow models

Flow of energy through the universe can be explained with

the help of following three models:

– Universal energy flow model

– Single channel energy flow model

– Double channel energy flow model

 Biogeochemical cycle
Nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous etc. move in
circular paths through biotic and abiotic components and are
therefore known as biogeochemical cycle.

Some important biochemical cycles are:

A. Nitrogen cycle
B. Carbon cycle
C. Phosphorus cycle
 Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen is present in large amount in atmosphere and is fixed either by physical
process of lightening and biologically by bacteria (such as algae).

Nitrogen is taken up by plants and used in metabolism for biosynthesis of amino

acids, proteins, vitamins etc. and pass through the food chain.

By the process of ammonification , after death of plants/animals, dead tissues are

decomposed into ammonia by microscopic organisms.

By the process of nitrification, Ammonia is converted into nitrites and nitrates

which are again used by plants.

Some bacteria convert molecular nitrogen , which is released back into

atmosphere.
 Carbon cycle

Plants use Carbon, in the form of Carbon dioxide , which is taken as as raw
material by plants in the process of photosynthesis, to produce a variety of
carbohydrates and other organic matter.

Carbon moves through the food chain and is ultimately returned to the
atmosphere by microbial action on dead matter.

Carbon levels in the atmosphere are increased due to burning of fossils fuels,
which in turn will lead to global warming and other natural disbalance.

Carbon dioxide is directly fixed by aquatic plants.

 Phosphorous cycle
Reservoir of Phosphorous lie in rocks, fossils etc and are excavated by men
for using it as fertilizer. It is used by farmers to increase crop yield.

Excess phosphate deposits in lakes leads to algae blooms.

A good proportion of phosphates reaches the oceans and is lost in the deep
sediments. Therefore, humans are overusing the phosphorous lying in
phosphate rocks of the earth. This is making the phosphorous cycle
acyclic.

Sea birds are playing an important role in phosphorous cycle by eating sea
fishes which are rich in phosphorous and returning this phosphorous as
waste/dropping/excreta to the land.
 Important steps of phosphorus cycle:

• Weathering

• Absorption by Plants

• Absorption by Animals

• Return to the Environment through Decomposition

 Biodiversity

Variety and variability among the group of living organisms and the
ecosystem in which they occur.

Biodiversity forms the foundation of the vast array of ecosystem services that
critically contribute to human well-being.

Biodiversity is important in human-managed as well as natural ecosystems.

Decisions humans make that influence biodiversity affect the well-being of

themselves and others.
 Types of Biodiversity

A. Genetic diversity

B. Species diversity

C. Ecosystem diversity
 Levels of Biodiversity

A. Global biodiversity

B. National biodiversity

C. Regional/Local biodiversity
 Value of Biodiversity
Value of biodiversity is measured in terms of its commercial
utility, ecological services, Social use and Aesthetic value.

Value of biodiversity can be classified in terms of :

1. Consumptive use value
2. Productive use value
3. Social value
4. Ethical value
5. Aesthetic value
6. Option value
7. Ecosystem service value
 Causes of Biodiversity Depletion
1. Habitat Destruction
2. Hunting
3. Exploitation of Specific Species
4. Fragmentation of Habitat
5. Zoo and Research related capture of species,
6. Introduction of Exotic Species,
7. Ill effects of Pollution
8. Pests and Predators control measures
9. Natural Calamities, and
10. Other Factors.
 Measures for Conservation of Biodiversity
1. Enactment of legislation by Government
2. National parks (Nature preserves)
3. Strictly controlling the amount/type of invasive species
4. Restoration of natural habitat
5. Breeding in captivity and establishment of seed banks
6. Emphasis on research
7. Climate change control
8. Purchase sustainable products
9. Sustainable living
10. Education