Envs (Bhalotia)

SHEIKH MOHAMMAD IRSHAD (MSCC) MOB- 8294345756
TELEGRAM LINK- t.me/cuhelpsection56
(9883034569/9330960172)
Environmental studies: 6th Semester/2nd Semester
S. No. Chapters Page Number
Unit 1: Introduction to environmental studies 01 - 07
Unit 2: Ecology and Ecosystems 08 - 34
Unit 3: Natural Resources 35 - 55
Unit 4: Biodiversity and Conservation 56 - 77
Unit 5: Environmental Pollution 78 - 109
Unit 6: Environmental Policies and Practices 110 - 125
Unit 7: Human Communities and the Environment 126 - 143
Environment studies for last time revision:
Important dates 144 - 144
Books & authors 144 - 144
International agreement 144 - 144
Environmental movements 145 - 145
Man-made disasters 146 - 146
Natural disasters 146 - 146
important acronyms 147 - 147
Important terms 147 - 147
Important definition 148 - 155
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Syllabus
[Total Marks: 100 (50 Theory-MCQ type + 30 Project +
10 Internal Assessment + 10 Attendance)]
Unit 1: Introduction to environmental studies
• Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies;
• Scope and importance; Concept of sustainability and sustainable development.
Unit 2: Ecology and Ecosystems

• Concept of ecology and ecosystem, Structure and function of ecosystem; Energy flow in an
ecosystem; food chains, food webs; Basic concept of population and community ecology;
ecological succession.
• Characteristic features of the following:
a) Forest ecosystem
b) Grassland ecosystem
c) Desert ecosystem
d) Aquatic ecosystems (ponds, streams, lakes, wetlands, rivers, oceans, estuaries)
Unit 3: Natural Resources

• Concept of Renewable and Non-renewable resources
• Land resources and land use change; Land degradation, soil erosion and desertification.
• Deforestation: Causes, consequences and remedial measures
• Water: Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground water, floods, droughts, conflicts over
water (international & inter-state).
• Energy resources: Environmental impacts of energy generation, use of alternative and
nonconventional energy sources, growing energy needs.
Unit 4: Biodiversity and Conservation

• Levels of biological diversity: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity;
• Biogeographic zones of India; Biodiversity patterns and global biodiversity hot spots •India as a
mega-biodiversity nation; Endangered and endemic species of India
• Threats to biodiversity: Habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts, biological
invasions;
• Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity. •Ecosystem and
biodiversity services: Ecological, economic, social, ethical, aesthetic and Informational value.
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Unit 5: Environmental Pollution
• Environmental pollution: concepts and types,
• Air, water, soil, noise and marine pollution- causes, effects and controls
• Concept of hazards waste and human health risks
• Solid waste management: Control measures of Municipal, biomedical and e-waste.
Unit 6: Environmental Policies and Practices

• Climate change, global warming, ozone layer depletion, acid rain and their impacts on human
communities and agriculture
• Environment Laws: Wildlife Protection Act; Forest Conservation Act. Water (Prevention and
control of Pollution) Act; Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act; Environment Protection
Act; Biodiversity Act.
• International agreements: Montreal Protocol, Kyoto protocol and climate negotiations;
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Protected area network, tribal populations and rights, and human wildlife conflicts in Indian
context.
Unit 7: Human Communities and the Environment

• Human population growth: Impacts on environment, human health and welfare.
• Case studies on Resettlement and rehabilitation.
• Environmental Disaster: Natural Disasters-floods, earthquake, cyclones, tsunami and landslides;
Manmade Disaster- Bhopal and Chernobyl.
• Environmental movements: Bishnois. Chipko, Silent valley, Big dam movements.
• Environmental ethics: Role of gender and cultures in environmental conservation.
• Environmental education and public awareness
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Mohammad Irshad (B.Com Hons) Mob - 8294345756
Bhalotia Classes (9883034569): ENVS 2nd Semester/6th Semester
Unit 1:
Introduction to environmental studies
1. Definition & Meaning of Environmental Studies:****
Definition of Environmental Studies:
Environment literally means Surrounding in which we are living. Environment includes all those
things on which we are directly or indirectly dependent for our survival, whether it is living
component like animals, plants or non living component like soil, air water.
Environmental Protection Act (1986) defined ―Environment as the sum total of water, air and
land, their interrelationship among themselves and with the human beings, other living beings
and property.‖
Meaning of Environmental Studies:
Environmental studies are the scientific study of the environmental system and the status of its
inherent or induced changes on organisms. It includes not only the study of physical and
biological characters of the environment but also the social and cultural factors and the impact of
man on environment.
2. Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies;

The study of environmental components is multidisciplinary in nature, since it includes all
disciplines. The use of the term Environmental science may imply a single subject, but the
essence of environmental science is its multi-disciplinary nature. The subject has evolved from
integrated use of many disciplines such as science, humanities, commerce, and geography as
follows:
Biological sciences – It forms an important component of environmental sciences as it is
essential to acquire the knowledge of organisms living in it. The basic concepts of botany,
zoology, microbiology, biotechnology are studied for studying the difference aspects of
environment and their inter relationships.
Physical sciences – It helps in understanding the changes which are involved with the abiotic
system like the energy transfer and nutrients cycling, acid rain, ozone hole etc which require the
knowledge of physical chemistry.
Mathematics, statistics and computer sciences serve as an effective tool for environment
modelling.
Civil engineering, Chemical engineering and nanotechnology provide technical solution for
environmental pollution control and water treatment.
- 1 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

Sociology, economics and management help in dealing with socio-economic aspects of
environment.
Environment law provides legal measures for effective management and protection of
environment.
Mass communication helps in spreading environment awareness.
This many disciplines are involved with environmental science which contribute towards
understanding the spectrum of interrelationships between the biotic and abiotic environments
3. Scope of environmental studies

The disciplines included in environmental education are environmental sciences, environmental
engineering and environmental management.
(a) Environmental Science:
It deals with the scientific study of environmental system (air, water, soil and land), the inherent
or induced changes on organisms and the environmental damages incurred as a result of human
interaction with the environment.
(b) Environmental Engineering:
It deals with the study of technical processes involved in the protection of environment from the
potentially deleterious effects of human activity and improving the environmental quality for the
health and well beings of humans.
(c) Environmental Management:
It promotes due regard for physical, social and economic environment of the enterprise or
projects. It encourages planned investment at the start of the production chain rather than forced
investment in cleaning up at the end.
It generally covers the areas as environment and enterprise objectives, scope, and structure of the
environment, interaction of nature, society and the enterprise, environment impact assessment,
economics of pollution, prevention, environmental management standards etc.
4. importance/objective of environmental studies

The importance‘s of environmental studies are as follows:
1. To clarify modern environmental concept like how to conserve biodiversity.
2. To know the more sustainable way of living.
3. To use natural resources more efficiently.
4. To know the behaviour of organism under natural conditions.
5. To know the interrelationship between organisms in populations and communities.
6. To aware and educate people regarding environmental issues and problems at local, national
and international levels.

5. Concept of sustainability in environmental studies

Environmental sustainability allows for the needs of man to be met without jeopardizing the
ability of future generations to meet their needs. Learn applications of environmental
sustainability, including sustainable agriculture, forestry and energy.
Environmental sustainability is defined as responsible interaction with the environment to avoid
depletion or degradation of natural resources and allow for long-term environmental quality. The
practice of environmental sustainability helps to ensure that the needs of today's population are
met without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
When we look at the natural environment, we see that it has a rather remarkable ability to
rejuvenate itself and sustain its viability. For example, when a tree falls, it decomposes, adding
nutrients to the soil. These nutrients help sustain suitable conditions so future saplings can grow.
When nature is left alone, it has a tremendous ability to care for itself. However, when man
enters the picture and uses many of the natural resources provided by the environment, things
change. Human actions can deplete natural resources, and without the application of
environmental sustainability methods, long-term viability can be compromised.
6. Sustainable development in environmental studies***

What is sustainable development ?
Sustainable development is the organizing principle for meeting human development goals while
at the same time sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural
resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy and society depend.
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the well-being of
future generations.
The modern concept of sustainable development is derived mostly from the
1987 Brundtland Report.
The concept of sustainable development was popularized by the World Commission on
Environment and Development in its report "Our Common Future" that was published in 1987.
In this report, sustainable development was defined as "development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
The concept of sustainable development suggests an alternative strategy in which economic
progress and environmental protection go hand in hand.
In June 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
further refined the term by developing an agenda for nations to follow that would move the
world toward sustainable development. Agenda 21, as it was called, was a three-hundred-page
plan for achieving sustainable development in the twenty-first century.

Mohammad Irshad (B.Com Hons) Mob - 8294345756
MCQ of 1 Marks & 2 Marks Each

1. The term Environment is derived from an old French word ―enviro‖ means ****
(a) Outside
(b) Surroundings
(c) Inside
2. The term ―Environment‖ means****
(a) Sum total of all conditions that the life and development of all organisms on earth
(b) A beautiful earth
(c) Earth and water
3. The Environment includes:**
(a) Abiotic Factors
(b) Biotic Factors
(c) Abiotic & Biotic Factors
4. The study of environmental components includes __________disciplines.**
(a) All
(b) Five
(c) Ten
5. It forms an important component of environmental sciences as it is essential to acquire the
knowledge of organisms living in it
(a) Biological sciences
(b) Physical sciences
(c) Sociology
6. It deals with the scientific study of environmental system
(a) Environmental Science
(b) Environmental Engineering
(c) Environmental Management
7. It deals with the study of technical processes involved in the protection of environment
8. It promotes due regard for physical, social and economic environment of the enterprise or
projects.
9. Objective of environmental studies is to
(a) Create environmental ethics
(b) Raise consciousness about environmental conditions
(c) All of the above
10. The importance‘s of environmental studies are as follows:
(a) To clarify modern environmental concept like how to conserve biodiversity.
(b) To use natural resources more efficiently.
(c) All of the above

11. The term sustainable development was coined by a commission headed by****
(a) Bruntdlands
(b) Al Gore
(c) Paul Elrich
12. World Forest day is celebrated on****
(a) 21st March
(b) 5th June
(c) 1st Dec
13. The book silent spring was written by ******
(a) Madhav Gadgil
(b) Rachel Carson
(c) E.O.Wilson
14. The book written by Rachel Carson is –****
(a) Silent Spring
(b) The Voyage of Beagle
(c) Inferno
15. In our country the Van Mahotsav Day is observed on**
(a) Second week of October
(b) First week of December
(c) First week of July
16. Which day of the year is celebrated as Earth Day?****
(a) 22nd February
(b) 23rd March
(c) 22nd April
17. The novel ‗Aranyak‘ (A Bengali novel on forestry and environment) is written by**
(a) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay
(c) Jibanananda Das
18. EIA is***
(a) Environment Impact Association
(b) Environment Impact Assessment
(c) Environmental Importance assessment
19. Salim Ali is a famous*
(a) Herpetologist
(b) Entomologist
(c) Ornithologist
20. ‗RSPM‘ is***
(a) Respirable Sophisticate Particulate Matter
(b) Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter
(c) Respirable Surrounding Particulate Matter
21. World Health Day is celebrated on**
(a) 13th May
(b) 14th May
(c) 7th April

22. The novel ―Aranyer Adhikary‖ is written by-**
(a) Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay
(b) Sunil Gangopadhyay
(c) Mahasweta Devi
23. 5th June is observed as :****
(a) Earth Day
(b) Environment Day
(c) Biodiversity Day
24. World Environment Day is observed on****
(a) April, 22
(b) June, 22
(c) June, 5
25. Agenda 21 refers to:*****
(a) Earth Summit at Rio de Jenerio
(b) Montreal Protocol
(c) Stockholm Conference
26. _____represents the very first global action plan intended to promote sustainable
development.****
(a) Agenda 21
(c) Kyoto Protocol
27. In Agenda 21, twenty one represent
(a) 21st century
(b) 21 Countries
(c) 21 Agendas
28. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held :-
(a) In June 1992
(b) In December 1993
(c) In December 1995
29. For the first time environment was put as an Agendum of International Concern in the
Stockholm Conference in the year of *
(a) 1972
(b) 1975
(c) 1982
30. First international conference on environment was held in*
(a) New Delhi
(b) New York
(c) Stockholm
31. Green Revolution in India was initiated by __________*
(a) M.S. Swaminathan
(b) Sunderlal Bahuguna
(c) Kurien

32. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural history is located at ______ *
(a) Pune
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Kerala
(d) Coimbatore
33. Who wrote the book ‗Violence of Green Revolution‘*
(a) Vandana Siva
(b) Sheela Dikshit
(c) Menaka Gandhi
34. The biggest award for environmental activities in India is given in the name of an individual.
In whose name is it constituted?
(a) Lal Bahadur Shasthri
(b) Morarji Desai
(c) Indira Gandhi
35. World wildlife week is observed during
(a) First week of October
(b) Last week of October
(c) Third week of October
36. Expand GIS*
(a) Geographical Information System
(b) Geographical Information Source,
(c) Geological Information System,
37. MoEF means*
(a) Ministry of Forest and Energy
(b) Ministry of Environment and Forests
(c) Ministry of Fuel and Energy,
(d) Management of Environment and Forestry
38. Zoological Survey of India is at *
(a) Delhi
(b) Mumbai
(c) Kolkata
39. World Forest day is celebrated on ***
(a) 21st March
(b) 5th June
(c) 1st Dec
40. What is UNCED?*
(a) United Nations Conference on Education,
(b) United Nations Conference on Environmental Day
(c) United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
41. The book of poems – ‗Rupashi Bangla‘ was written by – *
(a) Jibanananda Das
(b) Satyendra Nath Dutta
(c) Kamini Roy

Unit 2:
Ecology and Ecosystems
1. Concepts of Ecology******
Concepts of Ecology:
 The term ―ecology‖ was coined by combining two Greek words, oikos (house or
dwelling place), and Logos (the study of), to denote the relationship between organisms
and their environment.
 Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with one another and with their physical
environment.
 The distribution and abundance of organisms on Earth is shaped by both biotic, living-
organism-related, and abiotic, nonliving or physical, factors.
 Ecology is studied at many levels, including organism, population, community,
ecosystem, and biosphere.
Case study: the red panda
 Red pandas are distant relatives of raccoons and are found only in the eastern Himalayas.
They spend most of their time in trees and eat a primarily vegetarian diet. In recent years,
the red panda population has dropped significantly.
 Ecologists have found that biotic factors, such as logging of trees and introduction of
diseases from domestic dogs, played a major role in the decline of red panda populations.
 Understanding the main factors responsible for the decline in red panda numbers helps
ecologists form conservation plans to protect the species.
2. Ecology at many scales****

Within the discipline of ecology, researchers work at five broad levels, sometimes discretely and
sometimes with overlap: organism, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere.
Let's take a look at each level.
Organism:
Organismal ecologists study adaptations, beneficial features arising by natural selection, that
allow organisms to live in specific habitats. These adaptations can be morphological,
physiological, or behavioral.
Population:
A population is a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same
time. Population ecologists study the size, density, and structure of populations and how they
change over time.

Community:
A biological community consists of all the populations of different species that live in a given
area. Community ecologists focus on interactions between populations and how these
interactions shape the community.
Ecosystem:
An ecosystem consists of all the organisms in an area, the community, and the abiotic factors
that influence that community. Ecosystem ecologists often focus on flow of energy and recycling
of nutrients.
Biosphere:
The biosphere is planet Earth, viewed as an ecological system. Ecologists working at the
biosphere level may study global patterns—for example, climate or species distribution—
interactions among ecosystems, and phenomena that affect the entire globe, such as climate
change.
3. Concept of Ecosystem:
An ecosystem is defined as a natural functional ecological unit comprising of living organisms
(biotic community) and their non-living (abiotic or physio chemical) environment that interact to
form a stable self-supporting system. A pond, lake, desert, grassland, meadow, forest etc. are
common examples of ecosystems.
A group of individual organisms of the same species in a given area is called a population.
While, a group of populations of different species in a given area is called a community. And, an
ecosystem or an ecological system is the whole biotic community in a given area and its abiotic
environment. It therefore includes the physical and chemical nature of the sediments, water and
gases as well as all the organisms.
An ecosystem can be any size, from an area as small as a pinhead to the whole biosphere. The
term was first used in the 1930s to describe the interdependence of organisms among themselves
and with the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) environment. At ecosystem level, the units of
study are comparatively very large and there are no practical units, if the nature is conceived as a
single, giant ecosystem.
The overall view of this type of approach is that living organisms and their non-living
environment are inseparably interrelated and interact with each other. Keeping this view in mind,
A.G. Tansley in 1935 proposed the term ―ecosystem‖. Eco implies the environment, and
‗system‘ ‗implies an interacting, interdependent complex.
Ecosystem Ecology emphasises the movements of energy and nutrients (chemical elements)
among the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems.

4. Kinds of Ecosystem:
These are categorised as under:
1. Natural Ecosystems:
These operate under natural conditions without any major interference by man. These are further
divided into
i. Terrestrial:
Forest, grassland, desert, etc.
ii. Aquatic:
These may be further classified as (a) freshwater and (b) marine
2. Artificial Ecosystems:
These are maintained artificially by humans where, by addition of energy and planned
manipulations, natural balance is disturbed regularly. For example, croplands like wheat, rice
fields, etc., where humans try to control the biotic community as well as the physio- chemical
environments, are artificial ecosystems.
5. Structure of An Ecosystem: ****

An ecosystem has two major components:
1. Abiotic (non-living) component:
The non living factors or the physical environment prevailing in an ecosystem form the abiotic
components. They have a strong influence on the structure, distribution, behaviour and inter-
relationship of organisms. It includes inorganic substances, inorganic chemicals and climate of
the given region.
Abiotic components are mainly of two types:
(a) Climatic Factors: Which include rain, temperature, light, wind, humidity etc.
(b) Edaphic Factors: Which include soil, pH, topography minerals etc.?
2. Biotic (living) component:
It can be further classified as:
(i) Autotrophic component
(ii) Heterotrophic component—Further divided as:
(a) Macro consumers: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
(b) Micro consumers: bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi

6. Abiotic components ****

Ecological relationships are manifested in physicochemical environment. Abiotic component of
ecosystem includes basic inorganic elements and compounds, such as soil, water, oxygen,
calcium carbonates, phosphates and a variety of organic compounds (by-products of organic
activities or death).
It also includes such physical factors and ingredients as moisture, wind currents and solar
radiation. Radiant energy of sun is the only significant energy source for any ecosystem. The
amount of non-living components, such as carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, etc. that are present at
any given time is known as standing state or standing quantity.
7. Biotic Components ****

The biotic components include all living organisms present in the environmental system.
From nutrition point of view, the biotic components can be grouped into two basic components:
(i) Autotrophic components, and
(ii) Heterotrophic components
The autotrophic components include all green plants which fix the radiant energy of sun and
manufacture food from inorganic substances. The heterotrophic components include non-green
plants and all animals which take food from autotrophs.
So biotic components of an ecosystem can be described under the following three heads:
1. Producers (Autotrophic components),
2. Consumers, and
3. Decomposers or reducers and transformers
8. Producers (Autotrophic elements): **

The producers are the autotrophic elements—chiefly green plants. They use radiant energy of
sun in photosynthetic process whereby carbon dioxide is assimilated and the light energy is
converted into chemical energy. The chemical energy is actually locked up in the energy rich
carbon compounds. Oxygen is evolved as by-product in the photosynthesis.
This is used in respiration by all living things. Algae and other hydrophytes of a pond, grasses of
the field, trees of the forests are examples of producers. Chemosynthetic bacteria and carotenoid
bearing purple bacteria that also assimilate CO2 with the energy of sunlight but only in the
presence of organic compounds also belong to this category.
9. Consumers:**
Those living members of ecosystem which consume the food synthesized by producers are
called consumers. Under this category are included all kinds of animals that are found in an
ecosystem.
There are different classes or categories of consumers, such as:
(a) Consumers of the first order or primary consumers,
(b) Consumers of the second order or secondary consumers,
(c) Consumers of the third order or tertiary consumers, and
(d) Parasites, scavengers and saprobes.
(a) Primary consumers:
These are purely herbivorous animals that are dependent for their food on producers or green
plants. Insects, rodents, rabbit, deer, cow, buffalo, goat are some of the common herbivores in
the terrestrial ecosystem, and small crustaceans, molluscs, etc. in the aquatic habitat. Elton
(1939) named herbivores of ecosystem as ―key industry animals‖. The herbivores serve as the
chief food source for carnivores.
(b) Secondary consumers:
These are carnivores and omnivores. Carnivores are flesh eating animals and the omnivores are
the animals that are adapted to consume herbivores as well as plants as their food. Examples of
secondary consumers are sparrow, crow, fox, wolves, dogs, cats, snakes, etc.
(c) Tertiary consumers:
These are the top carnivores which prey upon other carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. Lions,
tigers, hawk, vulture, etc. are considered as tertiary or top consumers.
(d) Parasites, scavengers and saprobes.
Besides different classes of consumers, the parasites, scavengers and saprobes are also included
in the consumers. The parasitic plants and animals utilize the living tissues of different plants
and animals. The scavengers and saprobes utilize dead remains of animals and plants as their
food.
10. Decomposers and transformers:**

Decomposers and transformers are the living components of the ecosystem and they are fungi
and bacteria. Decomposers attack the dead remains of producers and consumers and degrade the
complex organic substances into simpler compounds. The simple organic matters are then
attacked by another kind of bacteria, the transformers which change these organic compounds
into the inorganic forms that are suitable for reuse by producers or green plants. The
decomposers and transformers play very important role in maintaining the dynamic nature of
ecosystems.
11. Functional Aspects of an Ecosystem:

The functional aspects of an ecosystem include the following:
i. The rate of biological energy flow, i.e., the production and respiration rates of the
community
ii. The rate of materials or nutrient cycles
iii. Biological or ecological regulation including both regulation of organisms by
environment and regulation of environment by the organism.
12. Function of ecosystem:

'Ecosystem function' is the technical term used in the Framework to define the biological,
geochemical and physical processes and components that take place or occur within an
ecosystem. Or more simply put, ecosystem functions relate to the structural components of an
ecosystem (e.g. vegetation, water, soil, atmosphere and biota) and how they interact with each
other, within ecosystems and across ecosystems. Sometimes, ecosystem functions are called
ecological processes.
Ecosystem Function Categories and descriptions.
Ecosystem Function Category Description
Regulating Functions Maintenance of essential ecological processes and life
support systems.
Supporting Functions Providing habitat (suitable living space) for wild plant and
animal species at local and regional scales.
Provisioning Functions Provision of natural resources.
Cultural Functions Providing life fulfilment opportunities and cognitive
development through exposure to life processes and natural
systems.

13. Energy flow in an ecosystem:

Energy flow is the one of the most fundamental processes and it is common to all the
ecosystems. It is basically the movement of energy in an ecosystem through a series of
organisms.
Ecosystem Energy:
Organisms can be either producers or consumers in terms of energy flow through an ecosystem.
Producers convert energy from the environment into carbon bonds, such as those found in the
sugar glucose. Plants are the most obvious examples of producers; plants take energy from
sunlight and use it to convert carbon dioxide into glucose (or other sugars). Algae and
cyanobacteria are also photosynthetic producers, like plants.
Other producers include bacteria living around deep-sea vents. These bacteria take energy from
chemicals coming from the Earth‘s interior and use it to make sugars. Other bacteria living deep
underground can also produce sugars from such inorganic sources. Another word for producers
is autotrophs.
Routes of Usage:
Consumers get their energy from the carbon bonds made by the producers. Another word for a
consumer is a heterotroph.
Based on what they eat, we can distinguish between 4 types of heterotrophs:
Consumer trophic level food source
Herbivores primary plant
Carnivores secondary or higher animals
Omnivores all level plant & animals
Detritivores --------- detritus
A trophic level refers to the organisms position in the food chain. Autotrophs are at the base.
Organisms that eat autotrophs are called herbivores or primary consumers. An organism that eats
herbivores is a carnivore and a secondary consumer. A carnivore which eats a carnivore which
eats a herbivore is a tertiary consumer, and so on.
It is important to note that many animals do not specialize in their diets. Omnivores (such as
humans) eat both animals and plants. Further, except for some specialists, most carnivores don‘t
discriminate between herbivorous and carnivorous bugs in their diet. If it‘s the right size, and
moving at the right distance, chances are the frog will eat it.

14. Flow of Energy and its Utilisation:

The diagram 3.5 shows how both energy and inorganic nutrients flow through the ecosystem.
Energy ―flows‖ through the ecosystem in the form of carbon- carbon bonds. When respiration
occurs, the carbon-carbon bonds are broken and the carbon is combined with oxygen to form
carbon dioxide.
This process releases the energy, which is either used by the organism (to move its muscles,
digest food, excrete wastes, think, etc.) or the energy may be lost as heat. The dark arrows
represent the movement of this energy. Note that all energy comes from the sun, and that the
ultimate fate of all energy in ecosystems is to be lost as heat. Energy does not recycle.
The other component shown in the diagram is the inorganic nutrients. They are inorganic
because they do not contain carbon-carbon bonds. These inorganic nutrients include the
phosphorous in your teeth, bones, and cellular membranes the nitrogen in your amino acids (the
building blocks of protein); and the iron in your blood (to name just a few of the inorganic
nutrients).
The movement of the inorganic nutrients is represented by the open arrows. Note that the
autotrophs obtain these inorganic nutrients from the inorganic nutrient pool, which is usually the
soil or water surrounding the plants or algae.
These inorganic nutrients are passed from organism to organism as one organism is consumed by
another. Ultimately, all organisms die and become detritus, food for the decomposers. At this
stage, the last of the energy is extracted (and lost as heat) and the inorganic nutrients are returned
to the soil or water to be taken up again. The inorganic nutrients are recycled, the energy is not.
To summarize:
In the flow of energy and inorganic nutrients through the ecosystem, a few generalizations can
be made:
1. The ultimate source of energy (for most ecosystems) is the sun
2. The ultimate fate of energy in ecosystems is for it to be lost as heat.
3. Energy and nutrients are passed from organism to organism through the food chain as one
organism eats another.
4. Decomposers remove the last energy from the remains of organisms.
5. Inorganic nutrients are cycled, energy is not.

15. Food chains:****

The order of living organisms in a community in which one organism consumes other and is
itself consumed by another organism to transfer energy is called a food chain. Food chain is also
defined as ―a chain of organisms, existing in any natural community, through which energy is
transferred‖.
Every living being irrespective of their size and habitat, from the tiniest algae to giant blue
whales, need food to survive. Food chain is structured differently for different species in
different ecosystems. Each food chain is the vital pathway for energy and nutrients to follow
through the ecosystem.
Food chains were first introduced by the African-Arab scientist and philosopher Al-Jahiz in the
9th century and later popularized in a book published in 1927 by Charles Elton.
A food chain starts with a producer such as plants. Producers form the basis of the food chains.
Then there are consumers of many orders. Consumers are organisms that eat other organisms.
All organisms in a food chain, except the first organism, are consumers.
Plants are called producers because they produce their own food through photosynthesis.
Animals are called consumers because they depend on plants or other animals for food to get
energy they need.
A food chain may be defined as the transfer of energy and nutrients through a succession of
organisms through repeated process of eating and being eaten. In food chain initial link is a
green plant or producer which produces chemical energy available to consumers. For example,
marsh grass is consumed by grasshopper, the grasshopper is consumed by a bird and that bird is
consumed by hawk.
Thus, a food chain is formed which can be written as follows:
Marsh grass → grasshopper → bird → hawk

16. food webs:****

The word ‗web‘ means network. Food web can be defined as ‗a network of interconnected food
chains so as to form a number of feeding relationships amongst different organism of a biotic
community.
A food chain cannot stand isolated in an ecosystem. The same food resource may be a part of
more than one chain. This is possible when the resource is at the lower tropic level.
A food web comprises all the food chains in a single ecosystem. It is essential to know that each
living thing in an ecosystem is a part of multiple food chains.
Many food chains exist in an ecosystem, but as a matter of fact these food chains are not
independent. In ecosystem, one organism does not depend wholly on another. The resources are
shared specially at the beginning of the chain. The marsh plants are eaten by variety of insects,
birds, mammals and fishes and some of the animals are eaten by several predators.
Similarly, in the food chain grass → mouse → snakes → owls, sometimes mice are not eaten by
snakes but directly by owls. This type of interrelationship interlinks the individuals of the whole
community. In this way, food chains become interlinked. A complex of interrelated food chains
makes up a food web. Food web maintains the stability of the ecosystem. The greater the number
of alternative pathways the more stable is the community of living things.

17. Basic concept of population and community ecology:

Definition:
A population of a single species cannot survive by itself because there is inter dependence of one
form of life on another.
An aggregation of populations of different species living together (in inter dependence) in a
specific area, having a specific set of environmental conditions constitute a biotic community
e.g., the various plants and animals in a pond or lake constitute one biotic community whereas
the plants and animals in a particular forest constitute another biotic community. Broadly
speaking, there are two types of communities.
These are major and minor community:
(a) Major Community:
It is a large community which is self regulating, self sustaining and independent unit comprising
of a number of minor communities in it. Examples of major communities are: a pond, a lake, a
forest, a desert, a meadow and grassland. Each of these major communities includes several
minor communities.
(b) Minor Community:
It is a smaller community which is not a self sustaining unit. It is dependent on other
communities for its existence. The major community exemplified by a forest has many minor
communities namely the plant community (the plant population of the forest), the animal
community (the animal population of the forest) and the microbial community (bacteria and
fungi population).
18. Characteristics of a Community:

A community has the following characteristics:
(a) Structure:
Structure of a community can be studied by determining the density, frequency and abundance
of species.
(b) Dominance:
Usually a community has one or more species which occur in large number. Such species are
called dominants and the community is often named after them.
(c) Diversity:
The community consists of different groups of plants and animals of different species, may be
large and small, may belong to one life form or another but are essentially growing in a uniform
environment.

(d) Periodicity:
This includes study of various life processes (respiration, growth, reproduction etc.) in the
various seasons of the year in the dominant species of a community. The recurrence of these
important life processes at regular intervals in a year and their manifestation in nature is termed
periodicity.
(e) Stratification:
Natural forest communities possess a number of layers or stores or strata related to the height of
plants, for example, tall trees, smaller trees, shrubs and herbaceous layers form the different
strata. This phenomenon in a plant community is called stratification.
(f) Eco-tone and Edge-effect:
A zone of vegetation spreading or separating two different types of communities is called eco-
tone. These are marginal zones and are easily recognizable.
Usually, in eco-tones, the variety of one species is larger than in any of the adjacent
communities. A phenomenon of increased variety and intensity of plants at the common junction
is called edge-effect and is essentially due t6 wider range of suitable environmental conditions.
(g) Ecological Niche:
Different species of animals and plants fulfill different functions in the ecological complex. The
role of each is spoken of as its ecological niche i.e. the role that a specie plays in its ecosystem:
what it eats, who eats it, its range of movement etc., in other words, the total range of its
interaction with other species of its environment.
We can also say that ecological niche is a small habitat within a habitat, in which only a single
species can survive. E.P. Odum has differentiated habitat and ecological niche by saying that the
habitat is an organism‘s address and the ecological niche is its profession.
(h) Inter specific Association:
This is the study of two or more species growing together in close association in regular
occurrence.
(i) Community Productivity:
The study of production of biomass (organic matter) is known as production ecology. The net
production of biomass and storage of energy by a community per unit time and area is called
community productivity.
(j) Biotic Stability:
A biotic community has the ability to quickly regain equilibrium after a disturbance in
population fluctuation. This is called biotic stability and is directly proportional to the number of
interacting species it contains i.e. the diversity in the community.

19. Ecological succession:

Ecological succession is the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.
Nothing remains the same and habitats are constantly changing.
There are two main types of succession, primary and secondary.
Primary succession
Primary succession is the series of community changes which occur on an entirely new habitat
which has never been colonized before. For example, a newly quarried rock face or sand dunes.
Secondary succession
Secondary succession is the series of community changes which take place on a previously
colonized, but disturbed or damaged habitat. For example, after felling trees in a woodland, land
clearance or a fire.
The Major Points:
 The species living in a particular place gradually change over time as does the physical and
chemical environment within that area.
 Succession takes place because through the processes of living, growing and reproducing,
organisms interact with and affect the environment within an area, gradually changing it.
 Each species is adapted to thrive and compete best against other species under a very
specific set of environmental conditions. If these conditions change, then the existing
species will be outcompeted by a different set of species which are better adapted to the new
conditions.
 The most often quoted examples of succession deal with plant succession. It is worth
remembering that as plant communities change, so will the associated micro-organism,
fungus and animal species. Succession involves the whole community, not just the plants.
 Succession is directional. Different stages in a particular habitat succession can usually be
accurately predicted.
 Communities change gradually from one sere to another. The series are not totally distinct
from each other and one will tend to merge gradually into another, finally ending up with a
'climax' community.
 Succession will not go any further than the climax community. This is the final stage.
 This does not however, imply that there will be no further change. When large organisms in
the climax community, such as trees, die and fall down, then new openings are created in
which secondary succession will occur.
 The actual species involved in a succession in a particular area are controlled by such
factors as the geology and history of the area, the climate, microclimate, weather, soil type
and other environmental factors.

20. Types of Ecosystem
21. Characteristic features of Forest ecosystem:

Meaning:
A forest ecosystem is a community of organisms that lives within a forest. A forest is usually
defined as a large group of trees.
A forest ecosystem is not just about the forest environment, however. It is also about the animals
that live in the forest. For example, birds nest in the trees of a forest, members of the fungus
kingdom grow on the forest floor, and a variety of insects and mammals also take up their homes
in a forest.
Features of Forest ecosystem:
Forest ecosystems are so rich and diverse, and they have so many exciting and fascinating
features. Below, you will find a discussion of some of the key features of these ecosystems.
1. Seasonality: In countries that have seasonal climates, forest ecosystems will change with the
seasons.
2. Deciduous or evergreen: A forest may be deciduous (i.e. it sheds its leaves in winter) or
evergreen (i.e. its leaves stay green and intact all the time), or it may be a mix of both deciduous
and evergreen trees.
3. Different levels: Some forest ecosystems such as rain forests, feature several distinct levels –
such as the forest floor, the lower canopy, the upper canopy and the tree tops.
4. Attractive to birds: Many bird species nest in tree tops and this makes forest ecosystems
attractive to birds.
5. Attractive to insects: Many insects live in tree bark, leaf mulch or flowers and as such they
find forest ecosystems very attractive places to make their homes.

Structure of Forest Ecosystems:
Different organisms exist within the forest layers. These organisms interact with each other and
their surroundings. Each organism has a role or niche in sustaining the ecosystem.
Some provide food for other organisms; others provide shelter or control populations through
predation:
i. Producers:
ii. Consumers:
iii. Decomposers:
Humans are part of Forest Ecosystem:
Humans are consumers. We get food and materials from forests. Because of this, we are a part of
the forest ecosystem. Human consumption alters forest ecosystems. Human intervention may be
necessary to sustain forest communities under the increased pressure of human use.
22. Characteristic features of Grassland ecosystem:

Characteristic Of Grassland
i. Grasslands are dominated by grass with few or no trees. They develop in areas where
there is not enough rain for a forest and too much for a forest, therefore it is referred to as
a transitional landscape.
ii. Different types of grasslands share similar characteristics. Savannas have scattered trees
and predominate in certain parts of Africa, South America, Australia and Asia.
Temperate grasslands are largely devoid of trees, receive less rainfall than savannas and
endure broader temperature extremes. The two types of temperate grasslands are steppes
and prairies. Steppes have shorter grasses, and prairies have taller grasses due to higher
precipitation.
iii. Grasslands are found in both temperate and tropical areas where rainfall is between
250mm and 900mm per year. Can be natural or a result of human activity.
iv. Grasslands are also one of the most endangered biomes and easily turned to desert. In
Australia they are one of the most threatened habitats.
v. Temperatures vary much more in temperate grasslands than they do in savannas.
Savannas are in warm climates with average annual temperatures that only vary between
21 and 26 degrees Celsius (70 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit). They typically have only two
seasons, a wet and a dry season.
Distribution Of Grasslands Across The World
Grasslands covers 25% of the Earth's surface. 1 billion people depend on their livelihood as a
food source. Grasslands are found on every continent except Antarctica.

23. Characteristic features of Desert ecosystem:

General Characteristics of the Desert:
Today, one-third of the world‘s land surface is in the grip of deserts.
It is characterized by the following climatic, topographic, edaphic and biotic characters:
1. Aridity:
It is one and common characteristic of all deserts throughout most or all of the year.
2. Extremes of temperature:
Fluctuation in day and night temperatures, and also in seasons. Even polar deserts rarely
experience temperature in excess of 10°C.
3. Humidity:
Low humidity during the day and comparatively high in night.
4. Precipitation:
Precipitation deficiency is the main feature of deserts.
5. Drought:
Drought, in other words the effective aridity, is the main concept of desert. It is temporary or
permanent guest of desert. The duration of drought is long in the extreme arid-zone and
decreases towards the margins.
6. High wind velocity.
7. Absence of water vapour in air.
8. Solar radiation very intense.
9. The number of sunshine hours is very large i.e. near the theoretical maximum.
10. Potential evaporation highest.
11. Soils – loose, sandy, devoid of organic carbon, nitrogen, moisture etc.
12. Biologic soil is absent in most of deserts.
13. Uneven topography
14. The annual season of plant growth is extremely short.
15. Scarcity of water in hot deserts.
16. Vegetation is scarce and animals face shortage of food.
17. Occasional migration of whole population as a result of catastrophes such as prolonged
drought or destructive floods.
18. Isolation (exposure to sun rays) is absent in winter, and intense and continuous in
summer.
19. Human population density is very thin i.e. 34 persons per sq. km to 121 persons per sq.
km.

24. Characteristic features of Aquatic ecosystems (ponds,

streams, lakes, wetlands, rivers, oceans, estuaries):
The characteristic features of aquatic ecosystems are as follows:
1) Fresh Water Ecosystems:
Fresh water ecosystems are characterized as lotic (having flowing water) or lentic (still water).
Lentic bodies like pools, ponds, some swamps, bogs and lakes vary considerably in physical,
chemical and biological characteristics. They are dominated by floating and emergent vegetation
rooted in the bottom such as reeds and cattail, water lilies and some submerged but rooted
species. Frogs, snakes, snails, clams and considerable variety of adult insects and their larvae are
also found here.
2) Marine Ecosystem:
The most important physical characteristic that distinguishes marine ecosystems from freshwater
ecosystems is the salinity of the water. The five major marine ecosystems are as under.
a) Estuaries:
When freshwater meets seawater, and the salinity of seawater is diluted. The primary producers
in estuaries include plankton, large attached aquatic vegetation, and emergent vegetation such as
cord grass. Estuaries ecosystems are nursery grounds for many marine fishes, mollusks and
crustaceans.
b) Intertidal Zones:
They extend from splash zone of ocean waves to the low tide marks. More motile animals such
as fish and some crabs, move in and out of intertidal zones with the tides.
c) Neritic Ecosystems:
It consists of relatively shallow water that extends from the littoral zone to the edge of the
continental shelves. They are dominated by attached algae and are important in contributing to
primary production. Among animals include crabs, sponges, echinoderms, corals and
polychaetes.
d) Oceanic Zones:
It extends from continental shelves into the relatively unproductive open ocean. Phytoplankton
forms the base of the food web. Animals found at these great depths may have luminescent
organs.
e) Coral reefs:
They are one the most highly productive ecosystem in the world. They are associations of stony
coral and algae. The greatest depth at which they can grow is between 50 to 60m.

25. Vocabulary****
Term Definition
carnivore Organism that feeds on other animals.
Organism that must consume other organisms to obtain food for

consumer
energy.
Organism that obtains nutrients and energy by breaking down

decomposer
dead organisms and animal wastes.
Diagram that shows feeding interactions in an ecosystem

food chain
through a single pathway.
Diagram that shows feeding interactions between many

food web organisms in an ecosystem through multiple intersecting
pathways.
herbivore Animal that eats producers to obtain energy.
producer Organism that produces food for itself and other organisms.
Autotrophs Green plants (producers)
Heterotrophs Herbivore (primary consumers)
Heterotrophs Carnivores (secondary consumers)
Heterotrophs Carnivore (tertiary consumers)


1. The Branch of science that studies the relationship of living organisms with each
other****
(a) Biology
(b) Ecosystem
(c) Ecology
(d) Zoology
2. The word ecology was coined by the German zoologist____________****
(a) Alexander Hemming
(b) Ronald Ross
(c) Ernst Haeckel
3. Study of inter-relationship between organisms and their environment is ****
(a) Ecology
(b) Ecosystem
(c) Ethnology
4. Ecology is
(a) The science that studies the evolution of life,
(b) The study of the relationships between organisms and their environment
(c) The study of the environment in the absence of humans
5. The term ―ecology‖ was coined by combining two _______words
(a) Greek
(b) German
(c) Latin
6. Red pandas are found only in ________
(a) Eastern Himalayas
(b) Western Himalayas
(c) Central Himalayas
7. Non-living components of ecosystem are called_________**
(a) Biotic
(b) Abiotic
(c) Free living
8. The name of Rabindra Nath Tagore is connected with**
(a) Joint Forest Management
(b) Vanamahotsava
(c) Tree hugging movemnt
9. The physical space occupied by an organism is known as**
(a) Niche
(b) Habitat
(c) Ecotone.
10. 'Study of habitat' is known as**
(a) Ecology
(b) Entomology
(c) Ethology

11. 'Ethology' is
(a) Study of culture
(b) Study of behaviour
(c) Study of language
12. A ________ is a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at
the same time.**
(a) Population
(b) Community
(c) Biosphere
13. A _________consists of all the populations of different species that live in a given
area.**
(a) Biological community
(b) Biosphere
(c) Ecosystem
14. A pond, lake, desert, grassland, meadow, forest etc. are common examples
of______**
(a) Ecosystem
(b) Community
(c) Biosphere
15. _________is the whole biotic community in a given area and its abiotic environment.
(a) Ecosystem or an ecological system
(b) Biosphere
(c) Population
16. An ecosystem can be _______size
(a) Small
(b) Large
(c) Any
17. The term Ecosystem was first used in the ________
(a) 1930s
(b) 1940s
(c) 1950s
18. The word ecosystem was coined by ________ in 1935.***
(a) Alexander Hemming
(b) Ernst Haeckel
(c) A.G. Tansley
19. A.G. Tansley in 1935 proposed the term ―ecosystem‖. Eco implies the _____and
‗system‘ ‗implies an interacting, interdependent complex.
(a) Environment
(b) Economics
(c) Ecology
20. ________emphasises the movements of energy and nutrients (chemical elements)
among the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems.
(a) Ecology
(b) Ethology

21. Forest, grassland, desert, etc. are examples of ________
(a) Terrestrial Ecosystems
(b) Aquatic Ecosystems
(c) Artificial Ecosystems
22. The non living factors or the physical environment prevailing in an ecosystem form
the ________components.****
(a) Abiotic
(b) Biotic
(c) Autotrophic
23. The ___components include all living organisms present in the environmental
system***
(a) abiotic
(b) Biotic
(c) Both
24. __________component of ecosystem includes basic inorganic elements and
compounds, such as soil, water, oxygen, calcium carbonates, phosphates etc***
(a) Abiotic
(b) Biotic
(c) Autotrophic
25. __________includes includes physical factors and ingredients as moisture, wind
currents and solar radiation**
(a) Abiotic
(b) Biotic
(c) Autotrophic
26. ________components include all green plants which fix the radiant energy of sun and
manufacture food from inorganic substances
(a) Autotrophic
(b) Heterotrophic
(c) Abiotic
27. The ________ components include non-green plants and all animals which take food
from autotrophs.
(a) Heterotrophic
(b) Abiotic
(c) Autotrophic
28. The portion of the earth and its environment which can support life is known as ____
(a) Biosphere
(b) Exosphere
(c) atmosphere
29. What is troposphere?
(a) Portion of water
(b) Lowest layer of atmosphere where we survive
(c) Portion of sky

30. The main energy source for the environment is ________ ****
(a) Solar energy
(b) Bioelectric energy
(c) Electrical energy
31. A set of organisms that resemble one another in appearance and behaviour is called a
_________
(a) Species
(b) Population
(c) Community
32. Important abiotic factors in ecosystems include which of the following?
(a) temperature
(b) water
(c) both (a) and (b)
33. Area of land, water and air where the life exists is called__________
(a) Biosphere
(b) Lithosphere
(c) Hydrosphere
34. The __________ are the autotrophic elements—chiefly green plants**
(a) Producers
(b) Consumers
(c) Decomposers
35. _______is evolved as by-product in the photosynthesis.
(a) Oxygen
(b) Carbon dioxide
(c) Nitrogen
36. Those living members of ecosystem which consume the food synthesized by
producers are called _________**
(a) Consumers
(b) Decomposers
(c) Transformers
37. Under this category are included all kinds of animals that are found in an ecosystem.
(a) Consumers
(b) Decomposers
(c) Transformers
38. These are purely herbivorous animals that are dependent for their food on producers
or green plants.
(a) Consumers of the first order or primary consumers
(b) Consumers of the second order or secondary consumers
39. Rabbit, deer, cow, buffalo, goat etc are examples of ________

40. Primary consumers Rabbit, deer, cow, buffalo, goat etc are also called__________**
(a) herbivorous
(b) carnivores
(c) omnivores
41. Secondary consumers sparrow, crow, fox, wolves, dogs, cats, snakes, etc. are also
called__________**
(a) herbivorous
(b) carnivores and omnivores
(c) saprobes.
42. The herbivorous serve as the chief food source for _______
(a) carnivores and omnivores
(b) saprobes
(c) Parasites
43. _______are flesh eating animals and the omnivores are the animals that are adapted
to consume herbivores as well as plants as their food
(a) carnivores
(b) saprobes
(c) Parasites
44. Lions, tigers, hawk, vulture, etc. are considered as _________
(c) Consumers of the third order or tertiary consumers or top consumers.
45. _________are the living components of the ecosystem and they are fungi and
bacteria***
(a) Producer
(b) Consumers
(c) Decomposers and transformers
46. All forms of water that comes down on Earth, including rain, snow, hail etc. is known
as _____________
(a) Calcification
(b) Fixation
(c) Precipitation
47. Which gas is likely to be reduced in the atmosphere by deforestation?
(a) Carbon dioxide
(b) Nitrogen
(c) Oxygen
48. The phenomenon of occurrence of additional species found in the Ecotone or
transitional zone between adjoining ecosystems is known as _________
(a) Edge effect
(b) Root effect
(c) Ecological niche

49. An ecosystem gradually merges with an adjoining one through a transitional zone is
called the ______________
(a) Ecological niche
(b) ecological footprint
(c) Ecotone
50. A Hawk that eats a frog is a
(a) Primary Consumer
(b) Secondary Consumer
(c) Tertiary Consumer
51. Autotrophs are ______________
(a) Consumers
(b) Herbivores
(c) Producers
52. Organisms which depends on Producers for nutrition are called
(a) Autotrophs
(b) Saprophytes
(c) Consumers
53. The ultimate source of energy (for most ecosystems) is the _________
(a) Sun
(b) Green Plant
(c) Sugar
54. Photosynthesis is found in
(a) Producers
(b) Decomposers
(c) Consumers
55. An example of an abiotic component
(a) Plants
(b) Soil
(c) Animals
56. The order of living organisms in a community in which one organism consumes other
and is itself consumed by another organism to transfer energy is called a ______**
(a) Food chain
(b) Food web
(c) Ecology chain
57. ________is also defined as ―a chain of organisms, existing in any natural community,
through which energy is transferred‖.**
(a) Food chain
(b) Food web
(c) Ecology chain
58. A food chain starts with a __________**
(a) Producer
(b) Consumers
59. All organisms in a food chain, except the first organism, are ________
(a) Producer
(b) Consumers
60. Plants are called_________**
(a) Producer
(b) Consumers
61. The energy flow in ecosystem is****
(a) One – way
(b) Two – way
(c) Three – way
62. Primary producer of an ecosystem is
(a) Herbivores
(b) Carnivores
(c) Both a and b
63. Example of an ‗Omnivore‘ is
(a) Cockroach
(b) Blue whale
(c) Vulture
64. Which one of the following sequence is correct in food chain?****
(a) Grasses → Fox → Rabbit
(b) Phytoplankton → Zooplankton → Fish
(c) Grasses → Chameleon → Insect → Birds
65. Which one of the following sequence is correct in food chain?****
(a) Grass→Wolf→Deer →Buffalo
(b) Grass → Snake → Insect → Deer
(c) Grass → Insect → Birds → Snake
66. The complex network of interconnected food chains is called ___________****
(a) Food web
(b) Ecological pyramid
(c) Ecology chain

67. Which one is nature‘s cleaner?****
(a) Consumers
(b) Producers
(c) Decomposers and Scavengers
68. A Hawk that eats a frog is a
(a) Primary Consumer
(b) Secondary Consumer
(c) Tertiary Consumer
69. An aggregation of populations of different species living together constitute ______
(a) a biotic community
(b) An abiotic Community
(c) Major Community
70. A zone of vegetation spreading or separating two different types of communities is
called _________
(a) Eco-tone
(b) Ecological Niche
(c) ecological footprint
71. ________is a small habitat within a habitat, in which only a single species can survive
(a) Eco-tone
(b) Ecological Niche
(c) ecological footprint
72. The forests which occur in law rain fall area is**
(a) Evergreen forests
(b) Deciduous forests
(c) Coniferous forest
73. The largest brackish water lake situated in Asia is in Orissa. Which is the lake?
(a) Chilka lake
(b) Vembanad lake
(c) Dal lake
74. Ramsar Convention refers to the conservation of ____________******
(a) Deserts
(b) Wetlands
(c) Agriculture lands
75. Grasslands covers _________ of the Earth's surface**
(a) 25%
(b) 33 %
(c) 17 %

76. Grasslands are found on every continent except ________***
(a) Antarctica
(b) Australia
(c) South America
77. Temperate forests occur in India in_________
(a) Indo-Gangetic plains
(b) Himalayas
(c) Eastern India
78. In India, tropical evergreen forests occur in __________
(a) Himachal Pradesh
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Assam
79. Forests grow in high rain fall areas are
(a) ever green forests
(b) temperate forests
(c) conifers
80. _________trees shed their leaves during winter and hot summer.**
(a) Ever green
(b) Coniferous
(c) Deciduous
81. _________is a cold desert in India*
(a) Thar
(b) Ladakh
(c) Gangtok
82. An example of lotic system****
(a) Pond
(b) River
(c) Lake
83. An example of lentic system****
(a) Pond
(b) River
(c) Sea
84. _______are nursery grounds for many marine fishes, mollusks and crustaceans.
(a) Estuaries ecosystems
(b) Neritic Ecosystems
(c) Fresh Water Ecosystems
85. Ecotone is
(a) Ecosystem
(b) A zone between two Ecosystem

Unit 3:
Natural Resources
1. Concept of Renewable and Non-renewable resources****
All things that are useful to us are called resources. Air, water, land, soil, forest etc are all
resources. Resources are useful raw materials that we get from nature. These are naturally
occurring materials. They are useful for us in many ways, and we keep developing new ways to
use them or convert them into useful things. Let us look at the classification of resources.
Classification of Resources
Natural resources are valuable to us. The broadest classification of resources is done on the basis
of their replenishing ability. Let us take a look, at these two classifications.
(a) Renewable resources
(b) Non Renewable resources
Renewable resources
When talking about classification of resources, we will first see the renewable resources.
Renewable resources are those resources that can be replenished or renewed naturally over time.
Air, water, wind, solar energy etc are all renewable resources. Renewable resources can be easily
renewed by nature.
1. Solar energy
Sun is a big source of energy. The energy that we get from the Sun is called solar energy. All the
natural phenomenon like the flowing of wind, water cycle, photosynthesis etc are possible only
due to solar energy. Now a day, solar energy is being used to cook food with the help of solar
cookers, heat water, light streets, pump water for irrigating fields etc.
2. Hydro-Energy
Water is important natural resources. All living organisms need water to live. Humans need
water for many purposes such as drinking, cleaning, cooking and for growing crops. Water
flowing into the river or water stored in a dam is sources of hydro energy. The Simple method to
use hydro energy is to convert it into electrical energy.
3. Wind energy
Winds are constantly being created in nature. The windmill is a source of electrical energy.
These windmills are generally established only at places where most of the days in a year
experience strong winds. The energy from this wind is used for grinding grain, pumping water
and to produce electricity. In India, many windmills have been set up in different places such as
Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala, West Bengal and Gujarat.

4. Biogas
Biogas is a type of fuel which is a mixture of gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
etc which is obtained by decomposition of animal and plant wastes like animal dung, with the
help of micro-organisms in the presence of water. It is used as fuel in gas stove especially in
rural areas.
5. Wood
Wood is an ancient and traditional source of energy. It is mainly a mixture of many carbohydrate
compounds. Wood is used to cook food. It leads to deforestation and pollutes air also. In India,
still in many villages, they use wood chullas to cook food every day. While having ill effects on
the environment, it is also harmful to human health
6. Hydrogen
It is a good source of energy because it does not create pollution and produce maximum energy
on burning. Hydrogen has the potential to be the answer to all our energy and fuel troubles.
Technology is currently being developed to fully utilize hydrogen efficiency.
7. Alcohol
Alcohol has many commercial and medical purposes. It can use for producing energy. It can be
obtained while making sugar from sugarcane. Thus it is a very cheap source of energy. A
mixture of petrol and alcohol is being used as a fuel in automobiles. This mixture is called
‗Gasohol‘.
8. Air
All living things need air to breathe. Therefore, air is an important natural resource.
9. Water
All living things water in order to survive. And the water cycle means we will essentially never
run out of the water. But we must be careful not to pollute water and make it unusable. Drinking
and clean water are already scarce in the world.
10. Soil
It is an important resource as this is the layer where plants grow. We all need food in order to
survive. We get most of our food from crops grown in the soil.
Non Renewable resources
The other classification of resources is non-renewable resources. Non-renewable resources are
those natural resources that are available in limited quantity. These resources cannot be renewed
or replenished in short duration. Therefore they are also known as exhaustible resources.
Examples- coal, natural gas, petroleum etc.
1. Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are non-renewable resources. They are found deep inside the
earth and are made by natural processes over many centuries. Their quantity is limited and they

take thousands of years to get renewed. Example of fossil fuels is coal, petroleum, natural gas
etc.
 Coal: It is also known as black diamond. Coal is used as a fuel, to generate electricity, and
in factories and steam engines.
 Natural gas: Natural gas is used as a fuel called Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. Some
wells dug into the earth produce only natural gas. Natural gases are a good alternative to
petrol and diesel and it is used as Compressed Natural Gas. It burns easily and produces a
lot of heat. It is a good source of hydrogen.
 Petroleum: Petroleum is also known as mineral oil or crude oil. This liquid mineral is
refined to make fuels such as petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene. Plastic, cosmetics,
and lubricants are also products of petroleum. It is found deep inside the Earth or under the
sea floor. It is taken out by drilling wells deep into the Earth or under the seabed.
2. Nuclear energy
In the classification of resources, nuclear energy is classified as non-renewable. The fuel used for
nuclear energy is generally uranium, which is in a limited supply. So we classify it as non-
renewable. Production of electricity from nuclear energy does not release carbon dioxide. Thus,
use of nuclear energy is safe for the environment.
2. Land resources
What is land resource?
(a) Land resources mean the resources available from the land, thus the agricultural land
which contain natural fertilizer for growth of the products sown; the underground water,
the various minerals like coal, bauxite, gold and other raw materials.
(b) The more a country is able to locate and use the raw materials, the more the
industrialization of that country, area etc.
(c) Land resource refers to the land available for exploitation, like non agricultural lands for
buildings, developing townships etc
(d) Land resources (natural resources) (economically referred to as land or raw materials)
occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a
natural form.
(e) A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity existent in various
ecosystems.
(f) Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our
survival while others are used for satisfying our wants.
(g) Natural resources may be further classified in different ways.
 Underground geological resources (oil, gas, ores, precious metals), and
 Deeper geohydrological resources

3. Land use change

Land use change is a process by which human activities transform the natural landscape,
referring to how land has been used, usually emphasizing the functional role of land for
economic activities.
Deforestation (as a result of land use changes and management) is mainly caused by an increase
in land farming areas or soil sealing for urban areas and infrastructures.
4. Land degradation***
Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the
natural phenomenon.
Land degradation means:
1. Loss of natural fertility of soil because of loss of nutrients.
2. Less vegetation cover
3. Changes in the characteristic of soil.
4. Pollution of water resources from the contamination of soil through which water sweeps into
ground or runoff to the water bodies.
5. Changes in climatic conditions because of unbalanced created in the environment.
Causes of Land Degradation:
(a) Deforestation:
Deforestation is taking place at a faster rate due to increasing demands of timber, fuel and forest
products which results into degradation of land resources.
(b) Overgrazing:
Overgrazing refers to excessive eating of grasses and other green plants by cattle. It results into
reduced growth of vegetation, reduced diversity of plant species, excessive growth of unwanted
plant species, soil erosion, and degradation of land due to cattle movement
(c) Agricultural practices:
The modern agricultural practices, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides has adversely
degraded the natural quality and fertility of the cultivation land.
(d) Industrialization:
Development of industries for the economic growth of the country leads to excessive
deforestation and utilization of land in such as way that it has lost its natural up gradation
quality.
(e) Urbanization:
Increasing growth of population and demand for more residential areas and commercial sectors
is also one of the reasons for land degradation.

Prevention and Control Measures for Land Degradation:
Following are some practices for controlling land degradation:
1. Strip farming:
It is & practice in which cultivated crops are sown in alternative strips to prevent water
movement.
2. Crop Rotation:
It is one of the agricultural practice in which different crops are grown in same area following a
rotation system which helps in replenishment of the soil.
3. Ridge and Furrow Formation:
Soil erosion is one of the factors responsible for lad degradation. It can be prevented by
formation of ridge and furrow during irrigation which lessens run off.
4. Construction of Dams:
This usually checks or reduces the velocity of run off so that soil support vegetation.
5. Contour Farming:
This type of farming is usually practiced across the hill side and is useful in collecting and
diverting the run off to avoid erosion.
5. Soil erosion***
Soil
The soil is the top layer of the earth‘s surface. It is made up of dirt and rock. It is filled with air
and life. A variety of organisms, like insects, earthworm, live in soil. For plants, soil serves as a
storehouse of water and minerals needed for their growth. It also provides shelter to many
animals that live on or in the soil. Without soil, there would be no grass, no crops, no trees, no
food for us and other animals.
Soil Erosion
It is a process in which the top fertile layer of soil is lost. Due to soil erosion, the soil becomes
less fertile. The top layer of soil is very light which is easily carried away by wind and water.
The removal of topsoil by the natural forces is known as soil erosion.
Causes of Soil Erosion
Various agents, like wind, water, deforestation, overgrazing by cattle, etc., cause soil erosion.
The various factors of soil erosion are:
1. Wind
When strong winds blow, the topsoil along with the organic matter is carried away by the wind.
This happens more often when the land is not covered with grass or plants. Such conditions are
very common in desert and semi-desert regions where strong winds blow very frequently.

2. Water
When it rains in the hilly areas, the soil gets washed away towards the plains. The running water
deposits the mineral-rich soil in the riverbed and over the years this deposition of soil can change
the course of the river. This can lead to floods which cause the destruction of life and property.
Water erosion leads to loss of agriculture potential.
3. Overgrazing
When cattle are allowed to graze on the same field repeatedly, all the available grass, including
the roots are eaten by them. This makes the topsoil vulnerable to wind and flowing water,
leading to soil erosion.
4. Deforestation
Humans have taken land from the forest to cultivate in order to feed the ever-increasing
population and to build houses, industries, etc. Cutting down of trees on a large scale for these
purposes is deforestation. The roots of trees hold the soil together, thus preventing the soil from
getting uprooted. When large areas of the forest are cleared, the topsoil gets eroded by wind and
flowing water.
6. Soil conservation**
Prevention of soil erosion is also called conservation of soil. The soil erosion can be prevented
by the following ways:
1. Afforestation
Planting new trees and plants is afforestation. We live because plants live. If the plants die, all
living things will also die. Thus, whenever trees are cut down new trees should be planted.
Planting trees in hilly areas are most effective for conservation.
2. Crop Rotation
Between harvesting one crop and planting the next crop, the fields lie bare; there is a time period
when the farmland does not have any crops. During this period, the farmer either grows grass or
grows other crops to prevent soil from erosion. This helps the soil to regain the lost minerals.
3. Terrace Farming
In hilly areas, farming is done by cutting steps on the slopes of the hills. This slows down the
flow of water and soil removed from one step is deposited on the next step. Thus, the soil is
never completely lost. This is terrace farming.
4. Building Dams
Dams are built to prevent floods, which not only damage the crops but also wash away the
topsoil.
5. Shelterbelts

The cover of plants and trees around the field also breaks the speed of strong winds and protects
the soil from being blown away.
6. Embankments
Bib strong structure called embankments along the banks of the river can protect fields from the
floods. These embankments prevent the fast overflowing rivers and rainwater from washing
away a huge amount of rich fertile soil.
7. Van Mahotsav
It is an annual tree planting festival started by the Government of India. The aim of this
programme is to create awareness about the need for conservation of forest and soil.
7. Desertification***
 As defined in recent dictionaries, desertification is the process by which an area becomes (or
is made to become) desert-like.
 Desertification is the process of ecological degradation by which economically productive
land becomes less productive, in some cases leading to the development of a desert-like
landscape.
 Overstocking, overcultivation, and deforestation are primarily responsible for the
process, Desertification is likely to be due to a combination of drought and
mismanagement of land.
8. Deforestation ***
What Does Deforestation Mean?
Deforestation means cutting down the trees to a large extent be it forests, any barren land or trees
we see on our way to school every day. Natural forests are being destructed to use the land for
cultivation, building houses, factories, logging, making space for cattle grazing, extraction of oil,
mining, construction of dams or to obtain wood for making furniture and using it as fuel.
Deforestation is one of the major causes to the environmental degradation which is affected by
the agents like small farmers, ranches, loggers and plantation companies. There is a broad
consensus that expansion of cropped areas and pastures are a major source of deforestation.
The term ‗deforestation‘ describes the complete long term removal of tree cover. The loss forest
cover influences the climate and contributes to a loss of biodiversity. The economic activity is
adversely affected by siltation, flooding, soil degradation and reduced timber supplies. Thus, in
turn, threatens the livelihood of people.

9. Deforestation: Causes**
Causes for Deforestation:
1. Agriculture:
2. Commercial logging:
3. Mining:
4. Increase in population:
5. Urbanization and industrialization:
6. Construction of dam reservoirs:
7. Forest fires:
8. Overgrazing:
10. Deforestation: consequences

Consequences of Deforestation:
1. Food problems:
2. Exposing soil to heat and rain:
3. Flooding:
4. Displacement of indigenous communities:
5. Climate change:
6. Economic loss:
7. Health issues:
11. Deforestation: remedial measures

Solutions to Deforestation
Trees play a vital role in protecting our environment in several ways so we should protect the
forest:
 The best way to stop deforestation is replanting.
 Ban on cutting of trees and new trees and planting more.
 There should be an implementation of regulations of laws at organizational and
governmental levels due to the extent of deforestation.
 Spread the awareness about sensitization and organize educative campaigns about the
effects of deforestation.

12. Water: Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground

water
WATER RESOURCES:
Water is the most abundant, inexhaustible renewable resource. It covers 70% of the globe in the
form of oceans, rivers, lakes, etc. Of this 70%, only 3% is available as freshwater. From this 3%,
roughly 2% is frozen in polar icecaps and only a fraction of the remaining 1% is used as drinking
water (potable). 90% of the water is utilized for agricultural purposes in India.
USE OF SURFACE AND GROUND WATER
(a) Consumptive use: In such uses, water is completely utilized and cannot be reused
Ex: Domestic, industrial and irrigation
(b) Non-consumptive use: In such uses, water is not completely utilized and is reused
Ex: Hydropower plant
(c) Other uses:
 Water is used for domestic purposes like drinking, bathing, cooking, washing. etc.
 Water is used in commercial establishments like hotels, theaters, educational
institutions, offices, etc.
 Almost 60-70% of fresh water is used for irrigation
 20-30% of water is used for industrial operations by refineries, iron & steel
industries, paper & pulp industries, etc.
 Water plays a key role in sculpting the earths surface, moderating climate and
diluting pollutants.
OVER-UTILIZATION OF SURFACE & GROUND WATER
The rapid increase in population and industrial growth led to severe demand on water resources.
After using all available surface water resources to the maximum, human beings began using
groundwater to meet their needs.
 The increased extraction of groundwater far in excess of the natural recharge led to
decreased groundwater level. The erratic and inadequate rainfall caused reduction in
storage of water in reservoirs. This also led to decrease of groundwater.
 Building construction activities seal permeable soil zone and reduce the area for
percolation of rainwater thereby increasing surface runoff.
 If groundwater withdrawal rate is higher than recharge rate, sediments in aquifers get
compacted resulting in sinking of overlaying land surface. This is called land subsidence
which leads to structural damage in buildings, fracture in pipes and reverses the flow of
canals leading to tidal flooding.

 Over-utilization of groundwater in arid and semi-arid regions for agriculture disturbs
equilibrium of reservoir in the region causing problems like lowering of water table and
decreased pressure in aquifers coupled with changes in speed and direction of water flow.
 Over utilization of groundwater in coastal areas leads to rapid intrusion of salt water from
the sea thereby rendering it unusable for drinking and agriculture.
 Over-utilization of groundwater lads to decrease in water level thereby causing
earthquake, landslides and famine.
 Over-utilization of groundwater leads to drying-up of dug wells as well as bore wells.
 Due to excess use of groundwater near agricultural fields, agricultural water that contains
nitrogen as a fertilizer percolates rapidly and pollutes the groundwater thereby rendering
the water unfit for potable use by infants. (Nitrate concentration exceeding 45 mg/L).
13. Floods
What is a flood?
It is a natural event or occurrence where a piece of land (or area) that is usually dry land,
suddenly gets submerged under water. Some floods can occur suddenly and recede quickly.
Others take days or even months to build and discharge.
When floods happen in an area that people live, the water carries along objects like houses,
bridges, cars, furniture and even people. It can wipe away farms, trees and many more heavy
items.
The Causes of Floods
 Heavy Rainfall at River Sources
 Snow Melt
 Irresponsible Damming
 Natural Disasters Out at Sea
[In 2011 a tsunami struck Japan, leaving more than 10,000 people unaccounted for in one
coastal town alone]
14. Droughts
Definition of drought
Most people think of a drought as a period of unusually dry weather that persists long enough to
cause problems such as crop damage and water supply shortages. But because dry conditions
develop for different reasons, there is more than one definition of drought.
"Drought is caused by not only lack of precipitation and high temperatures but by overuse and
overpopulation,"

Drought is lack or insufficiency of rain for an extended period that causes considerable
hydrologic imbalances and consequently water shortages, stream flow reductions and depletion
of groundwater levels and soil moisture. Drought is the most serious physical hazard to
agriculture in nearly every part of the world.
Shortage of water for even the basic needs is the main problem in the drought areas. Even the
shallow rooted crops do not grow in such areas. Getting sufficient drinking water is another
problem needing immediate attention in these areas. Some measures like infiltration wells,
underground dams, small watersheds, are being taken up to alleviate the sufferings of the people
residing in the drought prone areas.
Certain advance techniques such as Cloud Seeding and Artificial Rains are also being tried with
varying successes. However, these methods are quite expensive and unpredictable in their
success. Scant rains for extensive periods also lead to ecological changes. Ultimately,
Government has found reasonable remedies in the form of development of small watersheds in
such areas.
15. Conflicts over water (international & Inter-state)

Conflicts over water, both within countries and between countries, are sharply increasing
However, few of these conflicts have led to violence. Major underlying reasons for these
conflicts include
(1) low rainfall, inadequate water supply, and dependency on one major water source;
(2) high population growth and rapid urbanization;
(3) modernization and industrialization; and
(4) a history of armed combat and poor relations between countries and among groups within
countries. Water scarcity alone, however, is infrequently the cause of armed conflict over
water. Immediately precipitating causes include sociopolitical tensions; disputes over
dams, reservoirs, and other large-scale projects; and disputes concerning environmental
and resource issues.
PREVENTING CONFLICTS OVER WATER
(1) reducing use of water, such as by decreasing wasteful uses and increasing efficient uses;
(2) increasing availability of clean water, such as by reducing industrial pollution and sewage
contamination of water, improving sewage and wastewater treatment, and improving
watershed management;
(3) establishing and maintaining new groundwater wells;
(4) designing and implementing improved methods of desalinization; and
(5) expanding use of greywater (wastewater from domestic activities that can be recycled for
some uses), as has been done extensively in Singapore and Israel.

16. Energy resources: Environmental impacts of energy

generation**
All energy sources have some impact on our environment. Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural
gas—do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by most measures, including air
and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and
global warming emissions.
However, renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower also
have environmental impacts, some of which are significant.
The exact type and intensity of environmental impacts varies depending on the specific
technology used, the geographic location, and a number of other factors. By understanding the
current and potential environmental issues associated with each renewable energy source, we can
takes steps to effectively avoid or minimize these impacts as they become a larger portion of our
electric supply.
Wind power
Harnessing power from the wind is one of the cleanest and most sustainable ways to generate
electricity as it produces no toxic pollution or global warming emissions. Wind is also abundant,
inexhaustible, and affordable, which makes it a viable and large-scale alternative to fossil fuels.
Despite its vast potential, there are a variety of environmental impacts associated with wind
power generation that should be recognized and mitigated.
 Land use: The land use impact of wind power facilities varies substantially depending
on the site. wind turbines placed in flat areas typically use more land than those located
in hilly areas.
 Wildlife and Habitat: The impact of wind turbines on wildlife, most notably on birds
and bats, has been widely document and studied
 Public Health and Community: Sound and visual impact are the two main public health
and community concerns associated with operating wind turbines.
Solar power
Like wind power, the sun provides a tremendous resource for generating clean and sustainable
electricity. The environmental impacts associated with solar power can include land use and
habitat loss, water use, and the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing, though the types of
impacts vary greatly depending on the scale of the system and the technology used—
photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP).
Geothermal energy
The most widely developed type of geothermal power plant (known as hydrothermal plants) are
located near geologic ―hot spots‖ where hot molten rock is close to the earth‘s crust and
produces hot water.

In other regions enhanced geothermal systems (or hot dry rock geothermal), which involve
drilling into the earth‘s surface to reach deeper geothermal resources, can allow broader access
to geothermal energy.
Geothermal plants also differ in terms of the technology they use to convert the resource to
electricity (direct steam, flash, or binary) and the type of cooling technology they use (water-
cooled and air-cooled). Environmental impacts differ depending on the conversion and cooling
technology used.
 Water Quality and Use: Geothermal power plants can have impacts on both water
quality and consumption. Hot water pumped from underground reservoirs often contains
high levels of sulfur, salt, and other minerals.
 Air Emissions: The distinction between open- and closed-loop systems is important
with respect to air emissions. In closed-loop systems, gases removed from the well are
not exposed to the atmosphere and are injected back into the ground after giving up their
heat, so air emissions are minimal. In contrast, open-loop systems emit hydrogen sulfide,
carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, and boron. Hydrogen sulfide, which has a distinctive
―rotten egg‖ smell, is the most common emission
 Land Use: The amount of land required by a geothermal plant varies depending on the
properties of the resource reservoir, the amount of power capacity, the type of energy
conversion system, the type of cooling system, the arrangement of wells and piping
systems, and the substation and auxiliary building needs
 Life-Cycle Global Warming Emissions: In open-loop geothermal systems,
approximately 10 percent of the air emissions are carbon dioxide, and a smaller amount
of emissions are methane, a more potent global warming gas.
Biomass for electricity
Biomass power plants share some similarities with fossil fuel power plants: both involve the
combustion of a feedstock to generate electricity. Thus, biomass plants raise similar, but not
identical, concerns about air emissions and water use as fossil fuel plants.
However, the feedstock of biomass plants can be sustainable produced, while fossil fuels are
non-renewable.
Sources of biomass resources for producing electricity are diverse; including energy crops (like
switchgrass), agricultural waste, manure, forest products and waste, and urban waste. Both the
type of feedstock and the manner in which it is developed and harvested significantly affect land
use and life-cycle global warming emissions impacts of producing power from biomass.

Hydroelectric power
Hydroelectric power includes both massive hydroelectric dams and small run-of-the-river plants.
Large-scale hydroelectric dams continue to be built in many parts of the world
 Land Use: The size of the reservoir created by a hydroelectric project can vary widely,
depending largely on the size of the hydroelectric generators and the topography of the land.
Hydroelectric plants in flat areas tend to require much more land than those in hilly areas or
canyons where deeper reservoirs can hold more volume of water in a smaller space.
 Wildlife Impacts: Dammed reservoirs are used for multiple purposes, such as agricultural
irrigation, flood control, and recreation, so not all wildlife impacts associated with dams can
be directly attributed to hydroelectric power. However, hydroelectric facilities can still have
a major impact on aquatic ecosystems.
 Life-cycle Global Warming Emissions: Global warming emissions are produced during
the installation and dismantling of hydroelectric power plants, but recent research suggests
that emissions during a facility‘s operation can also be significant. Such emissions vary
greatly depending on the size of the reservoir and the nature of the land that was flooded by
the reservoir.
Hydrokinetic energy
Hydrokinetic energy, which includes wave and tidal power, encompasses an array of energy
technologies, many of which still in the experimental stages or in the early stages of deployment.
While actual impacts of large-scale operations have not been observed, a range of potential
impacts can be projected.
wave energy installations can require large expanses of ocean space, which could compete with
other uses—such as fishing and shipping—and cause damage to marine life and habitats. Some
tidal energy technologies are located at the mouths of ecologically-sensitive estuary systems,
which could cause changes in hydrology and salinity that negatively impact animal and plant
life.
17. Energy resources: Use of alternative and

nonconventional energy sources**
Non-conventional sources of Energy
Natural resources like wind, tides, solar, biomass, etc generate energy which is known as ―Non-
conventional resources―. These are pollution free and hence we can use these to produce a
clean form of energy without any wastage.
Why do we need non-conventional energy resources?
Renewable resources provide energy in four important areas like :
 Electricity generation

 Water heating or cooling
 Transporting
 Rural
Types of Non-convention sources
 Solar Energy
 Wind Energy
 Tidal Energy
 Geothermal Energy
 Biomass
18. The Best Examples of Alternative Energy Sources**

Solar Energy
Solar energy is harnessed by converting solar energy directly into electrical energy in solar
plants. Photosynthesis process carries out this process of conversion of solar energy. In
photosynthesis, green plants absorb solar energy and convert it into chemical energy. Solar
energy is an essential energy of all non-conventional sources but its usage amount is very less. It
is the most important non-conventional source of energy and it gives non-polluting environment-
friendly output and is available in abundant.
Uses of Solar energy:
 solar cooker
 Solar heaters
Wind energy
Wind energy describes the process by which wind is used to generate electricity. As the wind
increases, power output increases up to the maximum output of the particular turbine. Wind
farms prefer areas, where winds are stronger and constant. These are generally located at high
altitudes. Wind turbines use wind to make electricity. There is no pollution because no fossil
fuels are burnt to generate electricity. One of India‘s largest windmill farm is
in Kanyakumari which generates 380mW of electricity.
Biomass energy
Biomass is the organic matter that originates from plants, animals, wood, sewage. These
substances burn to produce heat energy which then generates electricity. The chemical
composition of biomass varies in different species but generally, biomass consists of 25% of
lignin, 75% of carbohydrates or sugar. Biomass energy is also applicable for cooking, lighting,
and generation of electricity. The residue left after the removal of biogas is a good source of
manure. Biomass is an important energy source contributing to more than 14% of the global
energy supply.

Tidal energy
Tidal power is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into electricity. In areas
where the sea experiences waves and tides, we can generate electricity using tidal power. India
may take up ―ocean thermal level conversion‖ by which it will be able to generate 50,000mW of
electricity to meet the power requirements.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is the heat energy that we get from hot rocks present in the earth‘s crust. So
Geothermal wells release greenhouse gases trapped within the earth and but these emissions are
much lower per energy unit than the fossil fuels. This energy generally involves low running
costs since it saves 80% on fossil fuels. Due to this, there is an increase in the use of geothermal
energy. It helps in reducing global warming and does not create pollution.
19. Energy resources: Growing energy needs

The Growing Energy Needs in India!
Energy is derived from non renewable (conventional) and renewable (non conventional)
resources and the former are in the process of depletion. These are fossil fuels — oil, coal and
natural gas. It took million of years to build up these resources. Renewable resources are solar
energy, wind energy, water energy and biomass.
 Approximately 80% of the world‘s energy is produced by fossil fuels.
 Among non-conventional resources, hydropower is the largest.
 Wind power has also a great potential Wind mills and sails have been in use since ancient
times.
Indian Scenario:
Coal, oil, gas and water constitute the main sources of energy in our country. The share of
various energy sources in the commercial consumption of energy is mostly from coal (56%) and
petroleum (32%), the other sources being nuclear natural gas and water. Apart from commercial
energy, a large amount of traditional energy sources in the form of fuel wood, agriculture waste
and animal residue are used.


1. The main energy source for the environment is ________****
(a) Solar energy
(b) Chemical energy
(c) Bioelectric energy
2. The resources that can be replaced by natural ecological cycle is called__________**
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Exhaustible
3. ______resources are those resources that can be replenished or renewed naturally over time**
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Exhaustible
4. Air, water, wind, solar energy etc are examples of __________resources****
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Exhaustible
5. Water flowing into the river or water stored in a dam is sources of _______energy.
(a) hydro
(b) electrical
(c) Winds
6. The windmill is a source of _________energy.**
(a) Solar energy
(b) Bioelectric energy
(c) Electric energy
7. ________is a type of fuel which is a mixture of gases such as methane, carbon dioxide,
hydrogen etc which is obtained by decomposition of animal and plant wastes*****
(a) Biogas
(b) Fossil fuel
(c) Compressed Natural Gas
8. ________is an ancient and traditional source of energy
(a) Wood
(b) Biogas
(c) Fossil fuel
9. ______resources are those natural resources that are available in limited quantity.****
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Natural
10. These resources cannot be renewed or replenished in short duration.***
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Natural

11. ____________resources are also known as exhaustible resources.**
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Natural
12. Coal, natural gas, petroleum etc are examples of ___________****
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Natural
13. Fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, natural gas etc are __________resources.******
(a) Renewable
(b) Non-renewable
(c) Natural
14. Coal, petroleum, natural gas etc are example of _________******
(a) Fossil fuels
(b) Renewable resources
(c) Natural resources
15. __________is used as a fuel called Compressed Natural Gas or CNG.*
(a) Natural gas
(b) Biogas
(c) Fossil fuel
16. __________is also known as mineral oil or crude oil*
(a) Petroleum
(b) Biogas
(c) Fossil fuel
17. Which of the following is a renewable source of energy?*
(a) Hydro-Energy
(b) Fossil fuel
(c) Nuclear energy
18. Which of the following is a non-renewable source of energy?****
(a) Hydro-Energy
(b) Nuclear energy
(c) Wind energy
19. The fuel used for ________is generally uranium, which is in a limited supply*
(a) Hydro-Energy
(b) Nuclear energy
(c) Wind energy
20. The fuel used for nuclear energy is generally _______which is in a limited supply.*
(a) Uranium
(b) Compressed Natural Gas
(c) petroleum
21. __________refers to excessive eating of grasses and other green plants by cattle.*
(a) Deforestation
(b) Overgrazing
(c) Urbanization

22. It is & practice in which cultivated crops are sown in alternative strips to prevent
water movement.
(a) Strip farming
(b) Crop Rotation
(c) Contour Farming
23. It is one of the agricultural practice in which different crops are grown in same area
following a rotation system which helps in replenishment of the soil.
(a) Strip farming
(b) Crop Rotation
(c) Contour Farming
24. This type of farming is usually practiced across the hill side and is useful in collecting
and diverting the run off to avoid erosion.
(a) Strip farming
(b) Crop Rotation
(c) Contour Farming
25. The _______is the top layer of the earth‘s surface.
(a) Soil
(b) Grass
(c) Water
26. It is a process in which the top fertile layer of soil is lost
(a) Soil Erosion
(b) Land Degradation
(c) Soil conservation
27. The removal of topsoil by the natural forces is known as ________
(a) Soil Erosion
28. Prevention of soil erosion is also called ___________
(a) Soil Erosion
29. ________is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the
natural phenomenon.
(a) Soil Erosion
30. Planting new trees and plants is ________ ****
(a) afforestation
(b) Deforestation
(c) Contour Farming
31. In hilly areas, farming is done by cutting steps on the slopes of the hills. It is called ___
(a) Terrace Farming
(b) Strip farming
(c) Contour Farming

32. ______is the process by which an area becomes (or is made to become) desert-like.
(a) Desertification
(b) Deforestation
(c) over-exploitation
33. _________is the process of ecological degradation by which economically productive
land becomes less productive**
(a) Desertification
(b) Deforestation
(c) Over-exploitation
34. ________is likely to be due to a combination of drought and mismanagement of land.
(a) Desertification
(b) Deforestation
(c) Over-exploitation
35. Deforestation means cutting down the trees to a large extent
(a) Desertification
(b) Deforestation
36. The term _________describes the complete long term removal of tree cover.
(a) Desertification
(b) Deforestation
37. Water covers Approx __________ of the globe in the form of oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.
(a) 70%
(b) 29 %
(c) 3 %
(d) 1 %
38. It is a natural event or occurrence where a piece of land (or area) that is usually dry
land, suddenly gets submerged under water
(a) Floods
(b) Droughts
(c) Tsunami
39. _________is lack or insufficiency of rain for an extended period
(a) Floods
(b) Droughts
(c) Tsunami
40. "________ is caused by not only lack of precipitation and high temperatures but by
overuse and overpopulation,"
(a) Floods
(b) Droughts
(c) Tsunami
41. Certain advance techniques such as Cloud Seeding and Artificial Rains are used to
reduce__________
(a) Floods
(b) Droughts

42. Cleanest and most sustainable ways to generate electricity are___________
(a) Wind power
(b) Solar power
(c) (a) & (b) Both
43. _______includes dams and small run-of-the-river plants.
(a) Hydroelectric power
(b) Hydrokinetic energy
(c) Geothermal energy
44. _________includes wave and tidal power
(a) Hydroelectric power
(c) Geothermal energy
45. Natural resources like wind, tides, solar, biomass, etc generate energy which is known
as ____________***
(a) Non-conventional resources
(b) Non-Renewable resources
(c) Exhaustive resources
46. Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Tidal Energy, Geothermal Energy, Biomass etc are
examples of ______**
(a) Non-conventional resources
(b) Non-Renewable resources
(c) Exhaustive resources
47. Photosynthesis process carries out this process of conversion of ____________**
(a) Solar Energy
(b) Geothermal Energy
(c) Wind Energy
48. In photosynthesis, green plants absorb ________and convert it into chemical energy.
(a) Solar Energy
(b) Geothermal Energy
(c) Wind Energy
49. One of India‘s largest windmill farm is in __________**
(a) Kanyakumari
(b) Kashmir
(c) Chennai
50. ____is the organic matter that originates from plants, animals, wood, sewage**
(a) Biomass
(b) Biogas
(c) Biochemical
51. ________is the heat energy that we get from hot rocks present in the earth‘s crust
(a) Geothermal energy
(c) Hydroelectric power

Unit 4:
Biodiversity and Conservation
1. Biodiversity***
Biodiversity is the variability among Earth‘s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms, as
well as the ecosystems of which they are part. Biodiversity is crucial to the future of all life on
the planet, and is also the foundation for the ecosystem goods and services that enable human
societies to thrive. Biodiversity provides us with food, water, and materials, as well as services
such as climate regulation, pollination, disaster protection, and nutrient cycling.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which came into force in 1993, is the global
policy framework for action to maintain biodiversity for future generations. There has been some
progress in conserving and sustainably using biodiversity and ecosystems at local and national
levels over the past several decades, but not at the scale necessary to stem the ongoing tide of
biodiversity loss. Changing the trajectory of biodiversity loss means addressing its five main
direct drivers: habitat change; overexploitation or unsustainable use; invasive alien species;
climate change; and pollution. These critical drivers of biodiversity loss are intensifying,
particularly habitat loss driven by the expansion of agriculture
2. Importance of Biodiversity
All these diversities help in maintaining the correct balance of nature. But, gradually over the
years, there has been a major loss in the biodiversity across the globe. The loss of biodiversity
could adversely affect our environment as the balance is lost and the natural food web is
disturbed.
Thus, due to its major role in our survival, conservation of biodiversity has now become a matter
of high priority. Everybody is paying high attention to it. We still have not identified all the
species living on the earth but of all the ones identified till now, many have already been marked
as extinct.
Recently, the rate of extinction has gone high and this is causing direct impact on our earth like
overuse of resources in some parts, the overpopulation of some species, etc. This has created a
great imbalance in nature. Thus, we have to understand the importance of biodiversity.
Also, we must take necessary actions to maintain all the three diversities. Without the proper
conservation of this diversity, we could end up in different precarious situations.

3. Levels of biological diversity: genetic, species and

ecosystem diversity;
Biodiversity further classifies into three major types. They are:
Genetic Diversity
It is basically the variety of species expressed at the genetic level by each individual in a species.
No two individuals belonging to the same species are exactly similar. For example, in the species
of human beings, each human shows a lot of diversity in comparison to another human. People
living in different regions show a great level of variation.
Species Diversity
It is the biodiversity observed within a community. It stands for the number and distribution of
species. The number of species in a region varies widely depending upon the varied
environmental conditions. For example, it is usually observed that civilizations residing beside
water bodies show more species than the one compared to the areas away from water bodies.
Ecological diversity
It defines the diversity observed among the ecosystems in a particular region. Different
ecosystems like mangroves, rainforests, deserts, etc., show a great variety of life forms residing
in them.
4. Biogeographic zones of India**

India is a megadiverse country. With only 2.4 per cent of the total land area of the world, the
known biological diversity of India contributes 8 % to the known global biological diversity. In
terms of Biogeography, India has been divided into 10 Biogeographic zones as shown in the
below:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
This constitutes 0.3 per cent of the total geographical area are one of the three tropical moist
evergreen forests zones in India. The islands house an array of flora and fauna not found
elsewhere. These islands are centres of high endemism and contain some of India‘s finest
evergreen forests and support a wide diversity of corals. In India, endemic island biodiversity is
found only in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Coastal Region:
Coastal region constitutes 2.5 per cent of the total geographical area with sandy beaches,
mangroves, mud flats, coral reefs and marine angiosperm pastures make them the wealth and
health zones of India.
North East Region:
North East Region constitutes 5.2 per cent of the total geographical area. This region represents
the transition zone between the Indian, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese bio-geographical
regions as well as being a meeting point of the Himalayan mountains and peninsular India.
The North-East is thus the biogeographical ‗gateway‘ for much of India‘s fauna and flora and
also a biodiversity hotspot (Eastern Himalaya).
Gangetic Plain:
Gangetic plain constitutes around 10.8 per cent of the total geographical area. The Gangetic plain
is topographically homogenous for hundreds of kilometers.
Deccan Plateau:
Deccan Plateu is India‘s largest Biogeographic region making 42 per cent of the total
geographical area.
It‘s a semi-arid region that falls in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats. This bio-
geographic zone of peninsular India is by far the most extensive zone, covering India‘s finest
forests, particularly in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.
Western Ghats
Western Ghats Constitutes 4.0 per cent of the total geographical area. It is one of the major
tropical evergreen forest regions in India and represent one of the two biodiversity ‗hot spots‘.
Semi Arid Region
Semi-arid Region, constituting 16.6 per cent of the total geographical area, is a transition zone
between the desert and the dense forest of western Ghats.
Peninsular India has two large regions, which are climatically semi-arid. This semi-arid region
also has several artificial and natural lakes and marshy lands.
Indian Desert Zone
Indian Desert Zone Indian Desert Zone, constituting 6.6 per cent of the total geographical area,
includes the Thar and the Kutch deserts and has large has large expanses of grassland that
supports several endangered species.
Himalayan Zone:
It constitutes 6.4 per cent of the total geographical area includes some of the highest peaks in the
world. The Himalayan zone makes India one of the richest areas in terms of habitats and species.
Trans-Himalayan Region:
It constitutes 5.6 per cent of the total geographical area, includes the high altitude, cold and arid
mountain areas of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, North Sikkim & some areas of Himachal
Pradesh.
5. Biodiversity patterns
Biodiversity is the variety observed in organisms at every level of biological organization. As
ecologists studied biodiversity in the environment, they observed a regular pattern in which
diversity was distributed over the entire area of the planet. Ecologists discovered two broad
kinds of diversity patterns, namely:
Latitudinal gradient –
This is the most well defined and well-known pattern of biodiversity studies till date. According
to this pattern, the species diversity follows a regular pattern as we move from the equator to the
polar regions. The plant and animal diversity observed to be maximum at the equator and it
decreases as we move towards the poles. There might be an exception of a few species, but apart
from that, it is a generally observed trend. We find species richness in plants and animals at the
equator. India, located in the tropical regions, shows high species richness. However, the great
Amazon rainforests show maximum biological diversity in terms of the number of species
residing in that region. It is believed that in spite of being the region with the
highest biodiversity, many species in Amazon are yet to be discovered and identified.
Species-Area relationships –
The great German geographer and naturalist, Alexander von Humboldt observed the relation
between an area and the species richness found in it. He found that as he increased the area of
observation, the plant and animal diversity increased but up to a certain level
6. Global biodiversity hot spots of India**

 A biodiversity hotspot is a Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of
biodiversity that is under threat from humans.
 Around the world, at least 25 areas qualify under this definition, with 9 others possible
candidates. These sites support nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile,
and amphibian species, with a very high share of endemic species.
 Hot spots are the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life of the
earth. They have maximum number of endemic species.

 25 terrestrial hot spots have been identified for the conservation of biodiversity. They
occupy 1.4% of the earth‘s surface and 20% of worlds the human population lives in
these areas.
 Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas & Indo-Burma Region are three hot spots of India.
To qualify as a hot spot, a region must meet two strict criteria:
(a) Species endemism: the region must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5%
of the world‘s total) as endemics, and
(b) Degree of threat: the region has to have lost at least 70% of its original habitat.
Biodiversity Hotspots Across the World
The eight hottest hot spots in terms of the above five factors are:
(a) Madagascar
(b) Philippines
(c) Sundaland [South East Asia]
(d) Brazil‘s Atlantic Forest
(e) Caribbean
(f) Indo-Burma
(g) Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
(h) Eastern Arc and Coastal Forests of Tanzania/Kenya
Indian Biodiversity Hot Spots
There are 3 biodiversity hot spots present in India. They are:
(a) The Eastern Himalayas [Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan, Eastern Nepal]
(b) Indo-Burma region [Purvanchal Hills, Arakan Yoma, Eastern Bangladesh]
(c) The Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Indo-Burma Region
The Indo-Burma region encompasses several countries.
The Eastern Himalayas
The Eastern Himalayas is the region encompassing Bhutan, northeastern India, and southern,
central, and eastern Nepal.
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Western Ghats, also known as the ―Sahyadri Hills‖ encompasses the mountain forests in the
southwestern parts of India and highlands of southwestern Sri Lanka.

7. India as a mega-biodiversity nation

India is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity. This natural variation in
life is also reflected in the demography of the land. Although the causes behind biodiversity and
demographic diversity are different, the human population of the land has depended on the
biodiversity in many ways for a long time. At the same time, today, the excessive human
population of India is leading to a survival pressure on the biodiversity. Thus, it is important to
know and appreciate the diversity in both - human population and flora and fauna.
Demographic diversity of India
India is a remarkably diverse country. Arguably, only the continent of Africa exceeds the
linguistic, genetic and cultural diversity of the nation of India. The country houses 1.18 billion
people speaking 1652 languages and dialects, spread out over more than two thousand ethnicities
and over every major religion.
This demographic diversity of India is both good and bad for its biodiversity. Bad because of the
enormous pressure the human population puts on the natural resources. And good because this
human diversity has resulted in a plethora of customs, traditions and rituals in the context of
native species.
Flora and fauna of India
India is a country rich in biological diversity. It lies within the Indomalaya ecozone and houses
three of the 34 biodiversity hotspot in the world. There is a huge species diversity in India, with
several of the species being endemic to the their native ranges in India
8. Endangered and endemic species of India *

Several species of plants and animals have been endangered due to human activities. The
Species whose existence is in danger by human activities are called Man-wild life conflict.
Man- wild life conflicts [Endangered species]:
These endangered species have been categorized into four categories:
(a) Vulnerable
(b) Rare
(c) Intermediate
(d) Threatened.
Endangered species which are on verge of extinction are called threatened species. Most of the
endangered species, are found today only in protected areas (PAs). Some e.g. of the species
being Tiger, rhino, elephants etc. Habitat loss caused by human activity is causing threat to
plants species like orchids. Over harvesting as ingredients in medical products or cosmetics is
also threatening species. To protect endangered species India has created a wildlife protection
act. Under this plants and animals are characterized according to thereat to their survival.

9. Endemic species of India

The species which are unique to a locality/region are called endemic species. Some species are
found only in India and are thus endemic (restricted to our country). Some have very localized
distribution and are considered highly endemic. Some species of this category being Indian wild
ass, angular kashmiri stag, golden langur, pigmyhog.
10. Threats to biodiversity: poaching of wildlife, man-

wildlife conflicts, biological invasions:
Biodiversity is a paramount factor for the survival of the living world in general and mankind in
particular. The fewer species (animals and plants) we have, the fewer people we will have on the
earth. During the last few decades, loss of biodiversity is on the rise. Following are the major
causes of threat to biodiversity.
Habitat Loss
Today, major loss to biodiversity in the world has been done by man. Man has begun to overuse
or misuse most of these natural ecosystems.
Due to mindless and unsustainable resource use, once productive forest and grasslands have been
turned into deserts, and wastelands have increased all over the world. Rapid industrialization,
urbanization, and growth in population have resulted in massive deforestation and consequential
habitat loss around the world.
For instance, mangroves have been cleared for fuel-wood and prawn farming, which has led to a
decrease in the habitat essential for breeding of marine fish.
Forests all over the world, in particular tropical rainforests such as the Amazon, are under
unforeseen threat largely from conversion to other land-uses.
Scientists have estimated that human activities are likely to eliminate approximately10 million
species by the year 2050. It is also estimated that at the present rate of extinction about 25
percent of the world‘s species will undergo extinction fairly rapidly. Rich biodiversities such as
tropical forests, wetlands, and coral reefs world over will constitute the major part of this
extinction.
Poaching of Wildlife
Poaching of wildlife for trade and commercial activities has been on the rise for the last many
decades. It has been a significant cause of the extinction of hundreds of species and the
endangerment of many more, such as whales and many African large mammal, Asian tigers, etc.
Most extinction over the past several hundred years is mainly due to overharvesting for food,
fashion, and profit.

Illicit trade in wildlife in current times is driving many species of wild animals and plants to
extinction. Elephants are poached for ivory; tigers and leopards for their skin; pangolins for meat
and scales; and rare timber is targeted for hardwood furniture.
The global illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be between $7 billion and $23 billion in illicit
revenue annually. It is now considered the most lucrative global crime after drugs, humans, and
arms.
In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution for tackling
illicit trafficking in wildlife. The Sustainable Development Goals has laid down specific targets
to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species.
Man-Wildlife Conflict
Man-wildlife conflict refers to the interaction between wild animals and people and the
consequential negative impact on both of them. Human population growth and the resultant
destruction of wildlife habitat for human habitation and economic prosperity create reduction of
resources or life to some people and wild animals.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) defines this conflict as ―any interaction between humans
and wildlife that results in a negative impact on human social, economic, or cultural life, on the
conservation of wildlife population, or on the environment.‖
There are many consequences of man versus wildlife conflicts. The major consequences are −
 Destruction of wildlife habitat
 Injury and loss of life of both humans and wildlife
 Crop damage and livestock depredation
 Damage to human property
 Decrease in wildlife population and reduction in geographic ranges
 Trophic cascades
Biological invasions
Biological invasions are a major force of change, affecting many dimensions of life on Earth.
Invasions result when species colonize new geographic regions, which are disjunct (isolated)
from existing populations. Humans have dramatically altered invasion dynamics, especially
with the global expansion of trade in modern times.
Historically, geographic barriers such as oceans and continents have shaped the dispersal,
distribution and evolution of organisms. These types of barriers were sometimes breached by
shifting land masses and sea level over geologic time, as well as by episodic or rare events, such
as storm- and tsunami-induced rafting or dispersal of organisms through the air. But in recent
times, human activities increasingly transfer organisms across these barriers, altering the
magnitude and tempo of dispersal and the types (diversity) of organisms moved around the
world.

11. Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ

conservation of biodiversity.*********
Conservation is the protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and natural
resources such as forests and water. Through the conservation of biodiversity and the survival of
many species and habitats which are threatened due to human activities can be ensured. There is
an urgent need, not only to manage and conserve the biotic wealth, but also restore the degraded
ecosystems.
Humans have been directly or indirectly dependent on biodiversity for sustenance to a
considerable extent. However, increasing population pressure and developmental activities have
led to large scale depletion of the natural resources.
Conservation is the protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and natural
resources such as forests and water. Through the conservation of biodiversity and the survival of
many species and habitats which are threatened due to human activities can be ensured. There is
an urgent need, not only to manage and conserve the biotic wealth, but also restore the degraded
ecosystems.
Types of Conservation:
Conservation can broadly be divided into two types:
1. In-situ conservation
2. Ex-situ conservation
12. In-situ Conservation:**********

In-situ conservation is on site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural
populations of plant or animal species, such as forest genetic resources in natural populations of
tree species.
It is the process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat, either
by protecting or cleaning up the habitat itself, or by defending the species from predators.
It is applied to conservation of agricultural biodiversity in agro forestry by farmers, especially
those using unconventional farming practices. In-situ conservation is being done by declaring
area as protected area.
In India following types of natural habitats are being maintained:
1. National parks
2. Wildlife sanctuaries
3. Biosphere reserves
INDIA has over 600 protected areas, which includes over 90 national parks, over 500 animal
sanctuaries and 15 biosphere reserves.
1. National Parks:
A national park is an area which is strictly reserved for the betterment of the wildlife and where
activities like forestry, grazing on cultivation are not permitted. In these parks, even private
ownership rights are not allowed.
Their boundaries are well marked and circumscribed. They are usually small reserves spreading
in an area of 100 Sq. km. to 500 sq. km. In national parks, the emphasis is on the preservation of
a single plant or animal species.
List of some major National Parks of India:
Name State
Corbett National Park Uttarakhand
Gir National Park Gujarat
Kaziranga National Park Assam
Nanda Devi National Park Uttarakhand
Silent Valley National Park Kerala
Sundarbans National Park West Bengal
Kanger Ghati National Park (Kanger Valley) Chhattisgarh
2. Wildlife Sanctuaries:
A sanctuary is a protected area which is reserved for the conservation of only animals and human
activities like harvesting of timber, collecting minor forest products and private ownership rights
are allowed as long as they do not interfere with well-being of animals. Boundaries of
sanctuaries are not well defined and controlled biotic interference is permitted, e.g., tourist
activity.
List of some major Wildlife Sanctuaries of India:
Name State
Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary Jharkhand
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary Tamil Nadu
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary West Bengal
Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan
Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary Tamil Nadu
Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary Tamil Nadu

3. Biosphere Reserves:
It is a special category of protected areas where human population also forms a part of the
system. They are large protected area of usually more than 5000 sq.km. A biosphere reserves has
3 parts- core, buffer and transition zone.
(a) Core zone is the inner zone; this is undisturbed and legally protected area.
(b) Buffer zone lies between the core and transition zone. Some research and educational
activities are permitted here.
(c) Transition zone is the outermost part of biosphere reserves. Here cropping, forestry,
recreation, fishery and other activities are allowed.
The main functions of biodiversity reserves are:
1. Conservation:
To ensure the conservation of ecosystem, species and genetic resources.
2. Development:
To promote economic development, while maintaining cultural, social and ecological identity.
3. Scientific Research:
To provide support for research related to monitoring and education, local, national and global
issues.
Biosphere reserves serve in some ways as ‗living laboratories‘ for testing out and demonstrating
integrated management of land, water and biodiversity.
List of some major Biosphere Reserves of India:
Name State
Nanda Devi Uttarakhand
Manas Assam
Gulf of Mannar Tamil Nadu
Great Nicobar Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Panchmarhi Madhya Pradesh
Advantages of in-situ conservation:
1. The flora and fauna live in natural habitats without human interference.
2. The life cycles of the organisms and their evolution progresses in a natural way.
3. In-situ conservation provides the required green cover and its associated benefits to our
environment.
4. It is less expensive and easy to manage.
5. The interests of the indigenous people are also protected.

13. Ex-situ conservation**********

Ex-Situ Conservation:
Ex-situ conservation is the preservation of components of biological diversity outside their
natural habitats. This involves conservation of genetic resources, as well as wild and cultivated
or species, and draws on a diverse body of techniques and facilities. Such strategies include
establishment of botanical gardens, zoos, conservation strands and gene, pollen seed, seedling,
tissue culture and DNA banks.
i. Seed gene bank:
These are cold storages where seeds are kept under controlled temperature and humidity for
storage and this is easiest way to store the germ plasma of plants at low temperature. Seeds
preserved under controlled conditions (minus temperature) remain viable for long durations of
time.
ii. Gene bank:
Genetic variability also is preserved by gene bank under normal growing conditions. These are
cold storages where germ plam are kept under controlled temperature and humidity for storage;
this is an important way of preserving the genetic resources.
iii. Cryopreservation:
This is the newest application of technology for preservation of biotic parts. This type of
conservation is done at very low temperature (196°C) in liquid nitrogen. The metabolic activities
of the organisms are suspended under low temperature, which are later used for research
purposes.
iv. Tissue culture bank:
Cryopreservation of disease free meristems is very helpful. Long term culture of excised roots
and shoots are maintained. Meristem culture is very popular in plant propagation as it‘s a virus
and disease free method of multiplication.
v. Long term captive breeding:
The method involves capture, maintenance and captive breeding on long term basis of
individuals of the endangered species which have lost their habitat permanently or certain highly
unfavorable conditions are present in their habitat.
vi. Botanical gardens:
A botanical garden is a place where flowers, fruits and vegetables are grown. The botanical
gardens provide beauty and calm environment. Most of them have started keeping exotic plants
for educational and research purposes.
vii. Animal Translocation:
Release of animals in a new locality which come from anywhere else.
Translocation is carried in following cases:

1. When a species on which an animal is dependent becomes rare.
2. When a species is endemic or restricted to a particular area.
3. Due to habit destruction and unfavorable environment conditions.
4. Increase in population in an area.
viii. Zoological Gardens:
In zoos wild animals are maintained in captivity and conservation of wild animals (rare,
endangered species). The oldest zoo, the Schonbrumm zoo which exists today also, was
established in VIENNA in 1759.
In India, the 1st zoo came into existence at BARRACKPORE in 1800. In world there are about
800 zoos. Such zoos have about 3000 species of vertebrates. Some zoos have undertaken captive
breeding programmes.
Advantages of ex-situ preservation:
1. It is useful for declining population of species.
2. Endangered animals on the verge of extinction are successfully breeded.
3. Threatened species are breeded in captivity and then released in the natural habitats.
4. Ex-situ centres offer the possibilities of observing wild animals, which is otherwise not
possible.
5. It is extremely useful for conducting research and scientific work on different species.
14. Ecosystem services:

Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services are defined as ―the benefits provided by ecosystems to humans‖. Many key
ecosystem services provided by biodiversity, such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, pest
regulation and pollination, sustain agricultural productivity. Promoting the healthy functioning of
ecosystems ensures the resilience of agriculture as it intensifies to meet growing demands for
food production. Climate change and other stresses have the potential to make major impacts on
key functions, such as pollination and pest regulation services. Learning to strengthen the
ecosystem linkages that promote resilience and to mitigate the forces that impede the ability of
agro-ecosystems to deliver goods and services remains an important challenge.
Ecosystem services can be:
(a) Supporting (e.g. soil formation, nutrient cycling, primary production)
(b) Provisioning (e.g. food, fresh water, fuelwood, fiber, biochemicals, genetic resources)
(c) Regulating (e.g. climate regulation, disease regulation, water regulation, water
purification, pollination)
(d) Cultural (e.g. spiritual and religious, recreation and ecotourism, aesthetic, inspirational,
educational, sense of place, cultural heritage).

Provisioning Services:
This includes the products/raw materials or energy outputs like food, water, medicines and other
resources from ecosystems. Ecosystems are a source of food, water, medicines, wood, biofuels,
etc. Also, they provide conditions for these resources to grow.
Regulating Services:
This includes the services which regulate the ecological balance. For example, terrestrial
environs like forest purify and regulates air quality, prevent soil erosion, and control greenhouse
gases. Biotic components such as birds, rats, frogs, act as natural controllers and thus help in pest
and disease control. Hence, ecosystems act as regulators.
Supporting services:
Supporting services form the basis for other services. They provide habitat for different life
forms, retain biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and other services for supporting life on the earth.
Cultural services:
It includes tourism; provides recreational, aesthetic, cultural and spiritual services, etc. Most
natural elements such as landscapes, mountains, caves, are used as a place for cultural and
artistic purposes. Even few of them are considered sacred. Moreover, ecosystems provide
enormous economic benefits in the name of tourism
15. Biodiversity services:

Services Provided by Biodiversity
Biodiversity provides us with drinking water, oxygen to breathe, food, medicine, decomposition
of waste, and helps our planet withstand natural disasters.
Food
 Much of our food exists because of the ecological services of pollinators.
 Fish provide billions of people with essential animal protein.
 A variety of different animal types are used in agriculture and food production.
 Thousands of species of plants have been cultivated for consumption throughout human
history
 Meat from native wildlife contributes to food and livelihoods in many countries.
Medicine
 Many medicines are derived or modelled upon compounds provided by the natural world.
 Aspirin was originally made from willow tree bark.
 The rosy periwinkle, a flower that grows in Madagascar, provided a treatment for
Hodgkin‘s disease, while a chemical from the saliva of leeches dissolves blood clots
during surgery.
 Penicillin and tetracycline, as well as other antibiotics, are derived from microorganisms.

Drinking Water
 Biodiversity sustains the water cycle (water moving over or under the ground, evaporating
and transpiring into the atmosphere, then falling back to Earth as rain or snow) and is
sustained by biodiversity.
 Transpiration (the movement of water through vegetation and soil) provides 62 percent of
annual renewable fresh water on our planet.
 Groundwater (water that seeps underground) is the major source of drinking water for
many people.
 Biodiversity cleanses and purify water. Wetland plants, for instance, help remove heavy
metals and excessive levels of nutrients.
 Vegetation can affect local rainfall patterns. Large-scale removal of plants changes these
patterns.
Oxygen
 Through photosynthesis, plants use carbon dioxide, sunlight and water to create energy and
release oxygen. In turn plants and animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
 One of the biggest sources of oxygen is phytoplankton living near the ocean‘s surface.
 Trees and other plants absorb ground level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and
other greenhouse gases
Decomposition
 Decomposition is the natural process of dead animal or plant material rotting and being
broken down.
 Bacteria, fungi, worms, flying insects, beetles, and other living creatures are decomposers.
 Decomposers recycle carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous - providing essential nutrients for
new plants to grow. Without their work, it is possible that the Earth would be unable to
support life.
Healing and Recovery from Natural Disasters
 A wide variety of species in an ecosystem provides an ecosystem with greater resistance to
disease and pest outbreaks.
 Plants help protect soil from erosion.
 Bacteria, insects, plants and other living creatures release nutrients and help keep soils
fertile.
 An ecosystem with rich biodiversity is more resilient and able to withstand the extinction
of an individual species.

16. biodiversity Values: Ecological, economic, social,

ethical, aesthetic and Informational value.
Biodiversity is the most precious gift of nature mankind is blessed with. As all the organisms in
an ecosystem are interlinked and interdependent, the value of biodiversity in the life of all the
organisms including humans is enormous. Some of the major values of biodiversity are as
follows:
Environmental Value [Ecological Value]:
The environmental value of biodiversity can be found by examining each ecosystem process and
identifying the ecosystem services that result. For instance, in wetlands the vegetation captures
water- carried sediment and the soil organisms break down a range of nutrients and pollutants
washed into the area.
These processes provide the ecosystem service of purifying water. Wetlands also act as
spawning and nursery grounds for some fish and provide a refuge for animals in times of
drought. Some ecosystem services are easy to overlook until the underlying process is impaired.
For instance, dry-land salinity has emerged as a problem following sustained clearance of deep
rooted perennial plants over wide areas. Water tables have raised carrying dissolved salts which
then concentrate in the soil. Forests regulate the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by releasing
oxygen as a by-product during photosynthesis, and control rainfall and soil erosion.
Economic Value:
The economic potential of biodiversity is immense in terms of food, fodder, medicinal, ethical
and social values. Biodiversity forms the major resource for different industries, which govern
the world economy.
The salient features regarding the economical potential of biodiversity are given below:
1. The major fuel sources of the world including wood and fossil fuels have their origin due
to biodiversity.
2. It is the source of food for all animals and humans.
3. Many important chemicals have their origin from the diverse flora and fauna, used in
various industries.
4. Diverse group of animals are used for medical research during the testing of new drugs.
Social Value:
The social value of biodiversity includes aesthetic, recreational, cultural and spiritual values. To
this can be added health benefits resulting from recreational and other activities. While
traditional societies which had a small population and required less resources had preserved their
biodiversity as a life supporting resource, modern man has rapidly depleted it even to the extent
of leading to the irrecoverable loss due to extinction of several species.

Thus apart from the local use or sale of products of biodiversity there is the social aspect in
which more and more resources are used by affluent societies. The biodiversity has to a great
extent been preserved by traditional societies that valued it as a resource and appreciated that its
depletion would be a great loss to their society.
Ethical and Moral Value:
It is based on the principle of ‗live and let others live‘. Ethical values related to biodiversity
conservation are based on the importance of protecting all forms of life. All forms of life have
the right to exist on earth. Man is only a small part of the Earth‘s great family of species.
Don‘t plants and animals have an equal right to live and exist on our planet which is like an
inhabited spaceship? Morality and ethics teach us to preserve all forms of life and not to harm
any organism unnecessarily.
Some people take pleasure in the hunting of animals. People also sometimes degrade and pollute
the environment by their unethical actions. Through proper education and awareness, the
people‘s conscience against such practices must be raised.
Aesthetic Value:
The beauty of our planet is because of biodiversity, which otherwise would have resembled other
barren planets dotted around the universe. Biological diversity adds to the quality of life and
provides some of the most beautiful aspects of our existence. Biodiversity is responsible for the
beauty of a landscape.
People go far off places to enjoy the natural surroundings and wildlife. This type of tourism is
referred to as eco-tourism, which has now become a major source of income in many countries.
In many societies, the diversity of flora and fauna has become a part of the traditions and culture
of the region and has added to the aesthetic values of the place.
Informational values
Informational values derive, as is evident from the very term, from the information that is in
public records on the matters with which public agencies deal; not from the information that is in
such records on the public agencies themselves. The greater proportion of modern public records
preserved in an archival institution are valued less for the evidence they contain of Government
action than for the information they contain about particular persons, situations, events,
conditions, problems, materials, and properties in relation to which the question of action comes
up.
In appraising the value of information in public records, the archivist is not greatly concerned
with the source of the records -- what agency created them, or what activities resulted in their
creation. The concern here is with the information that is in them. There are a number of tests by
which informational values of public records may be judged. These are (1) uniqueness, (2) form,
and (3) importance.


1. ______________is the variability among Earth‘s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine
organisms, as well as the ecosystems of which they are part****
(a) Biodiversity
(b) ecosystem
(c) Biosphere
2. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which came into force in ________
(a) 1992
(b) 1993
(c) 1994
3. Biodiversity can be broadly classified into how many types?
(a) 2
(b) 5
(c) 3
4. It is basically the variety of species expressed at the genetic level by each individual in
a species.
(a) Genetic Diversity
(b) Species Diversity
(c) Ecological diversity
5. No two individuals belonging to the same species are exactly similar, is ________
6. It is the biodiversity observed within a community.
7. It defines the diversity observed among the ecosystems in a particular region
8. India has been divided into ___________Biogeographic zones****
(a) 10
(b) 11
(c) 12
9. The __________is the biogeographical gateway of India.**
(a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(b) Coastal Region
(c) North East Region
10. _______is India‘s largest Biogeographic region making 42 % of the total geographical
area.****
(a) Deccan Plateau
(b) Gangetic Plain
11. ________is the variety observed in organisms at every level of biological
organization.****
(a) Biodiversity
(b) ecosystem
(c) Biosphere
12. A _______ is a Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is
under threat from humans. ****
(a) Biodiversity hotspot
(b) Biosphere Reserves
(c) Sanctuaries
13. Which of the following is a biodiversity hot sport in India?*************
(a) Western Ghats
(b) Gangetic Plain
(c) Deccan Plateau
14. Which of the following is a biodiversity hot sport in India?***
(a) Eastern Ghats
(b) Deccan Plateau
(c) Eastern Himalayas
15. Which of the following is a biodiversity hot sport in India?***
(a) Eastern Ghats
(b) Deccan Plateau
(c) Indo-Burma Region
16. _________are a major force of change, affecting many dimensions of life on Earth.
(a) Biological invasions
(b) Biological force
(c) Biological change
17. Hot spot areas have:
(a) Only endangered plants
(b) High density of hot springs
(c) High density of biodiversity
18. Conservation of biodiversity can broadly be divided into ______types.
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
19. _____________or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant
or animal species.***
(a) In-situ conservation is on site conservation
(b) Ex-situ conservation
(c) Off site conservation
20. Which one of the following is not an in-situ conservation method?*********
(a) Zoo
(b) National Parks
(c) Biosphere Reserves
(d) Sanctuaries

21. The destruction of habitat of plants and animals is called
(a) endemism
(b) endangered species
(c) habitat loss
22. Zoos are examples for***********
(a) In-situ conservation
(b) on-site conservation
(c) ex-situ conservation
23. The first protected area in India is ____________**
(a) Silent valley
(b) Corbett National Park
(c) Hazaribag sanctuary
24. In which Indian state is "Corbett National park" located?****
(a) Madya Pradesh
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Kerala
25. In which Indian state is "Gir National Park" located?
(a) Uttarakhand
(b) Gujarat
(c) Assam
26. In which Indian state is "Kaziranga National Park" located?**
(a) Uttarakhand
(b) Gujarat
(c) Assam
27. In which Indian state is " Silent Valley National Park" located?**
(a) Kerala
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) West Bengal
28. In which Indian state is " Sundarbans National Park " located?****
(a) Kerala
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) West Bengal
29. In which year was ‗Project Tiger‘ launched?
(a) 1973
(b) 1964
(c) 1998
30. Lions are found in**
(a) Corbett National Park
(b) Gir National Park
(c) Kaziranga National Park
31. National Park associated with rhinoceros is**
(a) Kaziranga
(b) Gir
(c) Corbett

32. In which year Silent Valley was declared as National Park?**
(a) 1988
(b) 1982
(c) 1984
33. First Biosphere reserve in India**
(a) Nilgiri
(b) Agastyamala
(c) Eravikulam
34. Coral reefs in India can be seen in**
(a) Himalayan region
(b) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(c) Uttarpradesh
35. Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in_______**
(a) Kerala
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) West Bengal
36. Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in_______**
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) West Bengal
(c) Rajasthan
37. Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserves is situated in ____________**
(a) Madya Pradesh
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Kerala
38. First National Park in India is __________**********
(a) Jim Corbert National Park
(b) Gir National Park
(c) Sunderbans National Park
39. What is meant by ex-situ conservation?
(a) Conservation of a species by protecting its habitat along with all other species living
there.
(b) Conservation of forest eco system
(c) Conservation of a species outside its natural habitat***
40. Botanical gardens, Zoos, Seed bank:, DNA banks etc are examples of __________****
(a) In-situ conservation
(b) on-site conservation
(c) ex-situ conservation
41. A __________is a protected area which is reserved for the conservation of only animals
and human activities**
(a) National Parks
(b) Sanctuaries
(c) Zoos
(d) Botanical Gardens
42. Animals and plants are best protected in**
(a) Zoos
(b) National Parks
(c) Sanctuaries

43. These are cold storages where seeds are kept under controlled temperature and
humidity**
(a) Seed gene bank
(b) Gene bank
(c) Tissue culture bank
44. A __________is a place where flowers, fruits and vegetables are grown****
(a) Botanical garden
(b) Zoological Gardens
(c) National Parks
45. In __________wild animals are maintained in captivity and conservation**
(a) Botanical garden
(b) Zoological Gardens
(c) National Parks
46. __________are defined as ―the benefits provided by ecosystems to humans"
(a) Ecosystem services
(b) Biodiversity services
(c) biodiversity Values
47. Earth summit of Rio de Janeiro (1992) resulted in ___________****
(a) Establishment of biosphere reserves
(b) Conservation of biodiversity
(c) IUCN
48. Some species of plants and animals are extremely rare and may occur only at a few
locations are called
(a) endemic
(b) endangered
(c) threatened
49. One orderly process of transition from one biotic community to another is called
(a) Niche
(b) Edge effect
(c) Ecological succession
50. Term ‗Biodiversity‘ was first coined by
(a) Charles Darwin
(b) Walter Rosen
(c) E.P. Odum
51. Which of the following is a supportive value of biodiversity?
(a) Reservoir of fuel wood
(b) Helps in tourism development
(c) Helps in nutrient recycling in soil.
52. Biodiversity means
(a) Various kinds of animals
(b) Various kinds of plants
(c) Various kinds of biota
53. Which one of the following is not a fossil fuel ?
(a) Coal
(b) Petroleum
(c) Wood

Unit 5:
Environmental Pollution
1. Environmental pollution: concepts and types:
Pollution
 Pollution may be defined as addition of undesirable material into the environment as a result
of human activities. The agents which cause environmental pollution are called pollutants.
 A pollutant may be defined as a physical, chemical or biological substance released into the
environment which is directly or indirectly harmful to humans and other living organisms.
 Pollution may be of the following types: Air pollution, Noise pollution, Water pollution,
Soil pollution, Thermal pollution and Radiation pollution.
 In order to control environmental pollution, the Government of India has passed
the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to protect and improve the quality of our
environment (air, water and soil).
2. Air Pollution**
 Air pollution may be defined as the presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance
including noise and radioactive radiation in the atmosphere in such concentration that may
be directly and/or indirectly injurious to humans or other living organisms, property or
interferes with the normal environmental processes.
 An ever increasing use of fossil fuels in power plants, industries, transportation, mining,
construction of buildings, stone quarries had led to air pollution.
 Fossil fuels contain small amounts of nitrogen and sulphur. Burning of fossil fuels like
coal (thermal power plants) and petroleum (petroleum refineries) release different oxides of
nitrogen and sulphur into the atmosphere.
 These gases react with the water vapour present in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid
and nitric acid. The acids drop down with rain, making the rain acidic. This is called acid
rain.
 Acid rain corrodes the marble monuments like Taj Mahal. This phenomenon is called
as ―Marble cancer‖.
 Other kinds of pollutants are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are used in refrigerators,
air conditioners and as pressurizing agents in aerosol sprays. CFCs damage the ozone
layer of the atmosphere.
 The combustion of fossil fuels also increases the amount of suspended particles in air. These
suspended particles could be unburnt carbon particles or substances called hydrocarbons.

 Presence of high levels of all these pollutants cause visibility to be lowered, especially in
cold weather when water also condenses out of air. This is known as smog and is a visible
indication of air pollution.
3. Classification of Pollutants*
According to the form in which they persist after release into the environment.
 Primary pollutants: These persist in the form in which they are added to the
environment e.g. DDT, plastic.
 Secondary Pollutants: These are formed by interaction among the primary pollutants.
For example, peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN) is formed by the interaction of nitrogen
oxides and hydrocarbons.
According to their existence in nature
 Quantitative Pollutants: These occur in nature and become pollutant when their
concentration reaches beyond a threshold level. E.g. carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide.
 Qualitative Pollutants: These do not occur in nature and are man-made. E.g. fungicides,
herbicides, DDT etc.
4. Particulate pollutants*
 Particulate matter suspended in air are dust and soot released from the industrial
chimneys. Their size ranges from 0.001 to 500 micrometers (µm) in diameter.
 Particles less than 10 µm float and move freely with the air current. Particles which are
more than 10 µm in diameter settle down. Particles less than 0.02 µm form persistent
aerosols.
 Major source of SPM (suspended particulate matter) are vehicles, power plants,
construction activities, oil refinery, railway yard, market place, industries, etc.
 According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), particulate size 2.5 µm or less in
diameter (PM 2.5) are responsible for causing the greatest harm to human health.
 These fine particulates can be inhaled deep into the lungs and can cause breathing and
respiratory symptoms, irritation, inflammations and pneumoconiosis – a disease of the
lungs due to inhalation of dust, characterized by inflammation, coughing, and fibrosis.

5. Particulate pollutants: Fly ash*

 Fly ash is ejected mostly by thermal power plants as byproducts of coal burning
operations.
 Fly ash pollutes air and water and may cause heavy metal pollution in water bodies.
 Fly ash affects vegetation as a result of its direct deposition on leaf surfaces or indirectly
through its deposition on soil.
 Fly ash in the air slowly settles on leaves and crops in fields in areas near to thermal
power plants and lowers the plant yield.
 Fly ash is now being used for making bricks and as a land fill
6. Particulate pollutants: Lead*

 It is present in petrol, diesel, lead batteries, paints, hair dye products, etc.
 It can cause nervous system damage and digestive problems and, in some cases, cause
cancer. Lead affects children in particular.
 The lead particles coming out from the exhaust pipes of vehicles is mixed with air. If
inhaled it produces injurious effects on kidney and liver and interferes with development
of red blood cells.
 Lead mixed with water and food can create cumulative poisoning. It has long term effects
on children as it lowers intelligence.
7. Major Gaseous Air Pollutants: Carbon monoxide (CO)*

 Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and highly toxic gas that is
slightly less dense than air. It is short-lived (stay only few months) in the atmosphere.
 Worldwide, the largest source of carbon monoxide is natural in origin, due to
photochemical reactions in the troposphere.
 Other natural sources of CO include volcanoes, forest fires, and other forms of
combustion.
8. Major Gaseous Air Pollutants: Carbon dioxide (CO2)*

 Colorless and odorless gas vital to life on Earth. It is heavier than air.
 Because carbon dioxide is soluble in water, it occurs naturally in groundwater, rivers and
lakes, in ice caps and glaciers and also in seawater.
 Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas. Burning of carbon-based fuels since the
industrial revolution has led to global warming.
 It is also a major cause of ocean acidification because it dissolves in water to
form carbonic acid.
9. Major Gaseous Air Pollutants: Chlorofluorocarbons

(CFCs)*
 Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs) are used in refrigerators, air conditioners and aerosol sprays.
 Since the late 1970s, the use of CFCs has been heavily regulated because of their
destructive effects on the ozone layer. (Explained in a separate post on Ozone Depletion)
 The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to
the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an international
treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous
substances including CFCs which are responsible for ozone depletion.
10. Ozone (O3)*

 It occurs naturally in the stratosphere. Here it absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
 However, at the ground level, it is a pollutant (Greenhouse gas) with highly toxic effects.
 Vehicles and industries are the major source of ground-level ozone emissions.
 Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen dioxide play a major role in converting O2 to O3.
 Ozone makes our eyes itchy, and watery. It lowers our resistance to cold and pneumonia.
11. Nitrogen oxide (NOx)*

 NOx is a generic term for the various nitrogen oxides produced during combustion.
 They are produced mainly in internal combustion engines and coal burning power plants.
They are produced naturally by lightening.
12. Sulphur dioxide (SO2)*

 It is a toxic gas with a pungent, irritating smell. It contributes to acid rain
 It is released naturally by volcanic activity. It is abundantly available in the atmosphere
of Venus.
 Sulfur dioxide is primarily produced for sulfuric acid manufacture.
 Inhaling sulfur dioxide is associated with increased respiratory symptoms and disease,
difficulty in breathing, and premature death. It also weakens the functioning of certain
nerves.
13. National Air Quality Index (AQI)*
 Launched by the Environment Ministry in April 2015.
 Initiative under ‗Swachh Bharat‘.

14. Air Pollutants****

Primary air pollutants -
Materials that when released pose health risks in their unmodified forms or those emitted
directly from identifiable sources.
Five major materials released directly into the atmosphere in unmodified forms.
-Carbon monoxide
-Sulfur dioxide
-Nitrogen oxides
-Hydrocarbons
-Particulate matter
Carbon Monoxide
 Produced by burning of organic material (coal, gas, wood, trash, etc.)
 Automobiles biggest source (80%)
 Cigarette smoke another major source
 Toxic because binds to hemoglobin, reduces oxygen in blood
 Not a persistent pollutant, combines with oxygen to form CO2
 Most communities now meet EPA standards, but rush hour traffic can produce high CO
levels
Sulphur Dioxide
 Produced by burning sulfur containing fossil fuels (coal, oil)
 Coal-burning power plants major source
 Reacts in atmosphere to produce acids
 One of the major components of acid rain
 When inhaled, can be very corrosive to lung tissue
Nitrogen Oxides
 Produced from burning of fossil fuels
 Contributes to acid rain, smog
 Automobile engine main source
 New engine technology has helped reduce, but many more cars
Hydrocarbons
 Hydrocarbons - organic compounds with hydrogen, carbon
 From incomplete burning or evaporated from fuel supplies
 Major source is automobiles, but some from industry
 Contribute to smog
 Improvements in engine design have helped reduce

Particulates -
 small pieces of solid materials and liquid droplets (2.5 mm and 10 mm)
 Examples: ash from fires, asbestos from brakes and insulation, dust
 Easily noticed: e.g. smokestacks
 Can accumulate in lungs and interfere with the ability of lungs to exchange gases.
 Some particulates are known carcinogens
 Those working in dusty conditions at highest risk (e.g., miners)
 Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM)
Secondary air pollutants -

Primary pollutants interact with one another, sunlight, or natural gases to produce new, harmful
compounds
Ozone
 Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas composed of three oxygen atoms.
 It is both a natural and a man-made product that occurs in the Earth's upper atmosphere
(the stratosphere) and lower atmosphere (the troposphere).
 Tropospheric ozone – what we breathe -- is formed primarily from photochemical
reactions between two major classes of air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOC)
and nitrogen oxides (NOX).
PAN
 Smog is caused by the interaction of some hydrocarbons and oxidants under the influence
of sunlight giving rise to dangerous peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN).
Photochemical smog
 Photochemical smog is a mixture of pollutants which includes particulates, nitrogen
oxides, ozone, aldehydes, peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN), unreacted hydrocarbons, etc. The
smog often has a brown haze due to the presence of nitrogen dioxide. It causes painful
eyes.

15. Air pollution- causes, effects and controls *

The World Health Organization defines air pollution as ―the presence of materials in the air in
such concentration which are harmful to man and his environment.‖
In fact air pollution is the occurrence or addition of foreign particles, gases and other pollutants
into the air which have an adverse effect on human beings, animals, vegetation, buildings, etc.
Cause of Air Pollution:
The various causes of air pollution are:
(a) Combustion of natural gas, petroleum, coal and wood in industries, automobiles,
aircrafts, railways, thermal plants, agricultural burning, kitchens, etc. (soot, flyash, CO2,
CO, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides)
(b) Metallurgical processing (mineral dust, fumes containing fluorides, sulphides and
metallic pollutants like lead, chromium, nickel, beryllium, arsenic, vanadium, cadmium,
zinc, mercury).
(c) Chemical industries including pesticides, fertilizers, weedicides, fungicides.
(d) Cosmetics.
(e) Processing industries like cotton textiles, wheat flour mills, asbestos.
(f) Welding, stone crushing, gem grinding.
The major cause of pollution in the urban areas is automobiles which inefficiently burn
petroleum, releases 75% of noise and 80% of air pollutants. Concentration of industries in one
area is another major cause of air pollution.
Effect of Air Pollutants:
Air pollutants are broadly classified into particulate and gaseous. The particulate substances
include solid and liquid particles. The gaseous include substances that are in the gaseous state at
normal temperature and pressure. The air pollutants have adverse effect on human beings,
animals, vegetation, buildings. Air pollutants also change earth‘s climate. Aesthetic sense is also
influenced by air pollutants. The different air pollutants and their effects are as follows:
1. Particulate Matter:
It is of two types—settleable and suspended. The settleable dusts have a particle longer than 10
(am. The smaller particles are able to remain suspended for long periods in the air. The important
effects of particulate matter are.
(i) Dust and smoke particles cause irritation of the respiratory tract and produces bronchitis,
asthma and lung diseases.
(ii) Smog is a dark or opaque fog which is formed by the dust and smoke particles causing
condensation of water vapours around them as well as attracting chemicals like SO2, H2S, NO2,
etc. Smog harms plant life through glazing and necrosis besides reduced availability of light. In
human beings and animals it produces respiratory troubles.

(iii) Particulate matter suspended in air, scatters and partly absorbs light. In industrial and urban
areas, sunlight is reduced to 1/3 in summer and 2/3 in winter.
(iv) At a concentration above 150 g/100m3, cotton dust in ginning process produces
pneumoconiosis or lung fibrosis called byssinosis. Lung fibrosis produced in other industries
includes asbestosis (in asbestos industry), silicosis (stone grinders), siderosis (iron mill), coal
miners‘ pneumoconiosis, flour mill pneumoconiosis, etc.
2. Carbon monoxide:
It accounts for 50% of the total atmospheric pollutants. It is formed by incomplete combustion of
carbon fuels in various industries, motor vehicles, hearths, kitchens, etc. Carbon monoxide
combines with haemoglobin of blood and impairs its oxygen carrying capacity. At higher
concentration, carbon monoxide proves lethal.
3. Sulphur Oxides:
They occur mainly in the form of sulphur dioxide. It is produced in large quantity during
smelting of metallic ores and burning of petroleum and coal in industries, thermal plants, home
and motor vehicles. In the air, SO2 combines with water to form sulphurous acid (H2SO3)
which is the cause of acid rain. It causes chlorosis and necrosis of vegetation. Sulphur dioxide,
above 1 ppm, affects human beings. It causes irritation to eyes and injury to respiratory tract. It
results in discolouration and deterioration of buildings, sculptures, painted surfaces, fabrics,
paper, leather, etc.
4. Nitrogen Oxides:
They are produced naturally through biological and non-biological activities from nitrates,
nitrites, electric storms, high energy radiations and solar flares. Human activity forms nitrogen
oxides in combustion process of industries, automobiles, incinerators and nitrogen fertilizers.
Nitrogen oxides act on unsaturated hydrocarbons to form peroxy-acyl nitrates or PAN. It gives
rise to photochemical smog. They cause eye irritation, respiratory troubles, blood congestion and
dilation of arteries.
5. Carbon dioxide:
Due to excessive combustion activity, the content of C02 has been steadily rising. As carbon
dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere it absorbs more and more of the reflected infrared
radiation. This could cause an increase in temperature referred to as the green house effect.
Melting polar ice caps and glaciers could cause sea levels to rise, flooding most of the major
population centres and fertile lands.
6. Phosgene and Methyl Isocyanate:
Phosgene (COCl2) is a poisonous and suffocating volatile liquid which is employed in dye
industry and synthesis of organic compounds. Release of phosgene and MIC in industrial
accident of Bhopal (Dec. 2, 1984) killed over 2500 and maimed several thousand persons.

7. Aerosols:
They are widely used as disinfectants. Other sources are jet plane emissions which contain
chlorofluorocarbons. Chlorofluorocarbons are also used in refrigeration and formation of certain
types of solid plastic foams. Burning of plastics produces polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The
latter are persistent and pass into the food chain. Chlorofluorocarbons and carbon tetrachloride
react with ozone layers of stratosphere and hence deplete the same.
8. Photochemical oxidants:
Hydrocarbons have carcinogen properties. Some of these are also harmful to plants because they
cause senescence and abscission. In the presence of sunlight, hydrocarbons react with nitrogen
oxides to produce ozone, peroxy-acyl nitrates, aldehydes and other compounds. Peroxy-acyl
nitrates are a major constituent of air pollution. They cause eye irritation and respiratory
diseases.
9. Automobile Exhausts:
They are one of the major sources of air pollution. The important pollutants are Carbon
monoxide, Benzpyrene, Lead, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur compounds and Ammonia.
10. Pollen and Microbes:
Excess of microbes in the atmosphere directly damage the vegetation, food articles and causes
diseases in plants, animals and human beings. Excess of pollen causes allergic reactions in
several human beings. The common reactions are also collectively called hay-fever. The
important allergic pollen belong to Amaranthus spinosus, Chenopodium album, Cynodon
dactylon, Ricinus communis, Sorghum vulgare, Prosopis chilensis etc.
Control of Air Pollution:
1. Industrial estates should be established at a distance from residential areas.
2. Use of tall chimneys shall reduce the air pollution in the surroundings and compulsory use
of filters and electrostatic precipitators in the chimneys.
3. Removal of poisonous gases by passing the fumes through water tower scrubber or spray
collector.
4. Use of high temperature incinerators for reduction in particulate ash production.
5. Development and employment of non-combustive sources of energy, e.g., nuclear power,
geothermal power, solar power, tidal power, wind power, etc.
6. Use of non-lead antiknock agents in gasoline.
7. Attempt should be made to develop pollution free fuels for automobiles, e.g., alcohol,
hydrogen, battery power. Automobiles should be fitted with exhaust emission controls.
8. Industrial plants and refineries should be fitted with equipment for removal and recycling of
wastes.
9. Growing plants capable of fixing carbon monoxide, e.g. Phaseolus vulgaris, Coleus blumei,
Daucus carota, Ficus variegata (Bidwell and Bebee, 1974).
10. Growing plants capable of metabolising nitrogen oxides and other gaseous pollutants, e.g.,
Vitis, Pimis, Jttniperus, Quercus, Pyrus, Robinia pseudo-acacia, Viburnum, Crataegus,
Ribes, Rhamnus.
11. Afforestation of the mining area on priority basis.

16. Water pollution- causes, effects and controls *

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans and
groundwater). Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water and in
almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to
the natural communities.
Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies
without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Point source pollution refers to
contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch.
Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a
factory, or a city storm drain.
Sources of Surface Water Pollution:
1. Sewage:
Emptying the drains and sewers in fresh water bodies causes water pollution. The problem is
severe in cities.
2. Industrial Effluents:
Industrial wastes containing toxic chemicals, acids, alkalis, metallic salts, phenols, cyanides,
ammonia, radioactive substances, etc., are sources of water pollution. They also cause thermal
(heat) pollution of water.
3. Synthetic Detergents:
Synthetic detergents used in washing and cleaning produce foam and pollute water.
4. Agrochemicals:
Agrochemicals like fertilizers (containing nitrates and phosphates) and pesticides (insecticides,
fungicides, herbicides etc.) washed by rain-water and surface runoff pollute water.
5. Oil:
Oil spillage into sea-water during drilling and shipment pollute it.
6. Waste heat:
Waste heat from industrial discharges increases the temperature of water bodies and affects
distribution and survival of sensitive species.
Effect of Water Pollution:
i. Disorders:
Some pollutants like sodium can cause cardiovascular diseases, while mercury and lead cause
nervous disorders.
ii. Toxic Substances:
DDT is toxic material which can cause chromosomal changes. Some of these substances like
pesticides, methyl mercury etc., move into the bodies of organisms from the medium in which
these organisms live. These substances tend to accumulate in the organism‘s body from the

medium food. This process is called bioaccumulation or bio concentration. The concentration of
these toxic substances builds up at successive levels of food chain. This process is called bio
magnifications.
iii. Water Pollution:
Fluoride pollution causes defects in teeth and bones, a disease called fluorosis while arsenic can
cause significant damage to the liver and the nervous system. In addition to all these, organic
compounds present in the polluted water facilitate the growth of algae and other weeds, which in
turn use more oxygen dissolved in the water. This reduces the amount of oxygen dissolved in the
water and the consequent shortage of oxygen for other aquatic life.
iv. Asbestos:
This pollutant is a serious health hazard and carcinogenic. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and
cause illnesses such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver cancer.
v. Mercury:
This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-
biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Mercury is
also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning.
vi. Phosphates:
The increased use of fertilizers means that phosphates are more often being washed from the soil
and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to
marine environments.
vii. Oils:
Oil does not dissolve in water; instead it forms a thick layer on the water surface. This can stop
marine plants receiving enough light for photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and marine
birds.
viii. Petrochemicals:
This is formed from gas or petrol and can be toxic to marine life.
ix. Organic matter which reaches water bodies is decomposed by micro-organisms present in
water. For this degradation, oxygen dissolved in water is consumed. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is
the amount of oxygen dissolved in a given quantity of water at a particular temperature and
atmospheric pressure.
Amount of dissolved oxygen depends on aeration, photosynthetic activity in water, respiration of
animals and plants and ambient temperature.The saturation value of DO varies from 8-15 mg/L.
For active fish species (trout and Salmon) 5-8 mg/L of DO is required whereas less desirable
species like carp can survive at 3.0 mg/L of DO.Lower DO may be harmful to animals especially
fish population. Oxygen depletion (deoxygenating) helps in release of phosphates from bottom
sediments and causes eutrophication.

Control of Water Pollution:
The following points may help in reducing water pollution from non-point sources.
(a) Judicious use of agrochemicals like pesticides and fertilizers which will reduce their
surface run-off and leaching. Use of these on sloped lands should be avoided.
(b) Use of nitrogen fixing plants to supplement the use of fertilizers.
(c) Adopting integrated pest management to reduce greater reliance on pesticides.
(d) Prevent run-off of manure. Divert such run-off to basin for settlement. The nutrient rich
water can be used as fertilizer in the fields.
(e) Separate drainage of sewage and rain water should be provided to prevent overflow of
sewage with rain water.
(f) Planting trees would reduce pollution by sediments and will also prevent soil erosion.
(g) For controlling water pollution from point sources, treatment of waste waters is essential
before being discharged. Parameters which are considered for reduction in such water are:
Total solids, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrates
and phosphates, oil and grease, toxic metals etc. Waste waters should be properly treated
by primary and secondary treatments to reduce the BOD, COD levels up to the permissible
levels for discharge.
(h) Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing
contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff (effluents) and
domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical,
chemical and biological contaminants. Its objective is to produce an environmentally-safe
fluid waste stream (or treated effluent) and a solid waste (or treated sludge) suitable for
disposal or reuse (usually as farm fertilizer).

17. Soil pollution - causes, effects and controls *

Soil Pollution:
Soil pollution is the reduction in the productivity of soil due to the presence of soil pollutants.
Soil pollutants have an adverse effect on the physical chemical and biological properties of the
soil and reduce its productivity.
Causes:
Pesticides, fertilizers, organic manure, chemicals, radioactive wastes, discarded food, clothes,
leather goods, plastics, paper, bottles, tins-cans and carcasses- all contribute towards causing soil
pollution. Chemicals like iron lead mercury, copper, zinc, cadmium, aluminum, cyanides, acids
etc. are present in industrial wastes and reach the soil either directly with water or indirectly
through air. (e.g. through acid rain).
Effects:
The improper and continuous use of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides to protect the crops
from pests, fungi etc. alter the basic composition of the soils and make the soil toxic for plant
growth. Organic insecticides like DDT, aldrin, benzene hex chloride etc. are used against soil
borne pests. They accumulate in the soil as they degrade very slowly by soil and water bacteria.
Consequently, they have a very deleterious effect on the plant growth stunting their growth and
reducing the yield and size of fruit. Their degradation products may be absorbed by the plants
from where they reach the animals and man through the food chains.
Radioactive wastes from mining and nuclear processes may reach the soil via water or as ‗fall-
out‘. From the soil they reach the plants and then into the grazing animals (livestock) from where
ultimately reach man through milk and meat etc. resulting in retarded and abnormal growth of
man. Human and animal excreta used as organic manure to promote crop yield, pollute the soil
by contaminating the soil and vegetable crops with the pathogens that may be present in the
excreta.
Controls
Soil pollution can be checked by restricting the use of above mentioned soil pollutants, resorting
to organic farming, adopting better agriculture practices etc.

18. Noise pollution-causes, effects and controls ****

Noise pollution
Noise may not seem as harmful as the contamination of air or water, but it IS a pollution
problem that affects human health and can contribute to a general deterioration of environmental
quality. Noise is undesirable and unwanted sound. All sound is not noise. It may be considered
as music to one person and may be noise to another.
Noise is defined as ‗unwanted or offensive sound that unreasonably intrudes into our daily
activities‘. Sound is measured in a unit called the decibel (dB). The permitted noise level is 125
decibels as per the Environment Protection Rules 1999.
Sources of Noise Pollution:
There are numerous sources but may be broadly classified into two classes such as indoor and
outdoor:
1. Outdoor:
Industries/factories, vehicular movements such as car, motor, truck, train, tempo, motor cycle,
aircrafts, trains. Construction work defence equipment‘s, explosions, playing of loudspeakers
during various festivals etc. The higher the speed of an air craft‘s the greater the noise pollution.
The invention of supersonic air craft‘s has added more noise for the persons who live near
aerodromes. Another source of noise pollution connected with aero planes has been scaring away
of birds. Satellites are projected into space with the help of high explosive rockets also
contributes to noise pollution.
2. Indoor:
Loudly played radio or music systems, and other electronic gadgets etc.
Effects of Noise Pollution:
Emotional or psychological effects — irritability, anxiety and stress. Lack of concentration and
mental fatigue are significant health effects of noise.
Noise Control Techniques:
There are 4 fundamental ways in which noise can be controlled:
(1) Reduce noise at the source
(2) block the path of noise
(3) increase the path length and
(4) protect the recipient.
Permissible limits of sound in decibels: Day Time Night Time
A Industrial area 75 70
B Commercial area 65 55
C Residential area 55 45
D Silence Zone 50 40

19. Marine pollution- causes, effects and controls*

Marine pollution-
Marine pollution is defined as the introduction of substances to the marine environment directly
or indirectly by man resulting in adverse effects such as hazardous to human health, obstruction
of marine activities and lowering the quality of sea water.
Sources of Marine Pollution:
a. Municipal waste and sewage from residences and hotels in coastal towns are directly
discharged into sea.
b. Pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture which are washed off by rain enter water courses
and finally to sea. India is estimated to use 55,000 tons of pesticides annually and about 25
percent of it is carried to-ocean.
c. Petroleum and oil washed off from roads normally enter sewage system and finally into
seas.
d. Ship accidents and accidental spillage at sea can therefore be very damaging to the marine
environment.
e. Off shore oil exploration also pollute the sea water to a large extent,
f. Dry docking: All ships periodic dry docking servicing; cleaning the hulls etc. during this
period when cargo compartments are emptied, residual oil goes into sea.
g. Pollution due to organic wastes:
h. Pollution due to oil:
i. Tanker accidents
j. Volcanic eruptions in the sea.
k. Deep sea mining
Effects of Marine Pollution:
a. Apart from causing Eutrophication, a large amount of organic wastes can also result in the
development of ‗red tides‘. These are phytoplankton blooms because of which the whole
area is discolored.
b. Commercially important marine species are also killed due to clogging of gills and other
structures.
c. When oil is spilled on the sea, it spreads over the surface of the water to form a thin film
called as oil slick. This damages marine life to a large extent. Commercial damage to fish
by tainting which gives unpleasant flavor to fish and sea food reduces market values of sea
food and causes death of birds through its effect on feathers. Birds often clean their
plumage by pruning and in the process consume oil which can lead to intestinal, renal and
liver failure.

d. For salt marshy plants oil slick can affect the flowering, fruiting and germination.
e. Organic waste addition results in end products such as hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and
methane which are toxic to many organisms. This process results in the formation of an
anoxic zone which is low in its oxygen content; from which most life disappears except for
anaerobic microorganisms and renders the water foul smelling.
f. The coral reefs are the productive ecosystems offer many benefits to people. These coral
reefs are threatened by (a) the sediments from deforestation carried by the runoffs, (b) the
agricultural and industrial chemicals reaching through river discharges. To mention an
example. River Ganga is estimated to carry 1.5 billion tons of sediments due to
deforestation and intensive farming in India, Bangladesh and Nepal through which it flows
to Bay of Bengal.
g. Drill cuttings dumped on the seabed result in the production of toxic sulphides in the
bottom sediment thus eliminating the benthic fauna.
Control Measures of Marine Pollution:

a. Introduction of sewage treatment plants to reduce BOD of final product before
discharging into sea.
b. Cleaning oil from surface waters and contaminated beaches can be accelerated through
the use of chemical dispersants which can be sprayed on the oil.
c. Load on top system reduce oil pollution cleaned with high pressures jets of water.
d. Crude oil washing: The clingage is removed by jets of crude oil while the cargo is being
unloaded.
e. Skimming off the oil surface with a section device.
f. Spreading a high density powder over the oil spill, so that oil can I be sunk to the bottom.

20. Concept of hazards waste and human health risks **

What is hazardous waste?
Even when used properly, many chemicals can still harm human health and the environment.
When these hazardous substances are thrown away, they become hazardous waste. Hazardous
waste is most often a by-product of a manufacturing process - material left after products are
made. Some hazardous wastes come from our homes: our garbage can include such hazardous
wastes as old batteries, bug spray cans, and paint thinner. Regardless of the source, unless we
dispose of hazardous waste properly, it can create health risks for people and damage the
environment.
Types of waste:
Non Hazardous waste: refuse, garbage, sludge, municipal trash.
Hazardous waste: solvents acid, heavy metals, pesticides, and chemical sledges
Radioactive: high and low-level radioactive waste
Mixed waste: Radioactive organic liquids, radio active heavy metals.
How can hazardous waste affect us?
When hazardous wastes are released in the air, water, or on the land they can spread,
contaminating even more of the environment and posing greater threats to our health. For
example, when rain falls on soil at a waste site, it can carry hazardous waste deeper into the
ground and the underlying groundwater. If a very small amount of a hazardous substance is
released, it may become diluted to the point where it will not cause injury. A hazardous
substance can cause injury or death to a person, plant, or animal.
Hazardous waste effect on agriculture:
Large quantities of food processing, crop, forestry, and animal solid wastes are generated in the
United States each year. The major components of these wastes are biodegradable. However,
they also contain components such as nitrogen, human and animal pathogens, medicinal, feed
additives, salts, and certain metals, that under uncontrolled conditions can be detrimental to
aquatic, plant, animal, or human life.
Hazardous waste treatment and disposal
Ideally, hazardous waste is reused or recycled. Typical methods of hazardous waste storage and
disposal include:
 Surface impoundments (storing it in lined ponds), high temperature
 Incineration (controlled burning), municipal and hazardous waste
 landfills (burying it in the ground)
 deep well injection (pumping it into underground wells)
 using Innovative treatment technologies

21. Solid waste management:

Solid waste management is a polite term for garbage management. As long as humans have been
living in settled communities, solid waste, or garbage, has been an issue, and modern societies
generate far more solid waste than early humans ever did.
Garbage: many broad categories of garbage are:
a. Organic waste: kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits.
a. Toxic waste: old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide
containers, batteries, shoe polish.
b. Recyclable: paper, glass, metals, plastics.
c. Hospital waste such as cloth with blood
Types & Source of Solid Wastes:
Basically solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:
Types of business Typical waste generators Types of solid wastes
Residential Single and multifamily dwellings Food wastes, paper, card board,
plastics, textiles, leather, yard
wastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes,
special wastes
Industrial Light and heavy manufacturing, Housekeeping wastes, packaging,
fabrication, construction sites, food wastes, construction and
power and chemical plants. demolition materials, hazardous
wastes, ashes, special wastes.
Commercial Stores, hotels, restaurants, Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood,
markets, office buildings etc. food, wastes, glass, metals, special
wastes hazardous wastes.
Construction and New construction sites, road Wood, steel, concrete, dirt etc.
demolition repair, renovation sites,
demolition of buildings.
Municipal services Street cleaning, landscaping, Street sweepings: landscape and
parks, beaches, other recreational tree trimmings; general waste from
areas, water and wastewater parks, beaches and other
treatment plants. recreational areas; sludge.
Agriculture Crops, orchards, vineyards, Spoiled food wastes, hazardous
dairies, feedlots, farms. wastes (e.g. pesticides).

2. Effects of Solid Waste Pollution:
Municipal solid wastes heap up on the roads due to improper disposal system. People clean their
own houses and litter their immediate surroundings which affects the community including
themselves.
This type of dumping allows biodegradable materials to decompose under uncontrolled and
unhygienic conditions. This produces foul smell and breeds various types of insects and
infectious organisms besides spoiling the aesthetics of the site. Industrial solid wastes are sources
of toxic metals and hazardous wastes, which may spread on land and can cause changes in
physicochemical and biological characteristics thereby affecting productivity of soils.
Toxic substances may leach or percolate to contaminate the ground water. In refuse mixing, the
hazardous wastes are mixed with garbage and other combustible wastes. This makes segregation
and disposal all the more difficult and risky.
Various types of wastes like cans, pesticides, cleaning solvents, batteries (zinc, lead or mercury),
radioactive materials, plastics and e-waste are mixed up with paper, scraps and other non-toxic
materials which could be recycled. Burning of some of these materials produces dioxins, furans
and polychlorinated biphenyls, which have the potential to cause various types of ailments
including cancer.
3. Methods of Solid Wastes Disposal:
i. Sanitary Landfill
ii. Incineration
iii. Composting
iv. Pyrolysis
Sanitary Land Filling:
In a sanitary landfill, garbage is spread out in thin layers, compacted and covered with clay or
plastic foam. In the modern landfills the bottom is covered with an impermeable liner, usually
several layers of clay, thick plastic and sand. The liner protects the ground water from being
contaminated due to percolation of leachate.
Leachate from bottom is pumped and sent for treatment. When landfill is full it is covered with
clay, sand, gravel and top soil to prevent seepage of water. Several wells are drilled near the
landfill site to monitor if any leakage is contaminating ground water. Methane produced by
anaerobic decomposition is collected and burnt to produce electricity or heat.
Incineration:
The term incinerates means to burn something until nothing is left but ashes. An incinerator is a
unit or facility used to burn trash and other types of waste until it is reduced to ash. An
incinerator is constructed of heavy, well-insulated materials, so that it does not give off extreme
amounts of external heat.

Composting:
Composting is a biological process in which micro-organisms, mainly fungi and bacteria,
convert degradable organic waste into humus like substance. This finished product, which looks
like soil, is high in carbon and nitrogen and is an excellent medium for growing plants.
The process of composting ensures the waste that is produced in the kitchens is not carelessly
thrown and left to rot. It recycles the nutrients and returns them to the soil as nutrients. Apart
from being clean, cheap, and safe, composting can significantly reduce the amount of disposable
garbage.
Pyrolysis:
Pyrolysis is a form of incineration that chemically decomposes organic materials by heat in the
absence of oxygen. Pyrolysis typically occurs under pressure and at operating temperatures
above 430 °C (800 °F).
22. Control measures of Municipal, biomedical and e-waste:

Solid waste management is a manifold task involving many activities like:
(i) Collection of solid wastes.
(ii) Disposal of solid wastes.
(iii) Waste utilisation.
(i) Collection of Solid Wastes:
Collection includes all the activities associated with the gathering of solid wastes and the hauling
of the wastes collected to the location from where the collection vehicle will ultimately transport
it to the site of disposal. There are three basic methods of collection.
(a) Community storage point:
The municipal refuse is taken to fixed storage bins and stored till the waste collection agency
collects it daily for disposal in a vehicle.
(b) Kerbside Collection:
In advance of the collection time, the refuse is brought in containers and placed on the footway
from where it is collected by the waste collection agency.
(c) Block Collection:
Individuals bring the waste in containers and hand it over to the collection staff who empties it
into the waiting vehicle and returns the container to the individuals.

(ii) Disposal of Solid Wastes:
The commonly used methods of disposal are:-
(1) Salvage or Manual Component Separation:
Before ultimate disposal, the manual separation of solid waste components is accomplished to
achieve the recovery and reuse of materials. Cardboard, newsprint, high quality paper, glass,
metals, wood and aluminum cans etc. are manually sorted out or salvaged either for recycling or
for resale.
(2) Compaction or Mechanical Volume Reduction:
After separation of reusable or disposable articles, compacters are used to compress the waste
materials directly into large containers or to form bales that can be then placed in large
containers. Compaction increases the useful life of landfills.
(3) Incineration or Thermal Volume Reduction:
Highly combustible wastes like plastics, cardboard, paper, rubber and combustible wastes like
cartons, wood scrap, floor sweepings, food wastes etc. are subjected to incineration i.e. burning
at very high temperatures. Incineration results in air pollution and so proper control equipment
needs to be installed to avoid contamination of environment.
In order to make this method economical, the heat generated during incineration is usefully
utilised by generating steam or by putting a waste heat boiler on the incinerator thereby partly
recovering the cost of waste collection and disposal.
(4) Open Dumping:
Open dumping of solid wastes is done in low lying areas and outskirts of the towns and cities.
Being comparatively cheaper, this method of disposal is used extensively in India.
(5) Sanitary Landfilling or Controlled Tipping:
Sanitary landfilling involves the disposal of municipal wastes on or in the upper layers of the
earth‘s mantle especially in degraded areas in need of restoration. In landfilling, the solid wastes
are compacted and spread in thin layers each layer being uniformly covered by a layer of soil.
(6) Pyrolysis or Destructive Distillation:
In this disposal method, the solid wastes are heated under anaerobic conditions (i.e. burning
without oxygen).
(7) Land farming:
In this waste disposal method, the biodegradable industrial wastes are treated by the biological,
physical and chemical processes occurring in the surface of the soil.
(8) Composting or Biodegradation:
Bacterial decomposition of the organic components of the municipal solid wastes result in
formation of humus or compost and the process is known as composting. In this process a
compost pile is constructed by making alternate layers of organic matter and soil (source of
micro-organisms).
(iii) Waste Utilisation:
A developing country cannot afford wastage. By proper utilisation of solid waste a developing
country like India can avail of many advantages, for instance:
(a) Waste utilisation directly or indirectly contributes to economic development.
(b) Waste utilisation generates employment* opportunities.
(c) Unused solid wastes create environmental hazards by spreading diseases and causing air
and water pollution.
(d) Waste utilisation helps in conservation of natural resources.
(e) Waste utilisation helps to generate many useful products which are the basic necessities of
life.
Resource recovery or waste utilisation is achieved by three techniques:
(1) Reuse i.e. a given material has multiple uses.
(2) Reclamation i.e. a component of the waste is recovered for use in a manner different from
its original use.
(3) Recycling i.e. isolating the material from which a given product was made and
reintroducing it into the production cycle for production of the same product.
23. Control measures of biomedical waste:

Biomedical waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially infectious)
materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that
visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (e.g., packaging, unused bandages,
infusion kits, etc.)
Biomedical waste may be solid or liquid. Examples of infectious waste include discarded blood,
sharps, unwanted microbiological cultures and stocks, identifiable body parts (including those as
a result of amputation), other human or animal tissue, used bandages and dressings, discarded
gloves, other medical supplies that may have been in contact with blood and body fluids, and
laboratory waste that exhibits the characteristics described above. Waste sharps include
potentially contaminated used (and unused discarded) needles, scalpels, lancets and other
devices capable of penetrating skin.
Biomedical waste is generated from biological and medical sources and activities, such as the
diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of diseases. Common generators (or producers) of biomedical
waste include hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, emergency medical services, medical
research laboratories, offices of physicians, dentists, and veterinarians, home health care,
and morgues or funeral homes. In healthcare facilities (i.e., hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices,
veterinary hospitals and clinical laboratories), waste with these characteristics may alternatively
be called medical or clinical waste.

Biomedical waste is distinct from normal trash or general waste, and differs from other types
of hazardous waste, such as chemical, radioactive, universal or industrial waste. Medical
facilities generate waste hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials. While such wastes are
normally not infectious, they require proper disposal. Some wastes are
considered multihazardous, such as tissue samples preserved in formalin.
Management
Biomedical waste must be properly managed and disposed of to protect the environment, general
public and workers, especially healthcare and sanitation workers who are at risk of exposure to
biomedical waste as an occupational hazard. Steps in the management of biomedical waste
include generation, accumulation, handling, storage, treatment, transport and disposal.
The development and implementation of a national waste management policy can improve
biomedical waste management in health facilities in a country
24. Control measures of e-waste:

E-Waste:
The term electronic waste refers to any electronic device that is no longer wanted or has become
obsolete. Electronics classified as e-waste can either be in perfect working condition or be
unusable.
Management
(1) Donate or Sell Working Electronics
(2) Use Your Old Mobile Phone as a GPS Device
(3) Recycle via a Retailer
(4) Check E-Cycling Centers in Your State
(5) Organize Your Electronics
(6) Know Your State‘s Laws About Battery Disposal
(7) Store Your Data Online
(8) Buy Energy Star Rated Appliances
(9) Educate Yourself on the Materials Used in Electronics


1. Ganga Action Plan in India was launched in the year _________**
(a) 1988
(b) 1985
(c) 1980
2. What is the name of the action plan for sustainable development in the Twenty first
century framed in the Rio Declaration on Environment & Development (1992)?**
(a) Action 21
(b) Agenda 21
(c) Declaration 21
3. The unit of measurement of intensity of sound is in _________****
(a) Decibels
(b) Parsec
(c) Candela
4. The worst nuclear accident happened to date is occurred at ___________*
(a) Chernobyl in 1986
(b) Three Mile Power Plant in 1979
(c) Sellafield in 1957
5. Major cause of Ozone depletion is due to which chemical?****
(a) ChloroFluoroCarbons
(b) Polyphenols
(c) Dioxins
6. The legally binding international agreement to reduce Greenhouse gases is
________****
(a) Vienna convention
(c) Kyoto Protocol
7. Which of the following enhances soil fertility?
(a) Crop rotation
(b) Improved methods of agriculture
(c) Irrigation
8. Salinization is _______________________
(a) Accumulation of salts in water
(b) Accumulation of salts in soil
(c) Accumulation of salts in body
9. Ozone Hole‖ is a _____________**
(a) Hole in the atmosphere
(b) Destruction of ozone layer
(c) Hole in the hydrosphere
10. Noise is _______________****
(a) Huge sound
(b) Sound of vehicles & crackers
(c) Undesirable and unwanted sound

11. What is ‗temporary threshold shift‘?
(a) Hearing loss due to excessive noise
(b) Noise that is untolerable
(c) Tolerable noise
12. Any unfavorable alteration of the environment may be called as
(a) Eutrophication
(b) Environmental pollution
(c) Biomagnigication
13. The presence of solid, liquid or gaseous compounds, which may not be normally
present, or in excess concentration in the atmosphere is called
(a) air pollution
(b) water pollution
(c) soil pollution
14. The historical monument that is affected by acid rain is ****
(a) Taj Mahal
(b) Pyramid of Egypt
(c) Golden Temple
15. Acid rain contains****
(a) Sulphuric acid
(b) Hydrochloric acid
(c) Oxalic acid
16. Name the disease caused by mercury poisoning in Japan**
(a) Itai itai
(b) Measles
(c) Minamata disease
17. The place where the worst nuclear disaster took place?**
(a) Japan
(b) Chernobyl
(c) Bhopal
18. Acid rain mainly result from****
(a) Sulfur dioxide
(b) Carbon dioxide
(c) Carbon monoxide
19. Ozone depletion is mostly caused by******
(a) CO2
(b) CCL
(c) CFCs
20. Global warming is caused by****
(a) GHGs
(b) CFCs
(c) NO2

21. The famous Minamata disease in Japan is due to the accumulation of
____________in fishes**
(a) Cadmium
(b) Mercury
(c) Zinc
22. Soil pollution is caused by**
(a) Aerosol
(b) Ozone
(c) Acid rain
23. Green House effect is caused by**
(a) Increase in CO2
(b) Increase in O2
(c) Decrease in O2
24. _____________ is the poisonous gas leaked during Bhopal gas tragedy****
(a) MIC
(b) PVC
(c) Teflon
25. The cause of Bhopal disaster is ****
(a) Methyl Alcohol
(b) Methyl Carbonate
(c) Methyl Iso Cyanate
26. Centre of Modern nuclear technology in India*
(a) CRAS
(b) SARC
(c) BARC
27. The heating of earth‘s atmosphere due to trapped radiation is known as**
(a) Global warming
(b) Thermal effect
(c) Green House Effect
28. Thickness of plastic cover permissible to use
(a) 50 Microns
(b) 20 Microns
(c) 100 Microns
29. Lead in water can cause*
(a) eye disease
(b) arthritis
(c) kidney damage
30. Colorless odorless and non corrosive air pollutant is*
(a) sulphur dioxide
(b) carbon monoxide
(c) carbon dioxide

31. BOD stands for*********
(a) Biological Oxygen Decrease
(b) Biotic Oxygen Demand
(c) Biological Oxygen Demand
32. Gaseous pollutants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide), toxic metals, pesticides,
herbicides, hydrocarbons, toxins, acidic substances, carcinogens etc are __________
(a) Chemical pollutants
(b) Biological pollutants
(c) Physical pollutants
33. Heat (thermal), sound, odours, radiation and radioactive substances are__________
(a) Chemical pollutants
(b) Biological pollutants
(c) Physical pollutants
34. One of the secondary air pollutant is
(a) CO2
(b) NOx
(c) PAN
35. The most toxic air pollutant from petrol car is –
(a) CO2
(b) SO2
(c) Hydrocarbon.
36. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) in air is measured by –************
(a) High Volume Sampler
(b) Hygrometer
(c) Barometer
37. Which one of the following gas is poisonous?
(a) Carbon monoxide
(b) Carbon dioxide
(c) Nitrogen
38. The Principal Source of flyash is
(a) Thermal Power Plant
(b) Brick Field
(c) Forest fire.
39. BOD is used to test*****
(a) Soil
(b) Water
(c) Air
40. The main pollutant is vehicle emission is**
(a) Carbon monoxide (CO)
(b) Carbon dioxide: (CO 2)
(c) Sulphur Oxides: (SO 2)
41. The Permissible limit of arsenic in water is
(a) 0.05 mg/L ;
(b) 0.005 mg /L ;
(c) 0.5 mg /L
42. In atmosphere the content of nitrogen is nearly
(a) 90 percent
(b) 78 percent
(c) 70 percent
43. In atmosphere the content of oxygen gas is nearly —
(a) 21 Percent
(b) 78 Percent
(c) 16 Percent
44. Typhoid is caused due to —
(a) Air pollution
(b) water pollution
(c) odour pollution
45. The maxium permissible decibel limit of sound in and around silence zone (like
hospital, school etc.) in day time is —
(a) 65 decibel
(b) 50 decibel
(c) 55 decibel
46. The permitted noise level is ______as per the Environment Protection Rules 1999.
(a) 100 decibel
(b) 125 decibel
(c) 150 decibel
47. One of the pollution free renewable source of energy is __________
(a) Liauified Petroleum gas
(b) Solar energy
(c) Wood
48. The principal metal pollutant from automobile exhaust is ________ *******
(a) Mercury
(b) Lead
(c) Cadmium
49. Acid rain is caused by oxides of *****
(a) SO2
(b) NO2
(c) Both
50. Converting solid waste into new products by using resource contained in the
discarded material is****
(a) Waste management
(b) Reuse
(c) Recycling
51. Which amongst the following is decomposer in ecosystem ?*****
(a) Green plant
(b) Animal
(c) Bacteria
52. Stone cancer or stone leprosy is caused by
(a) UV rays
(b) Greenhouse effect
(c) Acid rain

53. The process by which anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by bacteria gives
our a bad smell is
(a) Decomposition
(b) Fermentation
(c) Putrefaction
54. Profuse growth of aquatic vegetation that often changes the colour of water and
reduces the dissolved oxygen content is called
(a) Algal bloom
(b) Eutrophication
(c) Fermentation
55. The source of oxygen in atmosphere is due to**
(a) Respiration
(b) Excretion
(c) Photosynthesis
56. Of the following, water borne disease is****
(a) Small pox
(b) Cholera
(c) Diabetes
57. A chronic disease called 'Silicosis' involves.**
(a) Heart
(b) Lung
(c) Liver
58. 'POP's stand for
(a) Promoting Ozone Protection
(b) Persistent Organic Pollutants
(c) Presistent Organic Pesticides
59. Which of the following bacteria can fix nitrogen?*
(a) Nitrococcus
(b) Nitrobacter
(c) Azotobacter
60. Free floating aquatic microscopic organisms are known as
(a) Nekton
(b) Plankton
(c) Periphyton
61. The Seismograph is used to measure the intensity of ****
(a) Sea wave
(b) Cyclone
(c) Earthquake
62. Bharat Stage-II is related to which of the following?**
(a) Solid waste management
(b) Automobiles emission
(c) Noise pollution.
63. Chernobyl pollution is associated with-****
(a) Water pollution
(b) Radioactive pollution
(c) Noise pollution

64. Activated Sludge is associated with
(a) Air Purification process
(b) Waste water treatment
(c) Solid waste treatment
65. Chemical oxygen demand [COD] is measured for ********
(a) water sample
(b) soil sample
(c) air sample
66. Trickling filter is used in
(a) Water treatment
(b) air treatment
(c) solid waste treatment
67. RSPM‘ is*********
(a) Respirable Sophisticate Particulate Matter
(b) Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter
(c) Respirable Surrounding Particulate Matter
68. ‗IUCN‘ stands for
(a) Inter State Unity of Culture and Nature
(b) International Union for conservation of Natural Body
(c) International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
69. EIA is****
(a) Environment Impact Association
(b) Environment Impact Assessment
(c) Environmental Importance assessment
70. How much water is available as freshwater resource of the Earth?***
(a) >3%
(b) Around 2%
(c) <1%
71. Name a process that can conserve fresh water resource of the Earth?**
(a) Rainwater Harvesting
(b) Desalinization
(c) Ground water
72. Write full for of CITES.***
(a) Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species
(b) Convention on International Tourism for Endangered Species
(c) Convention on International Trade on Endemic Species
73. The most toxic air pollutant from petrol car is –
(a) CO2
(b) SO2
(c) Hydrocarbon.
74. EMP stands for**
(a) Environmental monitoring part
(b) Environmental management plan
(c) Environmental mitigation processes

75. Sound becomes hazardous noise pollution at decibels
(a) above 30
(b) above 80
(c) above 100
76. The TAJ MAHAL at AGRA may be damaged by **
(a) sulphur dioxide
(b) chlorine
(c) hydrogen
77. Biochemical oxygen demand means
(a) air pollution
(b) polluting capacity of effluent
(c) dissolved O2 needed by microbes to decompose organic waste
78. Noise is
(a) loud sound
(b) constant sound
(c) unwanted sound
79. Which of the following are major causes of land degradation?
(a) soil erosion
(b) deforestation
(c) water logging
80. The concentration of which gas is highest in our environment?
(a) Oxygen
(b) Hydrogen
(c) Nitrogen
81. The atmosphere of big cities is polluted most by,
(a) household waste
(b) radioactive falls out
(c) automobile exhausts
82. The pollutant free energy resource are,
(a) nuclear power
(b) petroleum
(c) solar energy
83. Which of the following is an air pollutant
(a) ozone
(b) CFC
(c) Carbon dioxide
84. The sudden increase in the population of the species is
(a) population growth
(b) population explosion
(c) over population

85. 71% of earth surface is covered with:
(a) land
(b) air
(c) water
86. If waste materials contaminate the source of drinking water which of the following
diseases will spread?
(a) typhoid
(b) Malaria
(c) anemia
87. Afforestation is necessary for
(a) Soil conservation
(b) Soil erosion
(c) Well control
88. Fossil fuel and metallic minerals are ******
(a) Renewable resources
(b) Non-renewable resources
(c) Inexhaustible
89. ―Green house effect‖ with respect to global warming refers to-
(a) Cooling & moist condition
(b) Warming effect
(c) Increased rainfall & greenery
90. Chipko movement was started to conserve *********
(a) Forests
(b) Grasslands
(c) Deserts
91. Which of the following is a non-renewable resource? *********
(a) Coal
(b) Forest
(c) Water
92. The loss of water from plants and tree leaves is called
(a) Respiration
(b) Evaporation
(c) Transpiration
93. Consumers are also called
(d) Saprotrophs
(e) Heterotrophs
(f) Reducers
94. Eutrophication means
(a) thermal change in water
(b) filling up of water body with aquatic due to extra nourishment
(c) solid waste

Unit 6:
Environmental Policies and Practices
1. Climate change*
Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related changes in oceans, land
surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or longer
Weather is the state of the atmosphere—its temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall and so on—
over hours to weeks. It is influenced by the oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, which together
with the atmosphere form what is called the ‗climate system‘. Climate, in its broadest sense, is
the statistical description of the state of the climate system.
Climate change occurs when changes in Earth's climate system result in new weather patterns
that last for at least a few decades, and maybe for millions of years. The climate system is
comprised of five interacting parts, the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), cryosphere (ice
and permafrost), biosphere (living things), and lithosphere (earth's crust and upper mantle). The
climate system receives nearly all of its energy from the sun, with a relatively tiny amount from
earth's interior. The climate system also gives off energy to outer space. The balance of incoming
and outgoing energy, and the passage of the energy through the climate system,
determines Earth's energy budget. When the incoming energy is greater than the outgoing
energy, earth's energy budget is positive and the climate system is warming. If more energy goes
out, the energy budget is negative and earth experiences cooling.
As this energy moves through Earth's climate system, it creates Earth's weather and long-term
averages of weather are called "climate". Changes in the long term average are called "climate
change". Such changes can be the result of "internal variability", when natural processes inherent
to the various parts of the climate system alter Earth's energy budget.
Changes in climate can occur through both natural and human-induced causes
Global climate varies naturally over time scales from decades to thousands of years and longer.
These natural variations can originate in two ways: from internal fluctuations that exchange
energy, water and carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, land and ice, and from external
influences on the climate system, including variations in the energy received from the sun and
the effects of volcanic eruptions.
Human activities can also influence climate by changing concentrations of CO2 and other
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, altering the concentrations of aerosols and altering the
reflectivity of Earth‘s surface by changing land cover.

2. Global warming****
While many people think of global warming and climate change as synonyms, scientists use
―climate change‖ when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet‘s weather and
climate systems—in part because some areas actually get cooler in the short term.
Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather
events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas, and a range of other impacts. All of
those changes are emerging as humans continue to add heat-trapping greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere, changing the rhythms of climate that all living things have come to rely on.
Global warming, the phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near the surface
of Earth over the past one to two centuries.
Global warming is already having significant and harmful effects on our communities, our
health, and our climate. Sea level rise is accelerating. The number of large wildfires is growing.
Dangerous heat waves are becoming more common. Extreme storm events are increasing in
many areas. More severe droughts are occurring in others.
Global warming is happening now.
The planet's temperature is rising. The trend is clear and unmistakable.
Every one of the past 40 years has been warmer than the 20th century average. 2016 was the
hottest year on record. The 12 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998.
Globally, the average surface temperature has increased more than one degree Fahrenheit since
the late 1800s. Most of that increase has occurred over just the past three decades.
We are the cause.
We are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat and steadily drives up
the planet‘s temperature. Where does all this carbon come from? The fossil fuels we burn for
energy—coal, natural gas, and oil—plus the loss of forests due to deforestation, especially in the
tropics.
Impacts
 Accelerating Sea Level Rise
 Longer and More Damaging Wildfire Seasons
 More Frequent and Intense Heat Waves
 Costly and Growing Health Impacts
 Heavier Precipitation and Flooding
Solutions
 Reduce emissions
 Stop deforestation
 Fight misinformation
 Prepare for impacts

3. Ozone layer depletion****

Ozone depletion, gradual thinning of Earth‘s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the
release of chemical compounds containing gaseous chlorine or bromine from industry and other
human activities. The thinning is most pronounced in the polar regions, especially
over Antarctica. Ozone depletion is a major environmental problem because it increases the
amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches Earth‘s surface, which increases the rate
of skin cancer, eye cataracts, and genetic and immune system damage.
The Montreal Protocol, ratified in 1987, was the first of several comprehensive international
agreements enacted to halt the production and use of ozone-depleting chemicals. As a result of
continued international cooperation on this issue, the ozone layer is expected to recover over
time.
Ozone depletion describes two related events observed since the late 1970s: a steady lowering of
about four percent in the total amount of ozone in Earth's atmosphere (the ozone layer), and a
much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone around Earth's polar regions. The latter
phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole. There are also springtime polar tropospheric ozone
depletion events in addition to these stratospheric events.
Causes:
The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is manufactured chemicals, especially
manufactured halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants and (chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
HCFCs, halons), referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
Solution:
Ozone depletion and the ozone hole have generated worldwide concern over increased cancer
risks and other negative effects. The ozone layer prevents most harmful UVB wavelengths
of ultraviolet light (UV light) from passing through the Earth's atmosphere. These wavelengths
cause skin cancer, sunburn and cataracts, which were projected to increase dramatically as a
result of thinning ozone, as well as harming plants and animals. These concerns led to the
adoption of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which bans the production of CFCs, halons and other
ozone-depleting chemicals.
The ban came into effect in 1989. Ozone levels stabilized by the mid-1990s and began to recover
in the 2000s. Recovery is projected to continue over the next century, and the ozone hole is
expected to reach pre-1980 levels by around 2075. The Montreal Protocol is considered the
most successful international environmental agreement to date.

4. Acid rain and their impacts on human communities and

agriculture****
Acid rain describes any form of precipitation that contains high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids.
It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that settle to Earth.
Normal rain is slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.6, while acid rain generally has a pH between 4.2
and 4.4.
Causes of acid rain
Rotting vegetation and erupting volcanoes release some chemicals that can cause acid rain, but
most acid rain is a product of human activities. The biggest sources are coal-burning power
plants, factories, and automobiles.
When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into
the atmosphere. Those air pollutants react with water, oxygen, and other substances to form
airborne sulfuric and nitric acid. Winds may spread these acidic compounds through the
atmosphere and over hundreds of miles. When acid rain reaches Earth, it flows across the surface
in runoff water, enters water systems, and sinks into the soil.
Effects of acid rain
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are not primary greenhouse gases that contribute to global
warming, one of the main effects of climate change; in fact, sulfur dioxide has a cooling
effect on the atmosphere. But nitrogen oxides contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone,
a major pollutant that can be harmful to people. Both gases cause environmental and health
concerns because they can spread easily via air pollution and acid rain.
Acid rain has many ecological effects, especially on lakes, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic
environments. Acid rain makes such waters more acidic, which results in more aluminum
absorption from soil, which is carried into lakes and streams. That combination makes waters
toxic to crayfish, clams, fish, and other aquatic animals.
Acid rain and fog also damage forests, especially those at higher elevations. The acid deposits
rob the soil of essential nutrients such as calcium and cause aluminum to be released in the soil,
which makes it hard for trees to take up water. Trees' leaves and needles are also harmed by
acids.
The effects of acid rain, combined with other environmental stressors, leave trees and plants less
healthy, more vulnerable to cold temperatures, insects, and disease. The pollutants may also
inhibit trees' ability to reproduce. Some soils are better able to neutralize acids than others. But
in areas where the soil's "buffering capacity" is low, the harmful effects of acid rain are much
greater.

5. Green House effect****

Greenhouse gas, any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy)
emitted from Earth‘s surface and reradiating it back to Earth‘s surface, thus contributing to
the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour are the most important
greenhouse gases.
The effect of each greenhouse gas on Earth‘s climate depends on its chemical nature and its
relative concentration in the atmosphere. Some gases have a high capacity for absorbing infrared
radiation or occur in significant quantities, whereas others have considerably lower capacities for
absorption or occur only in trace amounts.
Major Greenhouse Gases
 Water vapour
 Carbon dioxide
 Methane
Lesser Greenhouse Gases
 Surface-level ozone
 Nitrous oxides and fluorinated gases
6. Environment Laws: Wildlife Protection Act, 1972****

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of
plants and animal species. Before 1972, India only had five designated national parks. Among
other reforms, the Act established schedules of protected plant and animal species; hunting or
harvesting these species was largely outlawed.
The Act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants; and for matters connected
therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto.
It extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir which has its own
wildlife act.
It has six schedules which give varying degrees of protection.
Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide absolute protection - offences under these are
prescribed the highest penalties.
Species listed in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also protected, but the penalties are much
lower.
Schedule V includes the animals which may be hunted.
The specified endemic plants in Schedule VI are prohibited from cultivation and planting. The
hunting to the Enforcement authorities have the power to compound offences under this
Schedule (i.e. they impose fines on the offenders).

7. Environment Laws: Forest Conservation Act, 1980****

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 an Act of the Parliament of India to provide for the
conservation of forests and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto. It
was further amended in 1988.
This law extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. It was enacted
by Parliament of India to control further deforestation of Forest Areas in India. This act was
enacted by Parliament of India in 1980. The act came into force on 25 October 1980. It has five
sections.
8. Environment Laws: Water (Prevention and control of

Pollution) Act, 1974****
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in 1974 to provide for the
prevention and control of water pollution, and for the maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness
of water in the country. The Act was amended in 1988.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act was enacted in 1977, to provide for
the levy and collection of a cess on water consumed by persons operating and carrying on certain
types of industrial activities. This cess is collected with a view to augment the resources of the
Central Board and the State Boards for the prevention and control of water pollution constituted
under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The Act was last amended in
2003.
9. Environment Laws: Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution)

Act, 1981****
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 is an Act of the Parliament of India to
control and prevent air pollution in India. It was amended in 1987.
The Government passed this Act in 1981 to clean up our air by controlling pollution. It states
that sources of air pollution such as industry, vehicles, power plants, etc., are not permitted to
release particulate matter, lead, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) or other toxic substances beyond a prescribed level.
It is also a comprehensive legislation with more than fifty sections. It makes provisions, interalia,
for Central and State Boards, power to declare pollution control areas, restrictions on certain
industrial units, authority of the Boards to limit emission of air pollutants, power of entry,
inspection, taking samples and analysis, penalties, offences by companies and Government and
cognizance of offences etc..

10. Environment Laws: Environment Protection Act,

1986****
 This act was enacted by the Parliament of India in 1986.
 Date commenced: 9 January 1986
 This act has five Chapters and 26 Sections.
 It extends to the whole of India.
 In the wake of the Bhopal Tragedy, the Government of India enacted the Environment
Protection Act of 1986
 under Article 253 of the Constitution. Passed in March 1986, it came into force on 19
November 1986
 The purpose of the Act is to implement the decisions of the United Nations Conference
on the Human Environment.
 They relate to the protection and improvement of the human environment and the
prevention of hazards to human beings, other living creatures, plants and property.
11. Environment Laws: Biodiversity Act, 2002****

 The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of India for preservation
of biological diversity in India, and provides mechanism for equitable sharing of benefits
arising out of the use of traditional biological resources and knowledge.
 The Act was enacted to meet the obligations under Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD), to which India is a party in 2002.
 Biodiversity has been defined under Section 2(b) of the Act as "the variability among
living organisms from all sources and the ecological complexes of which they are part,
and includes diversity within species or between species and of eco-systems".
 The Act also defines, Biological resources as "plants, animals and micro-organisms or
parts thereof, their genetic material and by-products (excluding value added products)
with actual or potential use or value, but does not include human genetic material.
12. National Biodiversity Authority and State Biodiversity

Boards
 The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)is a statutory autonomous body,
headquartered in Chennai, under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government
of India established in 2003 to implement the provisions under the Act.
 State Biodiversity Boards (SBB) has been created in 29 States along with 31,574
Biological management committees (for each local body) across India.

13. International agreements: Montreal Protocol (Related

with depletion of stratospheric Ozone layer, 1987.)****
 The Montreal Protocol is an international environmental agreement with universal
ratification to protect the earth‘s ozone layer by eliminating use of ozone depleting
substances (ODS), which would otherwise allow increased UV radiation to reach the
earth, resulting in higher incidence of skin cancers and eye cataracts, more-compromised
immune systems, and negative effects on watersheds, agricultural lands and forests.
 The Montreal Protocol is a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the
Ozone Layer
 It was agreed on 16 September 1987, and entered into force on 16 September 1989,
following a first meeting in Helsinki, May 1989.
 Since its adoption in 1987, it has successfully eliminated over 98 percent of controlled
ODS, helping reverse the damage to the ozone layer.
 As a result of the international agreement, the ozone hole in Antarctica is slowly
recovering
14. International agreements: Kyoto protocol [(Related with

Global warming, 1997]****
 Kyoto Protocol, in full Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, international treaty, named for the Japanese city in which it was adopted
in December 1997, that aimed to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global
warming.
 The Kyoto Protocol was adopted to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases
 In force since 2005, the protocol called for reducing the emission of six greenhouse
gases in 41 countries plus the European Union to 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during
the ―commitment period‖ 2008–12. It was widely hailed as the most significant
environmental treaty ever negotiated, though some critics questioned its effectiveness.
 The Protocol has been ratified by 192 Parties, including the EU and its member countries.
 However, because many major emitters are not part of Kyoto, it only covers about 12%
of global emissions.
 The world's only legally binding instrument for cutting greenhouse gas emissions is the
1997 Kyoto Protocol.

15. International agreements: Climate negotiations;****

 Climate change is a global challenge as emissions anywhere affect people everywhere.
To respond to the climate crisis a rapid decarbonisation of our economies across the
world is required. This is why internationally coordinated cooperation is needed. This is
done under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the
UNFCCC.
 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), agreed in
1992, is the main international treaty on fighting climate change. Its objective is
to prevent dangerous man-made interference with the global climate system.
16. International agreements: Convention on Biological

Diversity (CBD). ****
 Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on
Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development.
 Conceived as a practical tool for translating the principles of Agenda 21 into reality, the
Convention recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and
micro organisms and their ecosystems – it is about people and our need for food security,
medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to
live.
 The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known informally as the Biodiversity
Convention, is a multilateral treaty. The Convention has three main goals including: the
conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its
components; and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.
17. Protected area network**

What is a protected area?
 A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and
managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation
of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.
 Protected areas – national parks, wilderness areas, community conserved areas, nature
reserves and so on – are a mainstay of biodiversity conservation, while also contributing
to people‘s livelihoods, particularly at the local level.
 Protected areas are at the core of efforts towards conserving nature and the services it
provides us – food, clean water supply, medicines and protection from the impacts of
natural disasters.

18. Tribal populations and rights*

 The word ‗Tribe‘ denotes a group of people living in primitive and ruthless conditions.
These tribes are a social group living in a fixed territory having no such specialization of
functions and the people living in these social groups are known as tribes or tribal people
 Tribes constitute around 8.6 percent of the total Indian population, and of the total tribal
population around 80 percent are found in Central India
 India has the second largest tribal population in the world.
 In India, Scheduled Tribes are mainly spread across the forests and hilly regions of India.
 Tribes in India are mainly characterised by their geographical location and distinct
culture.
 In India, tribes are treated very low, are execrated and are even treated as untouchables
by the prevailing adherence to social norms and caste system
 The tribal people were compelled to perform duties which were considered inferior
because of their economic backwardness and illiteracy.
 In earlier times, Mahatma Gandhi fought for the rights of the tribal people and
recognized them as Girijans or the Children of the Forest God and after Independence in
1947, the Government of India spent lot of resources to improve the standard of living of
tribal people and also helped them through legislations and developmental programmes
and in safeguarding their rights.
19. Human wildlife conflicts in Indian context. *

 Human–wildlife conflict refers to the interaction between wild animals and people and
the resultant negative impact on people or their resources, or wild animals or their
habitat. It occurs when growing human populations overlap with established wildlife
territory, creating reduction of resources or life to some people and/or wild animals. The
conflict takes many forms ranging from loss of life or injury to humans, and animals both
wild and domesticated, to competition for scarce resources to loss and degradation of
habitat.
 In India, human-wildlife conflict (HWC) around protected areas (PAs) has magnified
social conflict over conservation and development priorities.
 India introduced financial compensation for HWC as a policy solution to simultaneously
promote human security while protecting biodiversity.


1. __________the phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near the surface
of Earth over the past one to two centuries.***
(a) Global warming
(b) Climate change
(c) Ozone layer depletion
2. Ozone layer depletion occurs in**********
(a) Stratosphere
(b) Troposphere
(c) Ionosphere
3. Global warming is caused by*******
(a) Acid rain
(b) Ozone depletion
(c) Greenhouse gases
4. The lowest layer of atmosphere is**
(a) Ionosphere
(b) Troposphere
(c) Stratosphere
5. Which one of the following is a greenhouse gas ?******
(a) Nitrogen
(b) Oxygen
(c) Methane
6. Minamata disease was caused by****
(a) Arsenic
(b) Mercury
(c) Lead
7. First international conference on environment was held in****
(a) New Delhi
(b) New York
(c) Stockholm
8. Which one of the following countries is known as the land of the monsoon ?**
(a) USA
(b) Egypt
(c) India
9. Montreal Protocol aimed at the control on —********
(a) The use of ozone depleting substances
(b) The use of chemical pesticides
(c) the use of green house gases
10. Acid rain is caused by oxides of*****
(a) SO2
(b) NO2
(c) Both

11. Ozone layer depletion occurs in******
(a) Stratosphere
(b) Troposphere
(c) Ionosphere
12. Montreal Protocol was made in order to reduce*****************
(a) Green house gases
(b) Ozone depleting chemicals
(c) Suspended particulate matter
13. The largest ozone hole lies in the sky above-******
(a) Africa
(b) Australia
(c) Antarctica
14. Much of the atmospheric air is present in the-**
(a) Stratosphere
(b) Mesosphere
(c) Troposphere
15. The major atmosphere gas layer in stratosphere is-**********
(a) Hydrogen
(b) Carbon dioxide
(c) Ozone
16. Ozone is beneficial because it-********
(a) Release Oxygen
(b) Maintain temperature of air
(c) Protects from UV radiation
17. Which one of the following is related to acid rain?******
(a) Carbon monoxide
(b) Sulphur dioxide
(c) Hydrocarbon vapour
18. Which one of the following act was enacted in the year 2002?******
(a) Biodiversity Act
(b) Air Act
(c) Water Act
19. Acid rain is due to***
(a) Production of SO2 gas
(b) SO2 gas converted to H2SO4
(c) Production of CO2
20. Ozone hole is caused by the increase in the level of*******
(a) Water vapour
(b) Chlorofluorocarbon
(c) Carbon monoxide
21. The average temperature of the Earth is approximately*
(a) 10°C
(b) 15° C
(c) 20° C

22. Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?********
(a) Carbon- dioxide
(b) Sulphur dioxide
(c) Methane
23. Wildlife Protection Act was enacted in the year ___________****
(a) 1972
(b) 1974
(c) 1980
24. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 extends to __________**
(a) whole of India
(b) whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir
(c) whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir & North East
25. Forest Conservation Act, was enacted in the year ___________**
(a) 1972
(b) 1974
(c) 1980
26. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in**
(a) 1972
(b) 1974
(c) 1981
27. The air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in**
(a) 1972
(b) 1974
(c) 1981
28. Environment Protection Act, was enacted by the Parliament of India in _____******
(a) 1981
(b) 1986
(c) 2002
29. Biodiversity Act, was enacted in___________********
(a) 1981
(b) 1987
(c) 2002
30. Expand GIS**
(a) Geographical Information System
(b) Geographical Information Source
(c) Geological Information System
31. MoEF means*
(a) Ministry of Forest and Energy
(b) Ministry of Environment and Forests
(c) Ministry of Fuel and Energy
32. The components of LPG are _____________
(a) Methane & Hexane
(b) Propane & Butane
(c) Ethane & Methane

33. Major consumer of wood from forest is ___________
(a) Thermal Power Plant
(b) Paper Industry
(c) Chemistry Industry
34. ‗Smog‘ is a mixture of**
(a) Smoke and Fog
(b) Snow and Fog
(c) Snow and Dust
35. Atmospheric humidity is measured by
(a) Auxanometer
(b) Photometer
(c) Hygrometer
36. Sedimentation is a
(a) Primary water treatment
(b) Secondary water treatment
(c) Tertiary water treatment
37. What is Plankton?
(a) Microscopic floating organisms – Plants and animals.
(b) bottom dwelling aquatic organisms
(c) large plants in water
38. What is Canopy?
(a) Uppermost level of the forest
(b) Ground level of the forest
(c) Soil in forest
39. African grasslands are called*
(a) Prairies
(b) Pampas
(c) Savannah
40. What is Dendrology?
(a) Study of Plants
(b) Study of Butterflies
(c) Study of Trees
41. The first global environmental protection treaty ―The Montreal Protocol‖ was signed
on Sept. 26 ____________********
(a) 1985
(b) 1990
(c) 1987
42. The unit of measurement of intensity of sound is in _________*******
(a) decibels
(b) lux
(c) parsec
43. Which of the following type of pollution can cause the outbreak of Jaundice
(a) Air
(b) thermal
(c) water

44. Disease aggravated by air pollution is
(a) cholera
(b) rheumatism
(c) bronchitis
45. Colourless odourless and non corrosive air pollutant is
(a) sulphur dioxide
(b) carbon monoxide
(c) ozone
46. The heating of earth‘s atmosphere due to trapped radiation is known as*****
(a) Global warming
(b) Glass-House effect
(c) Green House Effect
47. Centre of Modern nuclear technology in India
(a) CRAS
(b) SARC
(c) BARC
48. DDT is a ______________ pollutant
(a) Bio degradable
(b) Non bio degradable
(c) Naturally degradable
49. Example for a physical pollutant
(a) Water
(b) Air
(c) Radiation
50. Soil pollution is caused by
(a) Aerosol
(b) Ozone
(c) Acid rain
51. Green House effect is caused by
(a) Increase in CO2
(b) Increase in O2
(c) Decrease in O2
52. BOD of a river water is found very high. This means water**
(a) Is clear
(b) Is highly polluted
(c) Contain many dissolved minerals
53. Refuse, garbage, sludge, municipal trash etc are examples of ___________*
(a) Non Hazardous waste
(b) Hazardous waste
(c) Radioactive waste
54. In a ___________, garbage is spread out in thin layers, compacted and covered with
clay or plastic foam
(a) sanitary landfill
(b) Incineration
(c) Pyrolysis

55. The term _________means to burn something until nothing is left but ashes.
(a) Incineration
(b) Composting
(c) Pyrolysis
56. ____________is a form of incineration that chemically decomposes organic materials
by heat in the absence of oxygen
(a) Composting
(b) Pyrolysis
(c) Sanitary landfill
57. Individuals bring the waste in containers and hand it over to the collection staff who
empties it into the waiting vehicle and returns the container to the individuals is _____
(a) Kerbside Collection
(b) Community storage point
(c) Block Collection
58. The municipal refuse is taken to fixed storage bins and stored till the waste collection
agency collects it daily for disposal in a vehicle is called _________
59. In advance of the collection time, the refuse is brought in containers and placed on the
footway from where it is collected by the waste collection agency is called ______
60. Isolating the material from which a given product was made and reintroducing it into
the production cycle for production of the same product is called ____________
(a) Reuse
(b) Reclamation
(c) Recycling
61. In this waste disposal method, the biodegradable industrial wastes are treated by the
biological, physical and chemical processes occurring in the surface of the soil.
(a) Sanitary Land filling
(b) Land farming
(c) Controlled Tipping
62. Open dumping of solid wastes is done in low lying areas and outskirts of the towns and
cities. Being comparatively cheaper, this method of disposal is used extensively in
India.
(a) Open Dumping
(b) Sanitary Land filling
(c) Land farming:
63. The term _________ refers to any electronic device that is no longer wanted or has
become obsolete.
(a) Electronic waste
(b) Organic waste
(c) Toxic waste

Unit 7:
Human Communities and the Environment
1. Human population growth: Impacts on environment,
human health and welfare.
One of the factors responsible for environment degradation is population growth or population
density. In particular, population density plays the most important role in shaping the socio-
economic environment. Its effects are felt on the natural environment also.
1. Generation of Waste:
Due to his destructive activities, man has dumped more and more waste in environment. As the
man-made waste is not transformed, it causes degradation and the capacity of environment to
absorb more waste is reduced. Further, waste leads to air and water pollution.
2. Threat to Biodiversity:
Due to his destructive activities, man has extracted more and more minerals from the earth.
Animals have been hunted and plants have disappeared. There has been loss of biodiversity.
These have led to ecological imbalance.
3. Strain on Forests:
Man has established new housing colonies. National highways and hydropower projects have
been built and forests have been wiped out. These destructive activities have increased and led to
ecological imbalance.
4. Urbanization:
Rapid growth of population has led to urbanization which has adversely affected environment.
Due to population pressure, natural resources in the cities are depleted at a fast rate due to
population pressure.
Moreover, population does not have proper sanitation facilities and pure drinking water. As a
result, the health of the people is adversely affected. No doubt, urbanization reduces pressure on
the rural environment, but it brings with if environmental damages through industrial growth,
emissions and wastes.
5. Industrialisation:
Underdeveloped countries are following the policy of heavy industrialisation which is causing
environmental degradation. The establishment of such industries as fertilizers, iron and steel,
chemicals and refineries have led to land, air and water pollution.
6. Land Degradation:
Intensive farming and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides have led to over-exploitation of
land and water resources. These have led to land degradation in the form of soil erosion, water
logging and salination.

7. Transport Development:
Environmental degradation is also due to transport development in the different parts of the
world. The automobiles release huge quantities of poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. The development of ports and harbours have led to oil spills
from ships adversely affecting fisheries, coral reefs, mangroves and landscapes.
8. Climatic Change:
Climatic changes are irregular due to green house gases. The thin skin of air that surrounds the
planet is being affected by human activities as never before. Urban people are still being exposed
to unaccepted levels of toxic pollutants. Further, forests are still being degraded by acid
deposition generated by faraway industries, and greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the
atmosphere.
9. Productivity:
Environmental degradation not only harms health but also reduces economic productivity. Dirty
water, inadequate sanitation, air pollution and land degradation cause serious diseases on an
enormous scale in developing countries like India.
These, in turn, reduce the productivity levels in the country. To take specific instances, water
pollution has led to declining fisheries in rivers, ponds and canals in both urban and rural areas.
Water shortages have reduced economic activity in towns, and cities and villages.
10. Technology:
Presently, environmental pollution is caused by old technology which releases gases and
pollutants causing chemical and industrial pressure on environment.
Impact of Environment on Population:
Polluted environment also affects adversely the health of people.
Table: Diseases caused by Environment Degradation
Type of Pollution Toxic or Poisonous Elements Effects on Health
Water Pollution Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead Zinc, Copper, Diseases related to intestines
Mercury, Cyanides (Gastro)
Air Pollution Fly ash. Metal powder, Chromium, Chronic cough, lung cancer
Nickle, Arsenic, Cadmium
Soil Pollution Reaching to earth through Air or Water Enters body through food cycle
(acid rain) and affects adversely.
Noise Pollution Due to industrialization Hearing power and fatigue lead to

1. Effects on hearing power deafness.
2. Effects not related to hearing power Headache, increase in B.P
palpitation, restless
Radioactive 1. Effects on body Leukaemia, cancer, foetal effects,

pollution 2. Hereditary or genetic effects chromosome and genetic damages.

2. Resettlement and rehabilitation.

(a) Development projects that displace people involuntarily generally give rise to severe
economic, social, and environmental problems: production systems are dismantled;
productive assets and income sources are lost; people are relocated to environments
where their productive skills may be less applicable and the competition for resources
greater; community structures and social networks are weakened; kin groups are
dispersed; and cultural identity, traditional authority, and the potential for mutual help are
diminished.
(b) Involuntary resettlement may cause severe long-term hardship, impoverishment, and
environmental damage unless appropriate measures are carefully planned and carried
out.
(c) The World Bank was the first multilateral lending agency to adopt a policy for
Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R).
(d) The treatment of resettlement issues beyond hydropower and irrigation projects to all
types of investment operations. It emphasizes the need for:
 Minimizing involuntary resettlement;
 Providing people displaced by a project with the means to improve, or at least
restore, their former living standards, earning capacity, and production levels;
 Involving both resettles and hosts in resettlement activities;
 A time-bound resettlement plan; and
 Valuation and compensation principles for land and other assets affected by the
project.
3. Case studies on Resettlement and rehabilitation.

Uttaranchal's disaster management
Uttaranchal's location and geographical features render it vulnerable to minor changes. Hence
any activity disapproved by mountain ecosystem triggers a disaster. One cannot stop disaster
happening but can certainly take some steps to reduce its effects. If disasters cannot be averted,
then reduction of losses of any type caused by disaster becomes a focal point of the policy for
disaster management. To devise Uttaranchal's disaster management mechanism for reduction of
effects of disaster, i.e. damage to property and loss of life and the rapid and effective rescue,
relief and rehabilitation of the victims.
The study reveals that 83 villages in Uttaranchal need rehabilitation but, to date, Uttaranchal has
no resettlement and rehabilitation policy. In India only three States, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh and Punjab, have state-wide resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) policies. Other States
have issued Government Orders or Resolutions, sometimes sector-wide but more often for

specific projects. The study is based on secondary data; however, sufficient care has been taken
to consider all important factors while suggesting Rehabilitation Policy for Uttaranchal State. A
disaster of rare severity requires a high level of resettlement and rehabilitation assistance from
the State. Sound Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy helps the Government to tackle the
problem immediately and efficiently.
4. Environmental Disaster:
 An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is a catastrophic event regarding
the environment due to human activity.
 This distinguishes it from the concept of a natural disaster. It is also distinct from
intentional acts of war such as nuclear bombings.
 In this case, the impact of humans' alteration of the ecosystem has led to widespread
and/or long lasting consequences.
 It can include the deaths of animals (including humans) and plants, or severe disruption
of human life, possibly requiring migration.
 Environmental disasters are the realization of hazards to serious impacts, damages and
losses, initiating in some or the other environmental systems or resources.
5. Natural Disasters-Earthquake****
Earthquakes are one of the most destructive of natural hazards. An earthquake occurs due to
sudden transient motion of the ground as a result of release of elastic energy in a matter of few
seconds. The impact of the event is most traumatic because it affects large areas, occurs all of a
sudden and is unpredictable.
Earthquakes, is measured on the Richter scale. The Richter scale measures the magnitude of an
earthquake (how powerful it is). It is measured using a machine called a seismometer which
produces a seismograph.
6. Natural Disasters-Cyclone
Cyclone is the term used globally to cover tropical weather systems in which winds equal or
exceed ale force (minimum of 34 knot, i.e., 62 kmph). These are intense low pressure areas of
the earth atmosphere coupled system and are extreme weather events of the tropics. Windstorm
is a wind that is strong enough to cause at least light damage to trees and buildings and may or
may not be accompanied by precipitation. Wind speeds during a windstorm typically exceed 55
km (34 miles) per hour. Wind damage can be attributed to gusts (short bursts of high-speed
winds) or longer periods of stronger sustained winds

7. Natural Disasters- landslides

Landslides are simply defined as down slope movement of rock, debris and/or earth under the
influence of gravity. This sudden movement of material causes extensive damage to life,
economy and environment. It is the most common and universally accepted collective term for
most slope movements‘ of the massive nature. The term has sometimes been considered
unsuitable as the active part of the word denotes sliding, whereas it connotes even movements
without sliding like fall, topple, flow etc.
8. Natural Disasters- Flooding

Floods are among the most frequent and costly natural disasters. Conditions that cause floods
include heavy or steady rain for several hours or days that saturate the ground. Flash floods
occur suddenly due to rapidly rising water along a stream or low lying area. A flood is an excess
of water (or mud) on land that's normally dry and is a situation wherein the inundation is caused
by high flow, or overflow of water in an established watercourse, such as a river, stream, or
drainage ditch; or ponding of water at or near the point where the rain fell. This is a duration type
event. A flood can strike anywhere without warning, occurs when a large volume of rain falls
within a short time.
9. Natural Disasters- Drought
Drought is a temporary aberration unlike aridity, which is a permanent feature of climate.
Seasonal aridity (i.e. a well-defined dry season) also needs to be distinguished from drought.
Thus drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate and occurs in all climatic regimes and is
usually characterized in terms of its spatial extension, intensity and duration. Conditions of
drought appear when the rainfall is deficient in relation to the statistical multi-year average for a
region, over an extended period of a season or year, or even more.
10. Natural Disasters-Tsunami****

(a) Tsunamis have occurred frequently throughout human history. Although they are seen in
every ocean on Earth, 80 percent of the worst tsunamis occur in the Pacific ―Ring of
Fire.‖
(b) Tsunamis can be generated by any significant displacement of water in oceans or lakes,
though are most commonly created by the movement of tectonic plates under the ocean
floor, during an earthquake. But they can also be caused by volcanic eruptions, glacial
carving, meteorite impacts or landslides.

Worst Tsunamis in History
(a) Indian Ocean Tsunami [Sumatra, Indonesia – 26 December 2004]
The earthquake that caused the infamous Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 registered a 9.1
in magnitude and was said to have the energy of 23,000 atomic bombs. This extreme
rupture caused massive tectonic plate movement, which caused other secondary faults
to occur and expose an entirely new oceanic trench. These secondary faults elevated
the height and speed of the generated waves.
According to some scientists, the amount of energy released was so great, the Earth‘s
rotation was slightly altered and wobbling of its axis occurred by 2.3 cm. The Indian
Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed more than 283,000 people. It produced waves 50 m tall
and reached 14 countries.
(b) North Pacific Coast, Japan – 11 March 2011
A powerful tsunami travelling 800km per hour with 10m-high waves swept over the
east coast of Japan, killing more than 18,000 people. The tsunami was spawned by
an 9.0 magnitude earthquake that reached depths of 24.4 km- making it the fourth-
largest earthquake ever recorded. Approximately 4,52,000 people were relocated to
shelters, and still remain displaced from their destroyed homes.
11. Manmade Disaster- Bhopal***************

The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leak incident on the
night of 2nd to 3rd December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant
in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate
(MIC) gas. The toxic gas is used to produce a common pesticide sevin. The need for sevin comes
from increased agricultural production to feed the growing population.
 Cause: Methyl Isocyanate leak from Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL)
 Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
 Date: 2 December 1984 – 3 December 1984
 Death(s): At least 3,787; over 16,000 claimed
12. Manmade Disaster- Chernobyl *****************

The Chernobyl disaster, also referred to as the Chernobyl accident, was a catastrophic nuclear
accident occurred on 25–26 April 1986 in the No. 4 nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant in northern Soviet Ukraine.
Two subsequent gas explosions in a graphite-controlled, water-cooled reactor at the nuclear plant
blew off the roof of the power house building and set the graphite on fire. Fire broke out during
the explosion, 28 people died due to direct exposure of radiation. About 100,000 people who
lived near the nuclear plant had to migrate elsewhere.

13. Minamata incident: ****

In 1953-60, in Japan, the villagers become victim of certain unknown diseases. As a result, in a
particular village facing the Bay, 15 % villagers were either killed or permanently paralyzed;
genetic defects are observed in around 50 babies. After scientific investigation, it was revealed
that the hazards are the results of toxic effect of mercury. The source of mercury was the
discharge into the Bay from Vinyl chloride plant of Minamata Chemical Company.. The
contaminated water was consumed by fish of Bay i. e.; mercury of contaminated water enters
into the bodies of the fishes through the food chain of aquatic ecosystem. The contaminated
fishes were consumed by the villagers of Japan facing the Bay and they became the victim of the
incident.
14. What is an Environmental Movement?

 An environmental movement can be defined as a social or political movement, for the
conservation of environment or for the improvement of the state of the environment. The
terms ‗green movement‘ or ‗conservation movement‘ are alternatively used to denote the
same.
 The environmental movements favour the sustainable management of natural resources.
The movements often stress the protection of the environment via changes in public
policy. Many movements are centred on ecology, health and human rights.
 Environmental movements range from the highly organized and formally
institutionalized ones to the radically informal activities.
15. Environmental movements: Bishnois**

 Year: 1700s
 Place: Khejarli, Marwar region, Rajasthan state.
 Leaders: Amrita Devi along with Bishnoi villagers in Khejarli and surrounding villages.
 Aim: Save sacred trees from being cut down by the king‘s soldiers for a new palace.
What was it all about:
Amrita Devi, a female villager could not bear to witness the destruction of both her faith and the
village‘s sacred trees. She hugged the trees and encouraged others to do the same. 363 Bishnoi
villagers were killed in this movement. The Bishnoi tree martyrs were influenced by the
teachings of Guru Maharaj Jambaji, who founded the Bishnoi faith in 1485 and set forth
principles forbidding harm to trees and animals. The king who came to know about these events
rushed to the village and apologized, ordering the soldiers to cease logging operations. Soon
afterwards, the maharajah designated the Bishnoi state as a protected area, forbidding harm to
trees and animals. This legislation still exists today in the region.

16. Environmental movements: Chipko**********

 Year: 1973
 Place: In Chamoli district and later at Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
 Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Chandi Prasad
Bhatt, Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh Negi, Shamsher Singh Bisht and Ghanasyam
Raturi.
 Aim: The main objective was to protect the trees on the Himalayan slopes from the axes
of contractors of the forest.
Mr. Bahuguna enlightened the villagers by conveying the importance of trees in the environment
which checks the erosion of soil, cause rains and provides pure air. The women of Advani
village of Tehri-Garhwal tied the sacred thread around trunks of trees and they hugged the trees,
hence it was called ‗Chipko Movement‘ or ‗hug the tree movement‘. The main demand of the
people in these protests was that the benefits of the forests (especially the right to fodder) should
go to local people. The Chipko movement gathered momentum in 1978 when the women faced
police firings and other tortures. The then state Chief Minister, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna set
up a committee to look into the matter, which eventually ruled in favor of the villagers. This
became a turning point in the history of eco-development struggles in the region and around the
world.
17. Environmental movements: Silent valley **********

 Year: 1978
 Place: Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.
 Leaders: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) an NGO, and the poet-activist
Sughathakumari played an important role in the Silent Valley protests.
 Aim: In order to protect the Silent Valley, the moist evergreen forest from being
destroyed by a hydroelectric project.
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposed a hydroelectric dam across the
Kunthipuzha River that runs through Silent Valley. In February 1973, the Planning Commission
approved the project at a cost of about Rs 25 crores. Many feared that the project would
submerge 8.3 sq km of untouched moist evergreen forest. Several NGOs strongly opposed the
project and urged the government to abandon it. In January 1981, bowing to unrelenting public
pressure, Indira Gandhi declared that Silent Valley will be protected. In June 1983 the Center re-
examined the issue through a commission chaired by Prof. M.G.K. Menon. In November 1983
the Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project was called off. In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
formally inaugurated the Silent Valley National Park.

18. Environmental movements: Narmada Bachao Andholan

*********
 Year: 1985
 Place: Narmada River, which flows through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra.
 Leaders: Medha Patker, Baba Amte, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human
rights activists.
 Aim: A social movement against a number of large dams being built across
the Narmada River.
The movement first started as a protest for not providing proper rehabilitation and resettlement
for the people who have been displaced by the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Later on, the
movement turned its focus on the preservation of the environment and the eco-systems of the
valley. Activists also demanded the height of the dam to be reduced to 88 m from the proposed
height of 130m. World Bank withdrew from the project.
The environmental issue was taken into court. In October 2000, the Supreme Court gave a
judgment approving the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam with a condition that height of
the dam could be raised to 90 m. This height is much higher than the 88 m which anti-dam
activists demanded, but it is definitely lower than the proposed height of 130 m. The project is
now largely financed by the state governments and market borrowings. The project is expected
to be fully completed by 2025.
Although not successful, as the dam could not be prevented, the NBA has created an anti-big
dam opinion in India and outside. It questioned the paradigm of development. As a democratic
movement, it followed the Gandhian way 100 percent.
19. Environmental movements: Tehri Dam Conflict**

 Year: 1990‘s
 Place: Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand.
 Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna
 Aim: The protest was against the displacement of town inhabitants and environmental
consequence of the weak ecosystem.
Tehri dam attracted national attention in the 1980s and the 1990s. The major objections include,
seismic sensitivity of the region, submergence of forest areas along with Tehri town etc. Despite
the support from other prominent leaders like Sunderlal Bahuguna, the movement has failed to
gather enough popular support at national as well as international levels.

20. Agenda 21 **********

 Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable
development.
 It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
 It is an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral organizations, and individual
governments around the world that can be executed at local, national, and global levels.
 The "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st century.
 It has been affirmed and had a few modifications at subsequent UN conferences. Its aim is
achieving global sustainable development.
 One major objective of the Agenda 21 initiative is that every local government should draw
its own local Agenda 21.
21. Green Bench**

 On April 16,1996, a division bench of the Supreme Court (SC) directed the chief justice of
the Calcutta High Court to constitute a special division bench to hear environment-related
petitions - and the nation's first green bench was born. The SC has directed this bench to meet
once a week.
 The constitution of the Calcutta bench was followed by another in Chennai. On September
2,1996, while passing an interim order in the Tamil Nadu tanneries case, a full bench of the
SC comprising Justices asked the chief justice of the Chennai High Court to constitute a
special green bench to deal with environmental matters.
22. Environmental ethics:

Environmental ethics is the part of environmental philosophy which considers extending the
traditional boundaries of ethics from solely including humans to including the non-human world.
It exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including environmental law, environmental
sociology, ecotheology, ecological economics, ecology and environmental geography.
There are many ethical decisions that human beings make with respect to the environment. For
example:
 Should humans continue to clear cut forests for the sake of human consumption?
 Why should humans continue to propagate its species, and life itself?
 Should humans continue to make gasoline-powered vehicles?
 What environmental obligations do humans need to keep for future generations?
 Is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of a species for the convenience
of humanity?
 How should humans best use and conserve the space environment to secure and expand
life?
 What role can Planetary Boundaries play in reshaping the human-earth relationship
23. Role of gender in environmental conservation.

(a) The planet is the fundamental resource on which people rely for prosperity. Gender
norms influence the impact of people on the environment, the impact of environmental
degradation on people, and access to and power over natural resources.
(b) Around the world, men and women use natural resources differently. As a result, they are
affected differently by changes to these resources. Yet too often, these differences are not
understood or acknowledged.
(c) Meanwhile, women are frequently denied access to resources, have limited power in
decision-making, and their knowledge and ideas are often discounted.
(d) Conservation International (CI) works at all levels to help ensure that men and women
can fully engage in, and equitably benefit from, conservation and livelihoods initiatives.
(e) Why is it important?
 Gender equal access to agricultural resources could increase the average woman
farmer‘s crop yields by up to 30%.
 Involving women in water projects can increase their effectiveness by 6 to 7
times.
 More equitable involvement of men and women in forest management leads
to significantly greater improvements in forest conditions, research shows.
 Nations with higher proportions of women in legislatures are more likely to ratify
environmental treaties than other nations.
24. Role of cultures in environmental conservation.

What is Environment Conservation?
Environmental conservation" is the broad term for anything that furthers the goal of making life
more sustainable for the planet. Ultimately, people want to help the planet survive naturally and
with no negative impact from the human race. Helping keep the planet safe and healthy is called
"conservation."
Indian Culture helps Conservation of wildlife
 Bisnois of Rajasthan have a tradition of protecting wildlife including Black Buck and
Khejri trees since 1451 or so.
 Garuda, lion, peacock, and snake—are part of our cultural ethos from time immemorial.
Indian Culture Worships Nature
 We, as Indians, take pride in our strong cultural heritage. Religion protects and nurtures
nature.
 If we take a look at Hinduism, we worship the sun, wind, land, trees, plants, and water
which is the very base of human survival.

Indian Culture Saving Trees
 Indian Culture tells people to worship trees and hence saving trees from being cut.
 Moreover trees are considered sacred in India
Indian Culture helps Conservation of water
 Indian traditions and cultures have been protecting our ponds and other water bodies.
 We worship Ganga river and other rivers, the kund at Trayambkeshwar is considered to
be the origin of the sacred Godawari river etc.
Nature In Indian Art And Scriptures
 Indian painting, sculpture, architectural ornamentation, and the decorative arts is replete
with themes from nature and wildlife reflecting love and reverence, and therefore the
ethics of conservation.
 In literature and scriptures too there has been considerable depiction of the appreciation
and love for nature such as in "Panchtantra" which is an Indian collection of animal
fables in verse and prose.
25. Environmental education and public awareness

 Environmental education has an effective role in creating healthy awareness and
preparing suitable environment for the development and maintenance of human minds.
 Environmental education prepares the individual to become able to balance between his
vital needs and the natural environment that provides spiritual, aesthetical and ethical
sources for many communities.
 Environmental education includes both formal and informal education and training that
increase human capacity and capability to participate in environmental management and
in solving environmental crisis and challenges.
 This could be achieved by increasing awareness and effectively changing the individual
outlook on the environment. We need awareness in our behavior; we need ethical values
for protecting and conserving the environment and improving the quality of human life.
 Environmental education has an effective role in creating healthy awareness and
preparing suitable environment for the development and maintenance of human minds.
 Environmental education prepares the individual to become able to balance between his
vital needs and the natural environment that provides spiritual, aesthetical and ethical
sources for many communities.
 Environmental education includes both formal and informal education and training that
increase human capacity and capability to participate in environmental management and
in solving environmental crisis and challenges


1. Public awareness of environment creates ___________
(a) Environment protection
(b) Environment degradation
(c) Environmental improvement
2. The intensity of earthquake is measured in ____________**
(a) Beaufort scale
(b) Richter scale
(c) Mohs scale
3. Natural earthquakes are caused by __________
(a) Earth‘s crust
(b) deep seas
(c) peak mountains
4. Utilisation of natural resources in moderate manner to remaining something for the
next generation is termed as***
(a) Resettlement
(b) Sustainable development
(c) Rehabilitation
5. The deadliest Tsunami in recorded history took place on**
(a) 26-Dec-2004
(b) 26-Dec-2000
(c) 15-Nov-1990
6. The word Tsunami is derived from two Japanese words**
(a) tsu (big) and nami (flow)
(b) tsu (harbour) and nami (wave)
(c) tsu(big) and nami (wave)
7. Who coined the slogan of Chipko Movement "Ecology is Permanent economy"**
(a) Jawaharlal Nehru
(b) Salim Ali
(c) Sunderlal Bahuguna
8. Leader of ‗Narmada Bachao Andolan‘*********
(a) Vandana Siva
(b) Medha Patkar
(c) Menaka Gandhi
9. The controversial dam across the river Narmada?*********
(a) Sardar Sarovar
(b) Hirakud
(c) Bhakranangal

10. Bhopal gas tragedy was due to *******
(a) Chemical pollution of the environment
(b) Radioactive pollution of the environment
(c) Water pollution of the environment
11. Bhopal gas tragedy was happened on ******
(a) 3rd December, 1986
(b) 3rd December, 1984
(c) 3rd June, 1984
12. Bhopal gas tragedy was due to the leakage of******************
(a) Carbon monoxide gas
(b) Sulphur dioxide das
(c) Methyl isocyanate gas
13. Chernobyl disaster was due to**
(a) Man made radioactive pollution of the environment
(b) Natural disaster in an atomic plant in Russia
(c) Due to an accident while an experiment was going on it the atomic plants at
Chernobyl in Russia
14. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held :-**
(a) In June 1992,
(b) In December 1993
(c) In December 1995
15. For the first time environment was put as an Agendum of International Concern in the
Stockholm Conference in the year of**
(a) 1972
(b) 1975
(c) 1982
16. Chipko movement is**
(a) a movement of political struggle
(b) an environmental movement
(c) a movement for independence
(d) a movement against corrupt political leaders.
17. Chipko movement**
(a) was resurgence of women power and an ecological concern in thi Garwal
Himalayas.
(b) is a struggle of hill people against the corrupt contractors.
(c) is a militant struggle of people in the Garwal Himalayas
18. In Chipko movement**
(a) Women were protesting against replacement of mixed forests by the
commercially valuable pine tree
(b) The Garwali women were protesting against the atrocities of the contractors
(c) Garawali men were protesting for setting up new industries in their region

19. For conservation of environment**

(a) Women play more important role than men
(b) Men play more important role than women
(c) Both man and woman play equal role
20. The Green Bench is established by**
(a) Supreme Court of India
(b) The environment friendly people of different states
(c) United Nations
21. The ‗Green Bench‘ is **
(a) an environmental bench
(b) an institution established in forest area
(c) an organisation of people engaged in green revolution
22. The main function of 'Green Bench' is**
(a) to monitor environmental problems in the state in an effective manner
(b) to accelerate green revolution
(c) to prevent pollution
23. In Calcutta High Court the Green Bench was established and had started functioning since**
(a) April 16,1996
(b) April 16,1995
(c) April 16,1997
24. 1st Green Bench was established in *********
(a) Kolkata (West Bengal)
(b) Chennai (Tamilnadu)
(c) Delhi
25. The Narmada Bacho Andolon movement was**
(a) a struggle of local people of Narmada Valley against the construction of dams
over the river Narmada.
(b) a struggle to protect the river Narmada from environmental pollution.
(c) the movement of local tribal people of Narmada Valley for economic development
26. The two largest dam-reservoirs which are planned to be constructed on river Narmada are**
(a) Sardar Sarbbar and Normada Sagar
(b) Sardar Sarobar and Nagarjuna Sagar
(c) Narmada Sagar and Nagarjuna Sagar
27. The Sardar dam reservoir which are planned to be constructed will he in*******
(d) Gujarat
(e) Uttar Pradesh
(f) Andhra Pradesh
28. The names of Baba Amta and Medha Patkar are associated for which of the protest
movement in India****************
(a) Chipko Movement
(b) Silent Valley Movement
(c) Narmada Bacho Andolon
29. The Silent Valley**
(a) is a densely forested valley in the Palakkad district of Kerala
(b) is a place of peaceful resort in India
(c) is a valley in Garwal Himalayan region
30. The Silent Valley movement was**
(a) against the construction of dam on the river Kunthipura in Silent Valley.
(b) against setting up of an industry in Silent Valley
(c) against felling of trees.
31. The Silent Valley was so named because**
(a) of the natural silence of the valley
(b) no living creatures are present in the valley
(c) the hill areas of the valley have sound absorbing power.
32. At the earth summit held in Rio-de Janeiro a global action plan was adopted with the aim of
integrating environmental imperatives with developmental aspirations. The global action
plan is known as**
(a) Agenda 22
(b) Agenda 21
(c) Agenda 23
33. In 1984 gas disaster in India took place in**
(a) Bombay
(b) Bhopal
(c) Bangalore
34. Minamata disease was caused by**
(a) Arsenic
(b) Mercury
(c) Lead
35. First international conference on environment was held in**
(a) New Delhi
(b) New York
(c) Stockholm
36. Silent valley is located in*****
(a) Nagaland
(b) Kerala
(c) Himachal Pradesh
37. Chipko movement originated in**
(a) Karnataka
(b) UP
(d) Assam
38. Ramsar convention 1971 aimed at the conservation of—***********
(a) Wastelands
(b) Wetlands
(c) Deserts

39. Agenda 21 refers to —**
(a) Earth Summit at Rio de Jenerio
(c) Stockholm Conference
40. Sarala Ben, Sunderlal Bahuguna and Chandrika Prosad Bhatt were associated with —*
(a) Silent Valley movement
(b) NarmadaBachao Andolan
(c) Chipko Andolan
41. Tree hugging movement is***
(a) Chipko Andolon
(b) Green movement
(c) Silent Valley movement
42. Rio declaration refers to**
(a) Earth Summit in June 1992
(b) Ramsar conference
(c) Stockholm conference 1972
43. What happened in India in 1984 ?**
(a) Chipko movement
(b) Bhopal Gas disaster
(c) Narmada Bachao Andolon.
44. 'Agenda - 21' refers to**
(a) 1972 Stockholm Summit
(b) 1992 Rio-Summit
(c) 2002 Johannesberg Summit
45. Which Indian community follows the twenty-nine rules relating to sustainable lifestyle ?**
(a) Jaroas
(b) Bishnois
(c) Santhals
46. Bhopal gas disaster was caused by the gas**********
(a) Methyl isocyanide
(b) Methyl isocyanate (MIC)
(c) Cholorofluorocarbon
47. Chipko movement is the resurgence of ecological concern and took place in**
(a) Kumaon
(b) Himachal
(c) Tehri – Garhwal
48. The Silent Valley movement was organized by*************
(a) Medha Patekar
(b) Sundar Lal Bahuguna
(c) Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad
49. The Seismograph is used to measure the intensity of**********
(a) Sea wave
(b) Cyclone
(c) Earthquake

50. The scale that measures the magnitude of earthquake is-**
(a) Kelvin‘s scale
(b) Fahrenheit scale
(c) Ritcher scale
51. Which one of the following functions in West Bengal High Court to deal with
environmental problems-**
(a) Pollution control Board
(b) Green Bench
(c) Yellow Bench
52. The novel ―Aranyer Adhikary‖ is written by-*
(a) Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay
(b) Sunil Gangopadhyay
(c) Mahasweta Devi
53. Copenhagen summit (2009) involved discussion on*
(a) CFC emission
(b) NO2 emission
(c) Carbon emission
54. COD is measured for******
(a) Water sample
(b) soil sample
(c) air sample
55. ‗Sardar Sarobar‘ Dam is situated in*******
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Gujarat
(c) Rajasthan
56. Main cause behind ‗Tsunami‘ is**********
(a) Tidal wave
(b) Gravitation of moon
(c) Under sea earthquake
57. Cause of ‗Narmada Banchao Andolan‘ is*********
(a) Mining
(b) Construction of dam
(c) Deforestation
58. Who was the leader of Bishnois*
(a) Amrita Devi along with Bishnoi villagers in Khejarli
(b) Gaura Devi
(c) Sudesha Devi
59. Cause of ‗Bishnois Andolan‘ is*
(a) Mining
(b) Construction of dam
(c) Deforestation
60. Tehri Dam is located in__________****
(a) Uttarakhand
(b) Bihar

ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT DATES:*******
World Forest Day 21 March
Earth Day 22nd April
World Biodiversity Day 22nd May
World Water Day 22nd March
World Environment Day 05 June
Van Mahotsav Day 1st week of July
World Health Day 7th April
World wildlife week First week of October
ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT BOOKS &
AUTHORS**
BOOKS NAME AUTHORS
Silent spring Rachel Carson
Aranyak Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay
Aranyer Adhikary Mahasweta Devi
Violence of Green Revolution‘ Vandana Siva
Rupashi Bangla‘ Jibanananda Das
ENVIRONMENT RELATED INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENT***
Montreal Protocol**** The Montreal Protocol is a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the
Protection of the Ozone Layer. It was agreed on 16 September 1987
Kyoto Protocol**** The Kyoto Protocol was adopted to reduce their emissions of
greenhouse gases/Global warming. It was adopted in December 1997
Convention on At the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity
Biological Diversity** is dedicated to promoting sustainable development Conceived as a
practical tool for translating the principles of Agenda 21.
Ramsar It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the
Convention *** city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971
Earth Summit** The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, took place in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, from June 2-14, 1992.
The central focus was on sustainable development.
Stockholm Conference In 1972 the United Nations convened the United Nations Conference
(first international on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. This conference,
conference)** often called the Stockholm Conference, was the first international
conference to address environmental problems directly.

Environmental movements:*********
Bishnois movement  Year: 1700s
(Aim: Save trees)  Place: Khejarli, Marwar region, Rajasthan state.
 Leaders: Amrita Devi along with Bishnoi villagers in Khejarli
 Aim: Save sacred trees from being cut down by the king‘s
soldiers for a new palace
Chipko  Year: 1973

movement****  Place: In Chamoli district and later at Tehri-Garhwal district of
(Tree Hugging Uttarakhand.
movement  Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna
(Aim: Save trees))  Aim: The main objective was to protect the trees on the
Himalayan slopes
Silent valley****  Year: 1978
(Aim: Save trees)  Place: Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad
district of Kerala, India.
 Leaders: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) an NGO
 Aim: In order to protect the moist evergreen forest from being
destroyed by a hydroelectric project.
Narmada Bachao  Year: 1985
Andholan****  Place: Narmada River, which flows through the states of
(Against the Dams) Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
 Leaders: Medha Patker, Baba Amte
 Aim: A social movement against a number of large dams being
built across the Narmada River.
Tehri Dam Conflict*  Year: 1990‘s
(against the  Place: Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand.
displacement of  Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna
town inhabitants)  Aim: The protest was against the displacement of town
inhabitants
Agenda 21 **  Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with
regard to sustainable development.
(For sustainable
 It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment
development) and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
 The "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st century
Green bench** On April 16,1996, a division bench of the Supreme Court (SC) directed
(Nation's first green the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court to constitute a special
bench in Kolkata) division bench to hear environment-related petitions

Man-made Disasters********
Bhopal disaster  Cause: Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) leak from Union Carbide
****** India Limited (UCIL)
OR  Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Bhopal gas tragedy  Date: 2 December 1984 – 3 December 1984
 Death(s): At least 3,787; over 16,000 claimed
Chernobyl Cause: Two subsequent gas explosions
disaster***** Location: Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Soviet Ukraine.
(World's most Date: 25–26 April 1986
disastrous nuclear Death(s): 28 people died
plant accident)
Minamata Cause: Mercury was in the waste product dumped into Minamata Bay on a
incident:** ** massive scale by a chemical plant.
Location: city of Minamata on the west coast of the southern Japanese
island of Kyushu
Date:1953 -1960
Death(s): 900 people died
Natural Disasters*****
Earthquake** Earthquakes, is measured on the Richter scale. It is measured using a
machine called a seismometer which produces a seismograph.
Cyclone Cyclone is the term used globally to cover tropical weather systems in
which winds equal or exceed air force (minimum of 34 knot, i.e., 62
kmph). A tropical cyclone is another name for a hurricane. The
intensity is described on a scale known as the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Landslides Landslides are simply defined as down slope movement of rock, debris
and/or earth under the influence of gravity.
Flooding Conditions that cause floods include heavy or steady rain for several
hours or days that saturate the ground.
Drought Drought appear when the rainfall is deficient in relation to the
statistical multi-year average for a region, over an extended period of
a season or year, or even more.
Tsunami**** Tsunami, (Japanese: ―harbour wave‖) usually caused by a submarine
earthquake, an underwater landslide, or a volcanic eruption.
Worst Tsunamis in History due to Earthquake:
(1) Indian Ocean Tsunami [Sumatra, Indonesia – 26 December 2004]
(2) North Pacific Coast, Japan – 11 March 2011
ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT ACRONYMS
BOD****** Biochemical Oxygen Demand [Related to Water pollution]
CFCs ** Chlorofluorocarbons
CITES ** Convention for International Trade in Endangered Spaces
CNG Compressed Natural Gas
CO2 Carbon Dioxide
COD**** Chemical Oxygen Demand [Related to Water pollution]
EIA ** Environmental Impact Assessment
GHGs* Green House Gases
GIS** Geographic Information System
ISO International Standard Organization
LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gases
UNCED* United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
SPM**** suspended particulate matter
RSPM*** Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter
MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CPCB Central Pollution Control Board
AQI Air Quality Index
PAN peroxy acetyl nitrate [Secondary air pollutant]
MIC**** Methyl Isocyanate [Related to Bhopal Gas tragedy]
NBA National Biodiversity Authority
ODS ozone depleting substances
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
HWC human-wildlife conflict
PAs protected areas
OTEC Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
IPCC Inter Government Panel on Climate Change
IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT TERMS

Environment**** Surrounding
Lotic**** Flowing water (examples: River, Sea)
Lentic**** Still water (examples: pools, ponds, lakes)
Decibel**** Sound is measured in a unit called the decibel (dB).

ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT DEFINITION
Environment**** Environmental Protection Act (1986) defined ―Environment as the sum
total of water, air and land, their interrelationship among themselves
and with the human beings, other living beings and property.‖
Environmental studies Environmental studies are the scientific study of the environmental
system and the status of its inherent or induced changes on organisms.
Sustainable Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without
development compromising the well-being of future generations.
Ecology***** Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with one another
and with their physical environment.
Population A population is a group of organisms of the same species that live in
the same area at the same time.
Community: A biological community consists of all the populations of different
species that live in a given area.
Ecosystem comprises living organisms (biotic) and their non-living (abiotic)
environment
Biotic components*** include all living organisms present in the environmental system.
Abiotic component*** include non-living environment (soil, water, oxygen etc)
Producers***** The producers are the autotrophic elements—chiefly green plants.
Another word for producers is autotrophs.
Primary consumers:** These are purely herbivorous animals that are dependent for their food
on producers or green plants. Insects, rodents, rabbit, deer, cow,
buffalo, goat are some of the common herbivores
Secondary These are carnivores and omnivores. Carnivores are flesh eating
consumers** animals and the omnivores are the animals that are adapted to
consume herbivores. Examples of secondary consumers are sparrow,
crow, fox, wolves, dogs, cats, snakes, etc.
Tertiary consumers**: These are the top carnivores which prey upon other carnivores,
omnivores and herbivores. Lions, tigers, hawk, vulture, etc. are
considered as tertiary or top consumers.
Decomposers and Decomposers and transformers are the living components of the
transformers** ecosystem and they are fungi and bacteria (Nature's cleaners)
Food chain** a chain of organisms, through which energy is transferred. A food
chain starts with a producer such as plants. All organisms in a food
chain, except the first organism, are consumers.
Grass → grasshopper → bird → hawk

Food web** a network of interconnected food chains.

A food web comprises all the food chains in a single ecosystem.
Ecotone An Ecotone is a transition area between two biomes. It is where two
communities meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may
be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the
transition between forest and grassland ecosystems
Edge effect The edge effect is an ecological concept that describes how there is a
greater diversity of life in the region where the edges two adjacent
ecosystems overlap, such as land/water, or forest/grassland.
Ecological Niche: In ecology, a niche is the match of a species to a specific
environmental condition. It describes how an organism or population
responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in
turn alters those same factors
Ecological succession Ecological succession is the gradual process by which ecosystems
change and develop over time. Nothing remains the same and habitats
are constantly changing
Forest ecosystem A forest ecosystem is a community of organisms that lives within a
forest. A forest ecosystem is not just about the forest environment,
however. It is also about the animals that live in the forest
Deciduous forest it sheds its leaves in winter
Estuaries When freshwater meets seawater.
The primary producers in estuaries include plankton.
Estuaries ecosystems are nursery grounds for many marine fishes.
Renewable Renewable resources can be easily renewed by nature.
resources**** Air, water, wind, solar energy etc are all renewable resources
Non-renewable Those natural resources that are available in limited quantity.
resources**** Therefore they are also known as exhaustible resources.
Examples- coal, natural gas, petroleum, nuclear energy, etc.
Fossil fuel******* Fossil fuels like non-renewable resources.
They are found deep inside the earth.
Example of fossil fuels is coal, petroleum, natural gas etc.
Biogas** Biogas is a type of fuel which is a mixture of gases such as methane,
carbon dioxide, hydrogen etc which is obtained by decomposition of
animal and plant wastes like animal dung
Land degradation Land degradation is defined as the temporary or permanent decline in
the productive capacity of the land,

Soil erosion It is a process in which the top fertile layer of soil is lost
Soil conservation Prevention of soil erosion is also called conservation of soil.
Afforestation** Planting new trees and plants is afforestation.
Van Mahotsav It is an annual tree planting festival started by the Government of India
Desertification** desertification is the process by which an area becomes desert-like.
Causes: Overstocking, overcultivation, and deforestation
Desertification is likely to be due to a combination of drought and
mismanagement of land.
Deforestation** Deforestation means cutting down the trees to a large extent be it
forests, any barren land or trees we see on our way to school every day
Non-conventional Natural resources like wind, tides, solar, biomass, etc generate energy
sources of Energy** which is known as ―Non-conventional resources―.
These are pollution free & renewable source of energy.
Biodiversity***** Biodiversity is the variability among Earth‘s terrestrial, freshwater,
and marine organisms, as well as the ecosystems of which they are
part
Biodiversity Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that
hotspot **** is under threat from humans.
In-situ on site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural
conservation******* populations.
Examples: National parks, Wildlife sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves
Ex-situ preservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural
conservation***** habitats.
Examples: botanical gardens, zoos, seed Bank, and DNA banks.
Pollution Pollution may be defined as addition of undesirable material into the
environment as a result of human activities.
Noise unwanted or offensive sound that unreasonably intrudes into our daily
activities‘.
Decibel** Sound is measured in a unit called the decibel (dB).
The permitted noise level is 125 decibels as per the Environment
Protection Rules 1999.
Hazardous waste** Hazardous waste is most often a by-product of a manufacturing
process - material left after products are made. Some hazardous
wastes come from our homes:
Examples: solvents acid, heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals

Solid waste Solid waste management is a polite term for garbage management.
management
sanitary landfill In a sanitary landfill, garbage is spread out in thin layers, compacted
and covered with clay or plastic foam.
Incineration: The term Incineration means to burn something until nothing is left but
ashes
Climate change Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related
changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time
scales of decades or longer
Global warming**** Global warming, the phenomenon of increasing

average air temperatures near the surface of Earth over the past one to
two centuries
Ozone depletion**** Ozone depletion, gradual thinning of Earth‘s ozone layer in the
upper atmosphere (stratosphere) especially over Antarctica.
Ozone depletion is a major environmental problem because it
increases the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation
which increases the rate of skin cancer.
The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
The Montreal Protocol is considered the most successful international
environmental agreement to control Ozone depletion.
Acid rain**** Acid rain describes any form of precipitation that contains high levels
of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Normal rain is slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.6, while acid
rain generally has a pH between 4.2 and 4.4.
Greenhouse Gases**** Carbon dioxide, Methane,
Nitrous oxide, Ozone , CFCs, Hydrofluorocarbons
water vapour are the most important greenhouse gases.
Richter scale **** It measures seismic waves on a log table. The magnitude of earthquake
of 1 Richter scale could be detected only by seismograph.
Environmental impact EIA is the tool to test the compatibility of environment force taking any
assessment or EIA*** decisions to implement governmental or non-governmental projects
and industries which may have detrimental effects.

ENVIRONMENT RELATED IMPORTANT CONCEPTS:****
The study of environmental components is multidisciplinary in nature, since it includes all
disciplines****
The term sustainable development was coined by a commission headed by
Bruntdlands****
The term ―ecology‖ was coined by combining two Greek words, oikos (house or dwelling place),
and Logos (the study of),****
A.G. Tansley in 1935 proposed the term ―ecosystem‖.****
The producers are the autotrophic elements—chiefly green plants.***
The ultimate source of energy (for most ecosystems) is the sun****
Grasslands covers 25% of the Earth's surface.****
Grasslands are found on every continent except Antarctica. ****
Today, one-third of the world‘s land surface is in the grip of deserts.***
Fresh water ecosystems are characterized as lotic (having flowing water) or lentic (still water).
The word ecology was coined by the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel**
The name of Rabindra Nath Tagore is connected with Vana-mahotsava
The energy flow in ecosystem is One – way***
Ramsar Convention refers to the conservation of Wetlands**
Causes of Land Degradation: (a) Deforestation (b) Overgrazing (c) Agricultural practices
(d) Industrialization (e) Urbanization:**
Control Measures for Land Degradation: Crop Rotation, Strip farming, Contour Farming,
Construction of Dams:
Causes of Soil Erosion, Wind, Water, Overgrazing, Deforestation
Water is the most abundant, inexhaustible renewable resource. It covers Approx 71% of the
globe in the form of oceans, rivers, lakes, etc. Of this 71 %, only 3% is available as freshwater.
From this 3%, roughly 2% is frozen in polar icecaps and only a fraction of the remaining 1% is
used as drinking water******
India has been divided into 10 Biogeographic zones**
Deccan Plateu is India‘s largest Biogeographic region making 42 per cent of the total
geographical area.**
Corals are mainly found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.**
Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas & Indo-Burma Region are three hot spots of India.*****
Jim Corbett National Park is the First national park in India and was established in 1936 to
protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is located in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. ****
Gir Forest National Park is a wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, western India. It was established to
protect Asiatic lions, ****

Kaziranga National Park is a protected area of Assam. Spread across the floodplains of the
Brahmaputra River. It is famous for rhinoceroses.****
The Sundarbans National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve in
West Bengal. Sundarbans National Park is a large coastal mangrove forest, shared by India and
Bangladesh*******
Silent Valley National Park, is a national park in Kerala, India. It is located in the Nilgiri hills.*
Acid rain corrodes the marble monuments like Taj Mahal. This phenomenon is called
as ―Marble cancer‖.**
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are used in refrigerators, air conditioners damage the ozone
layer of the atmosphere.*********
Major source of SPM (suspended particulate matter) are vehicles, power plants, construction
activities, oil refinery, railway yard, market place, industries, etc.******
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and highly toxic gas that is slightly less
dense than air.
Automobiles biggest source**
Carbon dioxide (CO2): Colorless and odorless gas vital to life on Earth. It is heavier than air.**
Ozone (O3): It occurs naturally in the stratosphere**
Sulphur dioxide (SO2): **
It is a toxic gas with a pungent, irritating smell.
It contributes to acid rain
Coal-burning power plants major source
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)**
Produced from burning of fossil fuels
Contributes to acid rain, smog
Automobile engine main source
Biological oxygen demand (BOD), Chemical oxygen demand (COD) are related to Water
pollution.****
Pesticides, fertilizers, organic manure, chemicals, radioactive wastes, discarded food, clothes,
leather goods, plastics, paper, bottles, tins-cans and carcasses- all contribute towards causing
soil pollution.
DDT was one of the first chemicals in widespread use as a pesticide.
Sources of Marine Pollution: Dry docking; Tanker accidents; Deep sea mining
Volcanic eruptions in the sea.
Garbage: many broad categories of garbage are:
Organic waste: kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits.
Toxic waste: old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide

containers, batteries, shoe polish.

Recyclable: paper, glass, metals, plastics.
Hospital waste: such as cloth with blood
The climate system is comprised of five interacting parts,
the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), cryosphere (ice and permafrost), biosphere (living
things), and lithosphere (earth's crust and upper mantle).
The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of
plants and animal species. It extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and
Kashmir****
The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 an Act of the Parliament of India to provide for the
conservation of forests****
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in 1974***
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 is an Act of the Parliament of India to
control and prevent air pollution in India.***
Environment Protection Act was enacted by the Parliament of India in 1986. It extends to the
whole of India.***
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of India for preservation
of biological diversity in India.***
Wetlands are areas that remain waterlogged for a substantial period of the year.***
Smog: (smoke + fog) Fog heavily polluted by smoke is called Smog.***
Aerosols: Solids or liquid matter dispersed into the atmosphere is called aerosols.
Water borne-diseases:
(a) From Bacteria — Cholera, typhoid
Layers of Atmosphere:**********
Troposphere
The troposphere starts at the Earth's surface and extends 8 to 14.5 kilometers high (5 to 9 miles).
This part of the atmosphere is the most dense. Almost all weather is in this region.
Stratosphere
The stratosphere starts just above the troposphere and extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high.
The ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters the solar ultraviolet radiation, is in this layer.
Mesosphere
The mesosphere starts just above the stratosphere and extends to 85 kilometers (53 miles) high.
Meteors burn up in this layer
Thermosphere
The thermosphere starts just above the mesosphere and extends to 600 kilometers (372 miles)
high. Aurora and satellites occur in this layer.

SPM in air is measured by High Volume Sampler ********

Bharat Stage – II is related to Automobile emission *********
The ‗Arabari Model‘ in West Bengal is famous for Joint Forest Management
The Project tiger was launched in India in 1972
Green Peace is N.G.O
The biggest mangrove in India is Sunderbans
Hygrometer is an instrument used to record Relative humidity
The metal responsible for ‗Itai-itai disease‘ is Cadmium
Azotobacter bacteria can fix nitrogen
Free floating aquatic microscopic organisms are known as Plankton
Micronutrients are essential elements needed by life in small quantities. Examples: iron, cobalt,
chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium, zinc, and molybdenum.
Macronutrients are essential elements needed by life in large quantities. Examples: Carbon,
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen , Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur
Lung is affected by silicosis
The activated sludge process is a type of wastewater treatment process for treating sewage or
industrial wastewaters using bacteria and protozoa.
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants (producer) and other organisms to convert light
energy into chemical energy. It is a component in Carbon cycle. Major source of oxizen.
Disease caused by bacteria:********
Diphtheria, Pneumonia, Cholera, Leprosy, Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Plague
Disease caused by virus:*******
Chicken Pox, Small Pox, AIDS, Yellow fever, Influenza, Dengue fever, Rabies
Disease caused by Protozoa*******
Malaria, , Sleeping sickness
Malaria is caused by Protozoa Plasmodium and it is transmitted by Female Anopheles Mosquito.
Dengue is caused by Dengue virus and it is transmitted by the bite of Female Mosquito Aedes
Sand fly‘ is responsible for Kala-azar
33 % percentage of its geographical area of a country should be under forest cover
El Nino results in Hot oceanic wave
Cheetah is not found in India

Control of pest population by natural predators, parasites or pathogens is called
Biological pest control
Chemical, physical or biological agents that cause birth defect are called Teratogen
Confinement of species in a particular area is described as Endemic
Aldrine, Hexachlorobenzene are organo chlorine compound
Copenhagen summit (2009) involved discussion on Carbon emission


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SHEIKH MOHAMMAD IRSHAD (MSCC) MOB- 8294345756

TELEGRAM LINK- t.me/cuhelpsection56

Unit 2: Ecology and Ecosystems 08 - 34

Unit 3: Natural Resources 35 - 55

Unit 4: Biodiversity and Conservation 56 - 77

Unit 5: Environmental Pollution 78 - 109

Unit 6: Environmental Policies and Practices 110 - 125

Unit 7: Human Communities and the Environment 126 - 143

Environment studies for last time revision:

Important dates 144 - 144

Books & authors 144 - 144

International agreement 144 - 144

Environmental movements 145 - 145

Man-made disasters 146 - 146

Natural disasters 146 - 146

important acronyms 147 - 147

Important terms 147 - 147

Important definition 148 - 155

Unit 2: Ecology and Ecosystems

Unit 3: Natural Resources

Unit 4: Biodiversity and Conservation

Unit 6: Environmental Policies and Practices

Unit 7: Human Communities and the Environment

Bhalotia Classes (9883034569): ENVS 2nd Semester/6th Semester

2. Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies;

- 1 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

3. Scope of environmental studies

4. importance/objective of environmental studies

- 2 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

5. Concept of sustainability in environmental studies

6. Sustainable development in environmental studies***

- 3 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

Bhalotia Classes (9883034569): ENVS 2nd Semester/6th Semester

MCQ of 1 Marks & 2 Marks Each

- 4 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

- 5 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

- 6 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

- 7 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

2. Ecology at many scales****

- 8 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

- 9 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

5. Structure of An Ecosystem: ****

- 10 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

6. Abiotic components ****

7. Biotic Components ****

8. Producers (Autotrophic elements): **

10. Decomposers and transformers:**

11. Functional Aspects of an Ecosystem:

12. Function of ecosystem:

- 13 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

13. Energy flow in an ecosystem:

- 14 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

14. Flow of Energy and its Utilisation:

- 15 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

15. Food chains:****

- 16 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

16. food webs:****

- 17 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

17. Basic concept of population and community ecology:

18. Characteristics of a Community:

- 18 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

- 19 – Admission going on for B.com./CPT/CS (Found)/CMA/XI/XII. Call

19. Ecological succession: