Unit 1 Evs-Min

Subject Code: AP-127
Environmental Studies
Unit-1
Environment and Ecology
Lecture 1
Prepared by:
Ar. Kopal Khandelwal
Assistant Professor
Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Contents
• What is environment?
• Components of environment
• Ecology
• Basic concepts of ecology
• Keystone species
• Need for public Awareness

What is environment?????
• Environment is the sum total of all conditions and influences
that affect the development and life of all organisms on
earth.
• The living organisms vary from the lowest micro-organisms
such as bacteria, virus, fungus, etc. to the highest, including
man. Each organism has its own environment (physical and
biological).
• The word “environment” originates from “environ” which
means things that surround.
• As per definition of the Environment Protection Act,
environment includes all the physical and biological
surroundings and their interactions.
• Environment is the sum total of conditions that surrounds us
at a given point of time and space.
• It is comprised of the interacting systems of physical, biological and cultural elements
which are interlinked both individually and collectively.
• Environment is the total sum of conditions in which an organism has to survive or
maintain its life process. It influences the growth and development of living forms.
• Environment is the sum total of conditions that

surrounds us at a given point of time and space.
• It is comprised of the interacting systems of physical,
Physicall Biological
biological and cultural elements which are
interlinked both individually and collectively.
Cultural
Elements

• In other words environment refers to those surroundings that surrounds living beings
from all sides and affect their lives.
• It consists of atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
• It’s chief components are soil, water, air, organisms and solar energy. It has provided
us all the resources for leading a comfortable life.

Components of Environment
• Environment mainly consists of atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and
biosphere.
But it can roughly divided into two types:
a) Micro Environment: refers to the immediate local surroundings of the organism.
b) Macro environment: refers to all the physical and biotic conditions that surrounds
the organism externally
It can also be divided as:
c) Physical Environment: refers to all abiotic factors or conditions like temperature,
light, rainfall, soil, moisture etc. It comprises of atmosphere, lithosphere and
hydrosphere.
d) Biotic Environment: Includes all biotic factors or living forms like plants, animals,
micro organisms.

Ecology
• The word “Ecology” was coined by a German biologist in 1869 and is derived from
the Greek word, “Oikos” meaning “House”.
• Ecology is the branch of science that deals with the study of interactions between
living organisms and their physical environment.
• Both, living organism and their physical environment are closely inter-related and
they have continuous interaction so that any change in the environment has an
effect on the living organisms and vice-versa.
• Any unit of biosystem that includes all the organisms which function together
(biotic community) in a given area where they interact with the physical
environment is known as Ecosystem.

Ecology
• It is studied at various levels such as organism, population, community, biosphere,
and ecosystem.
• Ecologist’s primary goal is to improve their understanding of life
processes, adaptations and habitats, interactions and biodiversity of organisms.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
• The main aim of ecology is to understand the distribution of biotic and abiotic
factors of living things in the environment.
• The biotic and abiotic factors include the living and non-living factors and their
interaction with the environment.

Ecology
• Biotic Components
Biotic components are living factors of an ecosystem. A few examples of biotic
components include bacteria, animals, birds, fungi, plants, etc.
• Abiotic Components
Abiotic components are non-living chemical and physical factors of an ecosystem.
These components could be acquired from the atmosphere, lithosphere, and
hydrosphere. A few examples of abiotic components include sunlight, soil, air,
moisture minerals, and more.
Living organisms are grouped into biotic components

whereas non-living components like sunlight, water,
topography are listed under abiotic components.
Ecology
• The ecosystem is the functional unit in ecology as it consists of both the biotic
community (living organisms) and the abiotic environment.
• The latter has close interaction essential for maintenance of life processes.
• The interaction is conducted by energy flow (solar energy) in the system and
cycling of materials (natural cycles).

Ecology
• From the biological point of view, the ecosystem has the following constituents:
• Inorganic substances (carbon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water, etc.) involved in
natural cycles.
• Organic compounds (proteins, carbohydrates, humic substances) etc.
• Air, water and substrate environment including the climatic regime and other
physical factors.
• Producers, autotrophic (i.e., self-sustaining organisms) green plants that can
manufacture food from simple inorganic substances.
• Heterotrophic (i.e., that depend on others for nourishment) organisms, mainly
bacteria, fungi and animals which live on other organisms or particulate organic
matter.

Ecology
• Micro-consumers, decomposers, mainly bacteria, fungi which obtain their energy
by breaking down dead tissues or by absorbing dissolved organic matter, extracted
from plants or other organisms. The decomposers release inorganic nutrients that
are utilized by producers. They also supply food for macro-consumers or
heterotrophic organisms. Bacteria, fungi (and animals) often excrete hormone-like
substances that inhibit or stimulate other biotic components of the ecosystem
• The common features of all ecosystems—terrestrial, freshwater, marine and
agricultural—are the interactions between the autotrophic and the heterotrophic
components.
• The major autotrophic metabolism occurs in the upper “green belt” stratum
where solar energy is available while the intense heterotrophic metabolism occurs
in the lower “brown belt” where organic matter accumulates in soils and
sediments.

Basic concepts of Ecology
• Ecology includes the study of plant and animal
populations, their communities and
ecosystems.
• Organism
• Species – Basic unit of biological classification.
• Population –A group of naturally
interbreeding individuals of one species of
plant/animal.
• Community – composed of two or more
populations. Group of population.
• Ecosystem – group of communities.
• Biome

• Diversity of living things.
o Plants and animals exists in a variety of forms.
o It is due to the adaptations of the organisms related to their environment.
• Interdependency of living things
o All living things are interdependent on each other.
• Resource and energy cycles.
o Interactions between living organisms involves exchange of energy and resource
in continual cycles. These cycles are driven by constant flow of solar energy.
• Each ecological network regulates and organizes itself by maintaining a state of
dynamic balance.
• Ecosystem describes the network of relations among organisms at different
levels of organization.
• Every living organism is in some way dependent on other organisms.
• Producers – plants are the producers in the ecosystem. They manufacture their
food by the process of photosynthesis.
• Herbivores (primary consumers) – Live on the producers
• Carnivores (secondary consumers) – Live on herbivores.
• Decomposers – group of organisms which break down dead organic matter into
simpler inorganic substances.
• Decomposition is a vital function in nature as without this, all the nutrients would
be tied up in dead organic matter and no new life would be produced.

Ecology
• Population Ecology – studies the
dynamics of population of a single
species.
• Community Ecology – focuses on
interactions between species
within an ecological community.
• Ecosystem Ecology – Studies the
flow of energy and matter through
the biotic and abiotic components
of ecosystem.
• Landscape Ecology – examines
processes and relationship across
multiple ecosystems or very large
geographical areas.
Population Ecology
• A population in an ecological sense is a group of organisms, of the same species,
which roughly occupy the same geographical area at the same time
• Individual members of the same population can either interact directly, or may
interact with the dispersing progeny of other members of the same population
(e.g. pollen)
• Population members interact with a similar environment and experience similar
environmental limitations
• What affects population Ecology:
-Age -Competition
-Density - Predation
-Distribution
-Growth

Population Ecology
• Population ecology is a major sub-field of ecology that deals with the dynamics of
species populations and how these populations interact with the environment.
• Population ecology is the branch of ecology that studies the structure and
dynamics of populations.

Ecology
• Ecosystems ecology is a relatively new ecological discipline which studies
interaction of human population with environment. One of the major concepts are
optimization of ecosystem exploitation and sustainable ecosystem management.
• Landscape ecology is also a relatively new area in ecology. It studies regional
large-scale ecosystems with the aid of computer-based geographic information
systems. Population dynamics can be studied at the landscape level, and this is the
link between landscape and population ecology.
Significance
Population ecology has also played an important role in the development of the field
of conservation biology especially in the development of population viability
analysis (PVA) which makes it possible to predict the long-term probability of a
species persisting in a given habitat patch

Keystone Species
• The keystone at the top of an arch holds all the stones in place. Without it, the
arch collapses.
• Healthy ecosystems needs keystones—like wolves and tiger—to function.
• Keystone species are the architects of biodiversity.
• Many predators are keystone species.
• A keystone species is a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure
of an ecological community.
• The impact of keystone species on the community is greater than would be
expected based on its relative abundance or total biomass.
• When a keystone species disappears from its habitat, that habitat changes
dramatically. The keystone's disappearance triggers the loss of other resident
species

Keystone Species
• Example: Elephants as Keystone Species in Grasslands
• Elephants appear to be keystone species in African
grasslands. That is, without elephants (or some other
player to fill the elephants' role), the grasslands
actually cease to exist as grasslands. Take away the
elephants, and the grasslands, which overgrow with
woody plants, convert to forests or to shrub-lands.
• Shrubs shade out the grasses. Without enough
sunlight to survive, the grasses dwindle, the grassland
disappears, and a forest or shrub thicket grows in its
place.
• As the grasses disappear, so do the throngs of grazing
antelopes that once massed on the grassland and, with
them, go the former grassland's prides, great
carnivores. Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE
Keystone Species

Need for Public Awareness
• Environmental issues received international attention about 36 years back in
Stockholm Conference, held on 5th June, 1972.
• Since then we celebrate World Environment Day on 5th June.
• At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held at Rio de
Janeiro, in 1992, known popularly as Earth Summit, and ten years later, the World
Summit on Sustainable Development, held at Johannesberg in 2002, key issues of
global environmental concern were highlighted.
• Attention of general public was drawn towards the deteriorating environmental
conditions all over the world.
• The goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved by any government at its
own level until the public has a participatory role in it.
• Public participation is possible only when the public is aware about the ecological
and environmental issues.
Need for Public Awareness
• The public has to be educated about the fact that if we are degrading our
environment we are actually harming our own selves.
• This is because we are a part of the complex network of environment where every
component is linked up.
• We are consuming natural resources at a rate much higher than that at which
nature can regenerate them
• As we consume the resources, we are also creating waste and pollution much
faster then the rate at which nature can absorb them.
• All this can lead to an environmental and social catastrophe.
• The goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved by any government at its
own level until the public has a participatory role in it.

Subject Code: AP-127
Environmental Studies
Unit-1
Environmental Degradation
and Global Warming
Lecture 2
Prepared by:
Ar. Kopal Khandelwal
Assistant Professor

Contents
• Environment
• Environment Degradation
• Causes of environmental degradation
• Biodiversity
• Loss of biodiversity
• Causes of Biodiversity loss
• Climate change
• Global warming
• Green House Effect
• Sources of Green House Effects
• Consequences of Global Warming
Environment
• The environment is life, supporting people and other living things.
• Environment is widely recognized as a 'pillar' of sustainable development.
• It provides essential goods and services which contribute to meeting basic
human needs, and is essential to human development and quality of life.
• It provides services to ecosystems, including water catchments which protect
freshwater resources, wetlands, riverbank environments, biodiversity habitats
and ecologically functioning landscapes.
• The environment is also a sink of the wastes generated from different human
activities

Environment Degradation
• Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of
ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife.
• It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be
deleterious or undesirable.
• One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is environmental degradation,
including deforestation, desertification, pollution, and climate change
• Climate change will lead to an increase in the intensity and frequency of
weather extremes, such as heat waves, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones.
• The people hardest hit by climate change and environmental degradation are
those living in the most vulnerable areas, including coastal communities, small
island nations, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asian delta regions

Causes of Environment Degradation
• Depletion of natural resources
• Water pollution
• Air pollution
• Ground water pollution
• Soil pollution
• Ozone layer depletion
• Global warming
• Loss of bio-diversity
• Extinction of wildlife and loss of natural habitat
• Nuclear wastes and radiation issues

Biodiversity
• Biodiversity or biological diversity refers to the numbers, variety, and variability
of living organisms and ecosystem.
• The term indicates all the terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic, organisms.
• It also covers diversity within species, between species, as well as the variation
among ecosystem.
• It is concerned also with their complex ecological interrelationships.
• Biodiversity is the earth’s primary life support system and is a precondition for
human survival.

Loss of Biodiversity
• Biodiversity loss, also called loss of biodiversity, a decrease
in biodiversity within a species, an ecosystem, a given geographic area,
or Earth as a whole.
• Biodiversity loss describes the decline in the number, genetic variability, and
variety of species, and the biological communities in a given area.
• This loss in the variety of life can lead to a breakdown in the functioning of the
ecosystem where decline has happened.
• The primary drivers of biodiversity loss are influenced by the exponential growth
of the human population, increased consumption as people strive for more
affluent lifestyles, and reduced resource efficiency.

What is Biodiversity Hotspot
• If an area is unusually rich in biodiversity and its flora and fauna are under a
constant threat of overexploitation, it is called as biodiversity hotspot.
• There are about 25 such hotspots in the world, mostly in the tropical forests.
• The biodiversity hotspots together cover just 1.4% of land and yet hold about
60% of the world’s biodiversity.
• One third of known species of the world are endemic to these hotspots.

Causes of Biodiversity Loss
• Habitat loss and degradation—which is any thinning, fragmentation, or
destruction of an existing natural habitat—reduces or eliminates the food
resources and living space for most species. Species that cannot migrate are
often wiped out.
• Invasive species—which are non-native species that significantly modify or
disrupt the ecosystems they colonize—may outcompete native species for food
and habitat, which triggers population declines in native species. Invasive
species may arrive in new areas through natural migration or through human
introduction.
• Pollution—which is the addition of any substance or any form of energy to
the environment at a rate faster than it can be dispersed, diluted, decomposed,
recycled, or stored in some harmless form—contributes to biodiversity loss by
creating health problems in exposed organisms. In some cases, exposure may
occur in doses high enough to kill outright or create reproductive problems that
threaten the species' survival.
Causes of Biodiversity Loss
• Overexploitation—which is the harvesting of game animals, fish, or other
organisms beyond the capacity for surviving populations to replace their
losses—results in some species being depleted to very low numbers and others
being driven to extinction .
• Climate change associated with global warming—which is the modification
of Earth’s climate caused by the burning of fossil fuels—is caused by industry
and other human activities. Fossil fuel combustion produces greenhouse
gases that enhance the atmospheric absorption of infrared
radiation (heat energy) and trap the heat,
influencing temperature and precipitation patterns.
• Desertification-Desertification is associated with biodiversity loss and
contributes to global climate change through loss of carbon sequestration
capacity and an increase in land-surface albedo

Climate change
• Climate change is a change in average weather
condition that given region experiences.
• Average weather include:
o Temperature
o Wind pattern
o Precipitation
• Biodiversity and ecosystem play major role in
climate regulation and impact the regional and
global climate changes.
• Changing climate threatens the role of
biodiversity as a source of essential ecosystem
goods and services.

Link between Biodiversity and Climate change
• Climate change is affecting species already
threatened by multiple threats across the
globe.
• Habitat fragmentation due to colonization,
logging, agriculture and mining etc. are all
contributing to further destruction of
terrestrial habitats.
• Individual species may not be able to
adapt. Species most threatened by climate
change have small ranges, low population
densities, restricted habitat requirements
and patchy distribution.

Biodiversity and Climate change
• Ecosystems will generally shift northward or upward in altitude, but in some
cases they will run out of space – as 10C change in temperature correspond to a
100 Km change in latitude.
• Coral reef mortality may increase and erosion may be accelerated. Increase
level of carbon dioxide adversely impact the coral building process
(calcification).
• Sea level may rise, engulfing low-lying areas causing disappearance of many
islands, and extinctions of endemic island species.
• Invasive species may be aided by climate change. Exotic species can
out-compete native wildlife for space, food, water and other resources, and may
also prey on native wildlife.
• Droughts and wildfires may increase. An increased risk of wildfires due to
warming and drying out of vegetation is likely.
• Sustained climate change may change the competitive balance among species
and might lead to forests destruction.
Global Warming
• It is the progressive warming up of the Earth’s surface due to blanketing effect
of the man made Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Major Green House gases are:
a) Carbon dioxide
b) Methane
c) Nitrous oxide
d) Sulphur hexafluoride
e) Perfluorocarbons
f) Hydrofluorocarbons

Green House Effect
• Global warning is a process that occurs naturally in our atmosphere. It is
generally understood that the greenhouse effect refers to warming beyond what
would naturally occur.
• In a greenhouse, sunlight enters through glass walls and ceilings. This light is
absorbed by objects in the greenhouse and reflected back as heat energy.
• The glass of the greenhouse traps the heat energy inside, keeping the
greenhouse warmer than the outside air. Here's how the greenhouse effect
increases global warming:
• Greenhouse gases: In the earth's atmosphere, several gasses collect that allow
light to pass through, but trap heat in the air. These gasses (called greenhouse
gasses) include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and other trace gasses.
There are many sources of these greenhouse gasses including natural and
manmade sources.

Green House Effect
• As the Earth circles the sun, it is constantly exposed to light from the sun. Most of
this light passes through the Earth's atmosphere to strike the continents and
oceans. During the day, land and sea absorb sunlight, converting it to infrared, or
heat energy.
• At night, the land and water radiate their stored heat energy into the atmosphere
where, under normal conditions, much of it would continue off into space. With
increased greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, however, an increasing amount
of heat is reflected back into the atmosphere. This reflected heat leads to an
overall increase in average atmospheric temperature.

Global Warming
• Global warming is a phenomenon which is based on the principle of infra red
absorption of gases.
• Under normal concentrations of CO₂, the temperature of the earth’s surface is
maintained by the energy balance of the sun rays that strike the planet and the
heat that is radiated back into the outer space.
• When CO₂ concentration increases, the thick envelop of GHG gases prevents the
heat from being reradiated out.
• Thus the thick GHG layer acts like the glass panels of a green house allowing the
sun rays to filter through but preventing the heat from being escaping in the
outer space, thereby warming the troposphere.
• Higher the concentration of CO₂ , greater will be the absorption of thermal
radiation.

Sources of Green House gases
• Industrial Operations:
o Cement
o Limestone and dolomite (iron and steel industry)
o Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste
o Aluminium products
o Power Stations
o Burning of Fossil Fuels
• Deforestation: tropical deforestation is responsible for 20% of the world’s annual
CO2 emissions.
• Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result
from human activities. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water
vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone
Consequences of Global Warming
• Rise in Global Temperature: Observations show that global
temperatures have risen by about 0.6 °C over the 20th century.
There is strong evidence now that most of the observed
warming over the last 50 years is caused by human activities.
Climate models predict that the global temperature will rise by
about 6 °C by the year 2100.
• Rise in Sea Level: In general, the faster the climate change, the
greater will be the risk of damage. The mean sea level is
expected to rise by the year 2100, causing flooding of low lying
areas and other damages.
• Food storages and Hunger: Water resources will be affected as
precipitation and evaporation patterns change around the
world. This will affect agricultural output. Food security is likely
to be threatened.
Consequences of Global Warming
• Melting of Glaciers and Ice Caps: The retreat of glaciers and ice caps can cause
increased volcanism. Reduction in ice cover reduces the confining pressure
exerted on the volcano, increasing stresses and potentially causing the volcano to
erupt.
• India could be at more risk then many other countries: Temperature would rise
more in Northern India than in Southern India. It is estimated that 7 million
people would be displaced, 5700 km2 of land and 4200 km of road would be lost,
and wheat yields could decrease significantly.

Control and Remedial Measures
• Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum.
• Use of non conventional ( renewable) energy sources.
• Disposing of the GHG’s .
• Recovering GHG’s present already in the atmosphere and disposing them.
• Learn to adapt and accept changing climate.
• International co operation for attempting the reduction of green house gases.

Related Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAbATJCugs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4H1N_yXBiA&t=43s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3gqoDUtmt4

Unit 1 Evs-Min

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 1 Evs-Min

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Subject Code: AP-127

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

• Environment is the sum total of conditions that

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Living organisms are grouped into biotic components

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

Affiliated to GGSIPU and approved by COA & AICTE

You might also like