CHAPTER – 15

OUR ENVIRONMENT
 Introduction
We have the word
environment often being
used on the television, in
newspapers and by people
around us. Environment (F.
environ – about ) is the
sum total of all external
factors, substances, living
beings, and conditions that
surround an organism and
influence the same without
becoming its part. It consists
of both living and non- living
components, each of which
has several sub-components
which are interlinked and
interdependent on each
other. In this chapter, we
shall be studying how
various factors in the
environment interact with
each other and how we
impact the environment.
 What happens when
we add our waste to
the environment?
Effect of adding waste to
the environment
Human activities produce
a lot of waste materials
which are thrown away
into the environment.
These wastes cause
pollution of air, water
and soil. The waste
materials produced are
of two main types. They
are biodegradable
wastes and non
biodegradable wastes.
Effect of adding waste to the environment :-
Human activities produce a lot of waste materials which
are thrown away into the environment. These wastes
cause pollution of air, water and soil.
The waste materials produced are of two main types.
They
are biodegradable wastes and non biodegradable wastes.
i) Biodegradable wastes :- are wastes which are
decomposed into harmless substances by microorganisms.
Eg :- vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, cotton, jute,
wool, wood, leather, paper, animal dung, animal bones
etc.
ii) Non biodegradable wastes :- are wastes which are not
decomposed by microorganisms.
Eg :- polythene bags, plastics, synthetic fibres, glass,
metals, synthetic rubber, insecticides, pesticides etc.
i)Biodegradable wastes: are
wastes which are
decomposed into harmless
substances by
microorganisms. E. g.
vegetables, fruits, pulses,
cereals, cotton, jute, wool,
wood, leather, paper, animal
dung, animal bones
ii) Non biodegradable
wastes :- are wastes which
are not decomposed by
microorganisms. E. g.
polythene bags, plastics,
synthetic fibres, glass,
metals, synthetic rubber,
insecticides, pesticides
Etc.
Eco-system – What
are its components?
Ecosystem : An ecosystem
consists of all the living organisms
in an area along with the non
living components and their
interaction.
There are different types of
ecosystems.
They are :-
i)Natural ecosystems:-
like forests, deserts, grass lands,
mountains, ponds, lakes, rivers,
oceans etc.
 Ecosystem and its components :-
a) Ecosystem :- An ecosystem consists of all the living organisms in an
area along with the non living components and their interaction.
There are different types of ecosystems. They are :-
i) Natural ecosystems :- like forests, deserts, grass lands, mountains,
ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans etc.
ii) Artificial ecosystems :- like gardens, parks, crop fields, aquarium, zoo etc.
b) Components of an ecosystem :-
An ecosystem consists of two main components. They are biotic and
abiotic components.
i) Biotic components :- are the living components like plants, animals and
microorganisms. They consist of producers, consumers and decomposers.
Producers :- are green plants which produce food by photosynthesis.
Consumers :- are herbivores which get their food directly from plants,
carnivores which get their food indirectly from plants and omnivores which
get their food directly or indirectly from plants.
Decomposers :- are microorganisms which decompose dead plants and
animals. They decompose complex organic substances into simple inorganic
substances in the soil which are again used by plants.
ii) Abiotic components :- are the non living components like air, water, soil,
minerals, sunlight , temperature, wind etc.
ii) Artificial ecosystems :- like
gardens, parks, crop fields,
aquarium, zoo etc.
Components of an ecosystem:
An ecosystem consists of two
main components. They are
biotic and abiotic
components.
i) Biotic components :- are
the living components like
plants, animals
and microorganisms. They
consist of producers,
consumers and decomposers.
Producers :- are green
plants which produce food by
photosynthesis.
 Consumers :- are
herbivores which get their
food directly from plants,
carnivores which get their
food indirectly from plants
and omnivores which get
their food directly or
indirectly from plants.
 Decomposers :- are
microorganisms which
decompose dead plants and
animals. They decompose
complex organic substances
into simple inorganic
substances in the soil which
are again used by plants.
ii) Abiotic components :- are
the non living components
like air, water, soil,
minerals, sunlight ,
temperature, wind etc.
 Food chain :
A food chain is the flow of food
energy from one organism to
the next and to the next and so
on. They usually start with a
producer (plants) and end with
a carnivore. In a food chain an
organism gets food from one
group of organisms.
Eg: Grass Deer Lion
(producer) (1 consumer) (2 consumer)

Grass Insects Frog Snakes

(producer) (1 consumer) (2 consumer) (3 consumer)

Grass Moth Frog Snake Hawk

Food web :
Food web is a
group of several
interconnected
food chains. In a
food web an
organism gets food
from more than
one group of
organisms.
b) Food web :-
Food web is a group of several interconnected food chains. In a food web an
organism gets food from more than one group of organisms.

Trophic levels :-
Each step in a food
chain where transfer of
food energy takes place
is called trophic level.
The first trophic level
consists of producers.
Trophic levels :-
Each step in a food chain where transfer of food energy takes place is called trophic level.
The first trophic level consists of producers.
The second trophic level consists of primary consumers.
The third trophic level consists of secondary consumers.
The fourth trophic level consists of tertiary consumers.
Since the transfer of food energy decreases at every trophic level, the number of trophic
levels are limited and do not exceed four or five.
 The second trophic level
consists of primary
consumers.
 The third trophic level
consists of secondary
consumers.
 The fourth trophic level
consists of tertiary
consumers.
Since the transfer of food
energy decreases at every
trophic level, the number
of trophic levels are
limited and do not
exceed four or five.
Energy flow in trophic levels
Green plants (producers)
absorb about 1% of solar
energy falling on the leaves
and stores it as food energy
during photosynthesis.
During the transfer of food
energy from one trophic
level to the next, 90% of the
energy is lost to the
environment and only 10%
is transferred to the next
trophic level.
So there is a decrease in
the amount of food energy
transferred at every trophic
level by 10%. This is
known as the 10% law.
Energy flow in trophic levels :-
Green plants (producers) absorb about 1% of solar energy falling on the leaves
and stores it as food energy during photosynthesis.
During the transfer of food energy from one trophic level to the next, 90% of the
energy is lost to the environment and only 10% is transferred to the next trophic
level. So there is a decrease in the amount of food energy transferred at every
trophic level by 10%. This is known as the 10% law.
Biological magnification
(Biomagnification)
Harmful chemicals like
insecticides and pesticides which
are used to protect crops from
insects and pests are absorbed
by plants and enter the food
chain. Since these chemicals are
non
biodegradable, they get
accumulated at every
trophic level and their
concentration increases.
Since human beings occupy
the highest trophic level,
the concentration of these
harmful chemicals is
maximum in our bodies.
The increase in
concentration of harmful
chemicals in the bodies of
organisms at higher
trophic levels is called
biological magnification.
Biological magnification (Biomagnification) :-
Harmful chemicals like insecticides and pesticides which are used to protect crops
from insects and pests are absorbed by plants and enter the food chain. Since these
chemicals are non biodegradable, they get accumulated at every trophic level and
their concentration increases. Since human beings occupy the highest trophic level,
the concentration of these harmful chemicals is maximum in our bodies.
The increase in concentration of harmful chemicals in the bodies of organisms at
higher trophic levels is called biological magnification.
How do our activities
affect the environment?
Depletion of ozone layer in
the atmosphere:
Ozone molecule contains
three oxygen atoms (O3). At
higher levels in the
atmosphere the UV radiation
splits some oxygen
molecules (O2) into free
oxygen atoms which
combines
with oxygen molecules (O2)
to form ozone. It is highly
poisonous.
UV radiation

O2 O + O
O2 + O O3
The ozone layer present in
the higher layer of the
atmosphere protects the
earth from the harmful UV
radiation from the sun. UV
radiation causes skin cancer
in humans.
The ozone layer is being
damaged by the use of
chemicals like chloro fluoro
carbons (CFCs) used in
refrigerators and fire
extinguishers. So the use of
CFCs is now being reduced
to protect the ozone layer.
Managing the garbage we
produce :
The household waste is
called garbage. Some of
the garbage is
biodegradable and some
are non biodegradable.
Garbage causes pollution
b) Managing the garbage we produce :-
The household waste is called garbage. Some of the garbage is biodegradable and
some are non biodegradable. Garbage causes pollution of air, water and soil. So it
should be disposed properly.
Some of the methods of garbage disposal are :-
i) Land fills
ii) Recycling
iii) Production of biogas and manure
iv) Preparation of compost
v) Incineration
vi) Sewage treatment
 Land fills Recycling

Production of biogas and manure Preparation of compost

Incinerator
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment

Sewage treatment
Summary
The various components
of an ecosystems are
interdependent.

The produces make the energy

from the sunlight available to
rest of the ecosystem.
 There is a loss of energy
as we go from one tropic
level to the next this
limits the number of
tropic levels in a food
chain.
 Human actvisists have an
impact on the
 The use of chemicals like
CFCs has endangered the
ozone layer.
 The disposal of waste we
generate is causing
serious environmental
problems.