GE-ES Environmental Science

(First Semester, AY 2020-2021)

Module 1: Understanding the Natural and Man-made Environments

Course Outcome
Course Outcome

Learners who can model the components of the natural world and their interactions.

Making Connections: Earth is a living planet, which supplies us all the natural
resources that we need such as food and shelter. We, human beings and other forms of life,
have a specific surrounding from which we interact and derive benefits for our existence. This
surrounding is our environment. An understanding of the environment requires us to
appreciate the scientific study of the natural world. As we introduce the environment, we shall
walk you through its various components and their interactions that make life sustaining. You
may be aware that life condition is favorable only in a very thin layer of the environmental
sphere. Thus, our survival and other life forms are dependent on the condition of our
environment.

Overview
Course Overview

This is an introductory part of your course in environmental science. In this module, you will
be introduced to the various components of the natural world. These include the lithosphere
(Earth’s surface), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (regions of the
lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere where living organisms exist). You shall gather
information about the interactions of these components as you will be submitting a model of
the natural world as observed in your immediate surroundings. The study of this module will
take you around 6 hours, however, you may do it at your own pace. For those who will be
taking this course offline, be sure to visit our Google Classroom to view announcements and
due dates from time to time.

Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes

After completing the study of this module, you should be able to:
1. Explain the concept of the environment;
2. Distinguish between natural and man-made environments; and
3. Make a model of the components of natural and man-made environments.

Initial Activity
Initial Activity

This term ‘environment’ was derived from a French word ‘environner’ which means to
encircle or to surround. These include living and nonliving things that surround us (Table
1.1).
Dela Peña: GE-ES Module 1
Table 1.1. Living and nonliving things

Living things (Biotic) Nonliving things (Abiotic) Plants Water

Animals Light
Microbes Carbohydrates

Learning Check 1.1: Study the examples presented in Table 1.1, list down at least
three characteristics of living things.
● Made up of cells
● Emerge from pre-existing cells/ability to REPRODUCE
● Growth and development because can Metabolize

Similarly, list down at least three characteristics of nonliving things.

● Lack of living cells
● Lack of metabolism
● Growth by accretion

Learning Enrichment 1.1: To enrich your knowledge on the characteristics of living

and nonliving things, watch these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHh1DVeB5FI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Zh4dJgrMQ

NOTE: For those who are taking this course offline, read the supplementary material on the
Characteristics of Living and Nonliving Things found at the end of this module.

Learning Check 1.2: Given what you have watched in these two videos and/or read in
the supplementary material (Learning Enrichment 1.1), compare the characteristics of living
and nonliving things that you have initially listed above and those explained in the videos
and/or in the article. Are they similar? You may clarify your answer below:
● Yes. I got the same answers with the characteristics of life explained in the video.
Living things are made up of cells but non living things are not and have never had
cells or never been alive. Also, unlike living things that can move, respire, sense
stimuli, grow and so on, non living things, from what I listed above do not metabolize
which is true with the fact that they lack cells that need nutrients for growth.

Lesson Proper

Concept of the Environment and Its Components

Concept of the Environment

Before the start of the Third Industrial Revolution, most people thought the term
‘environment’ shall refer to the normal conditions at home, in school, or in their workplaces.
However, with the publication of the book “Silent Spring” (Carson, 1962) about the negative
environmental effects caused by pesticides; Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin, 1968) about
the global commons experiencing environmental stress; as well as the occurrence of major
environmental disasters such as the Super Typhoon Haiyan “Yolanda” that affected around

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16 million people in the Philippines (WHO Westerm Pacific, 2013), the concept of the
environment has gained widespread acceptance in our society.

The environment is now an issue for our survival as well as that of the other living organisms.
We recognize there should be a balanced between environmental protection vis-à-vis
development and economic growth. This issue is very important in developing countries like
the Philippines, where we continuously promote economic activities for the benefit of our
people.

Generally, there are three key points that were agreed upon about the environment (IGNOU,
2017):

• 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 (Figure 1).

Figure 1.1. The three pillars of sustainability (GNU Operating System Free Documentation License as
cited by von Keyserlingk et al., 2013).

The environmental problems and issues we are facing today may change with time, however,
the fundamental principles on biological and physical systems do not change. Hence, we
need to understand the basic ecological concepts (Modules 2 and 3) along with the
environmental concept as the former deals with the interactions between the organisms and
their environment.

Now, let us examine the meaning of environment in scientific terms. You are all aware that
no organism can exist without interacting with other organisms and its physical surroundings.
Hence, the environment is the totality of all the external conditions affecting the life,
development and survival of an organism (OECD, 2005). In context, it refers to the naturally

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Dela Peña: GE-ES Module 1
produced physical surroundings on which we are entirely dependent in all our activities. The
various uses to which these surroundings are put for economic ends are called
environmental functions. We would like to make it a point that the living and physical
components are interdependent and that we only classify them as illustrative example.

Learning Check 1.3: Fill out the table below with the biotic and abiotic components
of the environment that are present in your place.

Table 1.2. Components of the environment in your place

Biotic Abiotic
1. 1. Plants- needs sunlight, C02, H20 , produces 02,
2. 2. Human being- Water, soil,minerals, air
3. 3. Fishes- water, rock formations, H20
4. 4. Bird- wind, H20
5. 5. Microorganisms- soil, water, air

From Table 1.2, explain briefly how these components interact.

● Sunlight, C02 and H20 are needed for photosynthesis, and the by-product of
the process is oxygen. Factors like water, soil, minerals, air interact together
in providing humans and animals, fishes, birds and other organisms nutrients
and other resources. While humans mine mountains and cultivate soils to
grow plants. But humans, and other organisms may also harm abiotic
resources like when humans intensify pollution and toxic microorganism
populations like some type of planktons. Geologically, organisms create
topsoil by breaking down rock layers and decomposing dead bodies, which
then return nutrients to the ground.

Learning Enrichment 1.2: To enrich your knowledge about the concept and
components of the environment, watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxVGiq1kggg

NOTE: For those who are taking this course offline, read this article: Introduction to the
Environment, pp. 5-6 (IGNOU, 2017). Be sure to download this document together with this
module.

Learning Check 1.4: Given what you have watched in this video and/or read in
IGNOU (2017) pp. 5-6, is your explanation above the same or related to the one presented in
the video and/or in the article? You may clarify your answer below:

● Yes. My explanation above is related to the one presented in the video and/or in the
article. According to the article Organisms need resources for survival. It includes 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). Environment is the
only source that provides these life supporting elements. And in turn, humans benefit
or harm these abiotic components by enriching them and adding fertilizers or other
synthetics to them.

Therefore, the main purpose of the environment is to provide conditions for our lives and
other organisms. It also determines our survival and that of all living organisms. We need a
responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of our natural
resources. Below are illustrations of Earth’s environmental sphere and its various
components
(Figures 1.2 and 1.3, respectively).

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Dela Peña: GE-ES Module 1

Figure 1.2. Earth’s environmental sphere (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013).

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Figure 1.3. Summarized sketch of the various components of the environment (Jazib, 2018).
Types of Environment
Types of Environment

In the previous lesson, you have learned about the concept and components of the natural
environment. It means all that is created from nature, that surrounds us, where we live, study,
work, and from which we use natural resources, to support our and other people’s needs
(Lauesen, 2013).

Here, we shall focus our discussion on man-modified and man-made environments. These
are places made artificially by humans through planned manipulation (IGNOU, 2017). In the
development of the man-modified landscape, it is a basic fact that the natural ecological
communities of plants, animals and soil life of a region do not support sedentary human
communities, except in unusual conditions (Glikson, 1971). In this type of environment,
human beings set to a certain extent the relationships between the biological and physical
components.

The environment of a big city, like Metro Manila, is created by human beings. For example,
water (one of the most important components of the natural world) is not taken from rivers or
streams directly but it passes through filtration and purification process before being used for
drinking and other domestic uses. Raw materials for food usually come from rural areas.
Likewise, solid waste and garbage are collected for treatment or dumping to sanitary landfills.

Learning Check 1.5: Using the table below, classify the following into natural, and
man-modified or man-made environments (Balayong Park, forest, banana plantation, desert,
grassland, rice field, manufacturing industry, City Coliseum, ocean, river):
Table 1.3. Types of environment

Natural Man-modified/Man-made

1. 1. Balayong park- man-made

2. 2. Forest- natural
3. 3. Banana plantation- man-modified
4. 4. Desert- natural
5.5. Grassland- natural
6.6. Rice field- man-modified
7.7. Manufacturing industry- man-made
8.8. City coliseum- man-made
9.9. Ocean- natural
10.10. River- natural
5. 5.

Learning Enrichment 1.3: To enrich your knowledge about the types of

environment, read this article: Introduction to the Environment, pp. 7-8 (IGNOU, 2017).
http://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/12732 and watch these videos (optional for those
who are taking this course offline):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOwJuwBsn6g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNkpExlBlU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZsb3mgVI1E

It may be emphasized that built or man-made environment is associated with high

consumption of materials, water, and energy; and usually affects the natural environment.
For that consideration, development and economic growth must be sustainable. Hence, we
must
Dela Peña: GE-ES Module 1

foster a strong sense of stewardship, or shared responsibility, for the sustainable care of our
planet (Berg & Hager, 2009).

Leave a message here to your teacher if you have questions:

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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Assessment
Assessment:

Make a model of the components of the natural and man-made environments as observed in
your immediate surroundings. Discuss your model (Mark: 30).

ALLYSA MAE MAGBANUA

Components of the natural and man-made environments

Rubric
Criteria Mark

10 6 3 1

Integration of The model The model The model The model

knowledge demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates does not
that the that the that the demonstrate
student fully student, for student, to a that the
understands the most part, certain student
the scientific understands extent, understands
concepts the scientific understands the scientific
being concepts the Scientific concepts
utilized. being concepts being
These utilized. being utilized.
concepts are These utilized.
integrated and concepts, to a
contextualized certain
into the extent, are
student’s own integrated and
insights. contextualized
into the
student’s own
insights.

Clarity of content In-depth In-depth The student Cursory or

discussion and discussion and has omitted hasty
elaboration in elaboration in important discussion in
all components most components of all
of the natural components of the natural and components of
and man-made the natural and man-made the natural
environments. man-made environments. and man-
environments. made
environments.

Clear and Simple and Simple but not Complex and Impossible to
attractive very easy to easy to tell difficult to tell tell what
 illustration understand what what component is
what component is component is being
component is being illustrated. being illustrated.
being illustrated. illustrated.

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Dela Peña: GE-ES Module 1

Reflection
Reflection (For those who are taking this module offline ONLY)

Make a reflection paper on what you have learned in Module 1 taking into consideration what
is happening in the environment in your place (1-2 pages only).

Environmental issues are everywhere around us. Learning with this module helped me
understand the role humans and the environment play for each other. The abiotic
components are there to sustain human needs for survival. We, humans, as a product of
nature are biologically connected to non-livings such as water, land, air and rocks. Thinking
of it, I come to see that again, we grow and develop because of the nutrients we get from the
foods we get from the environment through certain human efforts like cultivating land and
fishing. Because we are highly dependent on water, land and natural air and other resources
that in our surroundings, we cannot afford to lose them by any means of degradation.

The abiotic components at the present are experiencing more harm than mere benefits we
give them. By the toxins we keep throwing to bodies, the e-wastes we bury to soil, and the
never ending combustion of fuels from our vehicles, the catastrophe we draw by our
unsustainable actions is impending. Environmental issues are not new to us now, and I, like
the others, know that the balance in ecology determines the quality of life it can sustain.
That’s why humans have to do actions to sustain the abiotic resources. We have to also see
that by not taking care of the environment, life forms will deplete and soon go extinct.
Contaminated bodies of water will give us nothing but unsafe and scarce aquatic resources,
polluted air will bring us respiratory diseases. If we think about it, humans have the control
over low order living and nonliving things. So, with research and experiments, we can further
the environmental actions to maintain a two-way relationship that does not ruin the other.
After reading this module, I saw my place in this ecosystem, I saw how much I could help by
simply working to conserve environmental resources. If we maintain clean water, intoxicated
lands, and pure breathable air, it is most likely that life below water, birds and turtles that
maintain forests, saprophytes or decomposing bacteria, pollinators, and grasses that feed
our livestocks will keep existing to support all the conditions favorable for humans.

Suggested Readings (Optional for those who are taking this course offline):

Hardin, G. (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science, New Series, 162 (3859),
pp. 1243-1248.
https://www.hendrix.edu/uploadedFiles/Admission/GarrettHardinArticle.pdf

IGNOU. (2017). Introduction to the Environment. pp. 5-8.

http://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/12732
Jazib, M. J. (2018). Basics of Environmental Sciences, 1st edition. pp. 1-35.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330901267_BASICS_OF_ENVIRONMENT
AL_SCIENCE

References:

Berg, L. R. & Hager, M. C. (2009). Visualizing Envrionmental Science, Second edition. Wiley
in collaboration with the National Geographic Society, USA. https://epdf.pub/visualizing
environmental-science-second-ed.html.
Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Fawcett Publications, Inc., Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.
https://ejcj.orfaleacenter.ucsb.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/1962.-Rachel-Carson
Silent-Spring.pdf
Glikson, A. (1971). The Ecological Basis of Planning: Planning with the Land. Martinus
Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-
010-2746-5_3.
Hardin, G. (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science, New Series, 162(3859),
1243– 1248. https://www.hendrix.edu/uploadedFiles/Admission/GarrettHardinArticle.pdf.
IGNOU. (2017). Unit 1 Introduction to the Environment. Indira Gandhi National Open
University. http://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/12732
Jazib, J. (2018). Basics of Environmental Sciences (1st ed.). Iqra Publishers, Jammu,
J&K/New Delhi, India.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
330901267_BASICS_OF_ENVIRONMENTAL _SCIENCE.
Lauesen, L. M. (2013). Natural Environment. In Idowu S.O., Capaldi N., Zu L., Gupta A.D.
(eds) Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8.
OECD. (2005). Glossary of Statistical Terms: Environment. Organisation for Economic Co
operation and Development.
von Keyserlingk, M. A. G., Martin, N. P., Kebreab, E., Knowlton, K. F., Grant, R. J.,
Stephenson, M., Sniffen, C. J., Harner, J. P., Wright, A. D., & Smith, S. I. (2013). Invited
review: Sustainability of the US dairy industry. Journal of Dairy Science, 96(9), 5405–
5425. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-6354.
WHO Westerm Pacific. (2013). Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines, 2013.
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/typhoon-haiyan-(yolanda).

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ANSWER KEY
(NOTE: Model answers in Module 1 shall be provided after you have completed and submitted all the
requirements under this module. It will be sent through your individual email.)

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Learning Enrichment 1.1. Characteristics of Living and Nonliving
Things (Source: https://byjus.com/biology/living-and-non-living-things)

Living Things
Living things exist and are alive and are made of microscopic structures called cells. They grow
and exhibit movement or locomotion. They experience metabolism, which includes anabolic and
catabolic reactions. They are capable of producing a new life which is of their own kind through
the process of reproduction. They have a particular life span and are not immortal.

Cellular respiration enables living organisms to acquire energy which is used by cells to perform
their functions. They digest food for energy and also excrete waste from the body. Their life cycle
can be summarized as follows – birth, growth, reproduction and death. Examples of living things
are animals, birds, insects, human beings.

The following are important characteristics of living things:

• Living things exhibit locomotory motion, they move. Animals are able to move as they possess
specialized locomotory organs, for example – Earthworms move through the soil surface
through longitudinal and circular muscles. Plants respond to the movement of the sun.
• Living things respire. Respiration is a chemical reaction, which occurs inside cells to release
energy from the food. Transport of gases takes place. The food that is ingested through the
process of digestion is broken down to release energy that is utilized by the body to produce
water and carbon dioxide as by-products.
• Living things are sensitive to touch (and other stimuli as well) and have the capability to sense
changes in their environment.
• They grow. Living things mature and grow through different stages of development. • One of the
striking features is that living things are capable of producing offspring of their own kind through
the process of reproduction, wherein genetic information is passed from the parents to the
offspring.
• They acquire and fulfill their nutritional requirements to survive through the process of nutrition
and digestion, which involves engulfing and digesting the food. Some living organisms are also
autotrophic, which means they can harness the sun’s energy to make their food. • The digested
food is eliminated from the body through the process of excretion.

Nonliving Things
Nonliving things are not alive. They do not possess life. They do not have cells and do not grow
or show locomotion/movement. They do not undergo metabolism with anabolic and catabolic
reactions. They do not reproduce. They do not have a life span. They do not respire as they do
not require food for energy and hence do not excrete. They do not fall into any cycle of birth,
growth or death. They are created and destroyed by external forces. Examples of non-living
things include stone, pen, book, cycle, bottle, etc.

The important characteristics of non-living things are as follows:

• Non-living things are lifeless. They do not have cells, and there is no protoplasm which forms
the basis for life to exist.
• Lack of protoplasm leads means no metabolic activities.

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• They do not have a definite and certain size of their own. They take the shape of the substance
they are contained in, for example, a liquid takes the shape of its container. Stones, rocks
and boulders are molded by the changing environment and landscape. The change in the
state of a non-living thing is due to an external influence.
• Non-living things “grow” by accretion. It occurs through adding materials externally. For
example, A snowball may increase in size due to the accumulation of smaller units of its own
to its outer surface.
• Non-living things never die as they do not have cells with a definite lifespan. Immortality is a
distinguishing factor.
• Fundamental life processes such as reproduction, nutrition, excretion, etc. are absent in non
living things.

Criteria for Differentiating Living Things from Nonliving Things

For easy differentiation between living things and nonliving things, scientists have come up with
traits or characteristics that are unique to them. The criterion for classification is necessary to
avoid the wrong grouping. Hence, science developed a basis for classification. Anything that has
life is considered as living beings. For example: humans, trees, dogs, etc. Things which have no
life in it are considered as non-living. For example: stone, mountain, watch, etc.

Scientists have discovered a few criteria for differentiating living things from non-living things.
Here are some of them:
• Living beings can grow and develop.

• Living beings obtain and use energy.

• Living beings adapt to their environment.

• All living beings are made of one or more cells.

• Living beings respond to their environment or stimuli.

• All living things excrete to remove waste material from the body.

• Living beings have the ability to give birth to their young ones through the process of
reproduction.
• All living beings require energy to perform different metabolic activities, and they gain energy
from food/ nutrition.
• All living beings, apart from plants, move from one place to another. This type of movement is
called locomotion.
• All living beings, including humans, animals, plants, birds, and insects, require oxygen gas to
breath and produce energy.

Learning Enrichment 1.2: To enrich your knowledge about the concept and components of the
environment, read this article: Introduction to the Environment, pp. 5-6 (IGNOU, 2017). Be sure to
download this document together with this module.

Learning Enrichment 1.3: To enrich your knowledge about the types of environment, read this
article: Introduction to the Environment, pp. 7-8 (IGNOU, 2017). Be sure to download this
document together with this module.
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