ENVIRONMENTAL

BIOLOGY

Gerl D., Streharski M., Urek L., Milić S. January, 2023

  the external environment includes all biotic (living) and abiotic
(non-living) things
 they are as follows: air, land, water

External
Environment
Components
 the Earth’s crust is the solid surface of the Earth and is also referred to as the lithosphere
 the lithosphere is part of the environment
Water (hydrosphere) is
one of the main part of
the environment

It covers about 71% of

the Earth’s surface

It is found in oceans,
rivers, seas, and lakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzYjPpxP-Cw
Water in built
environments is  Dams are designed to keep water and change its direction. Even though
affected by humans in dams are useful in generating electricity, they have a negative impact on
natural environments by stopping the movement of fish and organisms
various ways such as through rivers and streams.
deforestation,
urbanization, building
dams, and many other
things.
  the atmosphere is composed
The atmosphere is the main
of different gases such
factor in maintaining the
as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon
balance of an ecosystem
dioxide, argon, and inert
gases
The atmosphere is
composed of a thin layer of
gases that covers the Earth

 one of the atmosphere layers is the ozone which reduces the

intensity of ultraviolet rays reaching the Earth’s surface
 ultraviolet radiation damages the DNA of living organisms
 the atmosphere as a component of the environment is important
for the survival of living organisms including humans, and for
maintaining the environmental balance by preventing
temperature extremes
  global warming is one of the major challenges affecting our
environment nowadays
 it refers to the recent increase in the Earth’s average atmospheric
temperature due to an increase in the levels of greenhouse gas
(carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and fluorocarbon)

Global
warming -These gases keep the heat
within the atmosphere.
Because of that, the Earth’s
surface temperature became
warmer. Global warming is
said to increase the average
temperature of the Earth’s
surface that is enough to
cause climatic change.
  the ecosystem is the external
enviroment in which all organisms
function together along with non
living things in the enviroment
Ecological role
 living organisms (biotic factors)
form complex relationships with
abiotic factors to support their
development and survival
 Energy flow
• energy flows between biotic and abiotic parts of the enviroment in
cycles

 the energy from the Sun (light energy) flows from producers to
consumers to decomposers and is converted into chemical energy
that drives metabolic activities in living organisms

 at the end it is transformed into heat and released into the

enviroment
  biogeochemical cycles are cycles that are essential for the
functioning of different enviroments
 an example is the carbon cycle – its function is to maintain the
balance of oxygen and carbon on Earth
 in the water cycle, although water moves through different parts
of the Earth and in different forms, its balance remains constant
over time
Biogeochemical
cycles
  the enviroment is facing many challenges due to human
technologies
 enviromentalism is a social movement that aims to minimize the
harmful effect of humans on the enviroment
 it is mainly concered with issues such as the extinction of species,
change in climate, loss of old forests and pollution

Challenges
• wildlife is a part of enviroment that has not been affected
or modified by people

 wilderness areas are used to protect animal species from

extinction, as well as ecological studies and recreation

 unfortunately, there are fewer wilderness areas each day,

so the goal of enviromentalism is to conserve and protect
them
• it is important to maintain biodeversity in the enviroment an the ideal help in
accomplishing that is sustainable and conserved use of natural resources
(water, land, energy)

• it is higly encouraged to use renewable energy instead of using fossil fuels, all
in order to decrease pollution, mnimaze global warming and ensure
sustainability
Source  https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/environment