ENVIRONMENT

MANAGEMENT
What is Environment
• Environment is everything that is around us.

• Environment includes the living and nonliving things that an organism

interacts with, or has an effect on it.
• Living elements that an organism interacts with are known as biotic
elements: animals, plants, etc.,
• abiotic elements are non living which include air, water, sunlight etc.
• A person's environment is the events and culture that the person
lived in.
• A person's beliefs and actions depend on his environment.
• The environment is something you are very familiar with.
• It's everything that makes up our surroundings and affects our ability
to live on the earth—the air we breathe, the water that covers most
of the earth's surface, the plants and animals around us, and much
more.
• In recent years, scientists have been carefully examining the ways that
people affect the environment.
• They have found that we are causing air pollution, deforestation, acid
rain, and other problems that are dangerous both to the earth and to
ourselves.
• These days, when you hear people talk about “the environment”,
they are often referring to the overall condition of our planet, or how
healthy it is.
Environmental Management
• Environmental Management offers research and opinions on use and
conservation of natural resources, protection of habitats and control
of hazards, spanning the field of environmental management without
regard to traditional disciplinary boundaries.
• The aim is to improve communication, making ideas and results from
any field available to practitioners from other backgrounds.
Contributions are drawn from biology, botany, chemistry, climatology,
ecology, ecological economics, environmental engineering, fisheries,
environmental law, forest sciences, geosciences, information science,
public affairs, public health, toxicology, zoology and more.
Earth’s Resources and Man:
• The resources on which mankind is dependent are provided by
various sources or ‘spheres’.

• 1) Atmosphere
• Oxygen for human respiration (metabolic requirements).
• Oxygen for wild fauna in natural ecosystems and domestic animals
used by man as food.
• Oxygen as a part of carbon dioxide, used for the growth of plants (in
turn are used by man)
The atmosphere forms a protective shell over the earth. .

The lowest layer, the troposphere, the only part warm enough for
us to survive in, is only 12 kilometers thick. The stratosphere is50
kilometers thick and contains a layer of sulphates which is
important for the formation of rain.

It also contains a layer of ozone, which absorbs ultra-violet light

known to cause cancer and without which, no life could exist on
earth. The atmosphere is not uniformly warmed
by the sun.
• This leads to air flows and variations in climate, temperature and
rainfall in different parts of the earth. It is a complex dynamic system.
If its nature is disrupted it affects all mankind. Most air pollutants
have both global and regional effects.
• Living creatures cannot survive without air even for a span of a few
minutes.
• To continue to support life, air must be kept clean. Major pollutants of
air are created by industrial units that release various gases such as
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and toxic fumes into the air. Air is
also polluted by burning fossil fuels.
• The buildup of carbon dioxide which is known as ‘greenhouse effect’
in the atmosphere is leading to current global warming.
• The growing number of scooters, motorcycles, cars, buses and trucks
which run on fossil fuel (petrol and diesel) is a major cause of air
pollution in cities and along highways.
• Air pollution leads to acute and chronic respiratory diseases such as
various lung infections, asthma and even cancer.
Hydrosphere
• Clean water for drinking (a metabolic requirement for living
processes).
• Water for washing and cooking.
• Water used in agriculture and industry.
• Food resources from the sea, including fish, sea weed, etc.
• Food from fresh water sources, including aquatic plants.
• Water flowing down from mountain ranges harnessed to generate
electricity in hydroelectric projects.
• The hydrosphere covers three quarters of the earth’s surface.
• A major part of the hydrosphere is the marine ecosystem in the
ocean, while only a small part occurs in fresh water.
• Fresh water in rivers, lakes and glaciers, is perpetually being renewed
by a process of evaporation and rainfall.
• Some of this fresh water lies in underground aquifers. Human
activities such as deforestation create serious changes in the
hydrosphere. Once land is denuded of vegetation, the rain erodes the
soil which is washed into the sea.
• Chemicals from industry and sewage find their way into rivers and
into the sea.
• Water pollution thus threatens the health of communities as all our
lives depend on the availability of clean water.
• This once plentiful resource is now becoming rare and expensive due
to pollution.
Lithosphere
• Soil, the basis for agriculture to provide us with food.
• Stone, sand and gravel, used for construction.
• Micronutrients in soil, essential for plant growth.
• Microscopic flora, small soil fauna and fungi in soil, important living
organisms of the lithosphere, which break down plant litter as well as
animal wastes to provide nutrients for plants.
• A large number of minerals on which our industries are based.
• Oil, coal and gas, extracted from underground sources. It provides
power for vehicles, agricultural machinery, industry, and for our homes.
• The lithosphere began as a hot ball of matter which formed the earth about
4.6 billion years ago. About 3.2 billion years ago, the earth cooled down
considerably and a very special event took place - life began on our planet.
• The crust of the earth is 6 or 7 kilometers thick and lies under the continents.
Of the 92 elements in the lithosphere only eight are common constituents of
crustal rocks. Of these constituents, 47% is oxygen, 28% is silicon, 8% is
aluminium, 5% is iron, while sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium
constitute 4% each.
• Together, these elements form about 200 common mineral compounds.
Rocks, when broken down, form soil on which man is dependent for his
agriculture. Their minerals are also the raw material used in various
industries.
Biosphere
• Food, from crops and domestic animals, providing human metabolic
requirements.
• Food, for all forms of life which live as interdependent species in a
community and form food chains in nature on which man is
dependent.
• Energy needs: Biomass fuel wood collected from forests and
plantations, along with other forms of organic matter, used as a
source of energy.
• Timber and other construction materials.
• This is the relatively thin layer on the earth in which life can exist.
• Within it the air, water, rocks and soil and the living creatures, form
structural and functional ecological units, which together can be
considered as one giant global living system, that of our Earth itself.
Natural cycles between the spheres:
• All four spheres are closely inter-linked systems and are dependent on
the integrity of each other. Disturbing one of these spheres in our
environment affects all the others.
• The linkages between them are mainly in the form of cycles. For
instance, the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere are all
connected through the hydrological cycle.
• Water evaporated from the hydrosphere (the seas and freshwater
ecosystems), forms clouds in the atmosphere.
• This becomes rain, which provides moisture for the lithosphere, on
which life depends.
• The rain also acts on rocks as an agent of erosion and over millions of
years has created soil, on which plant life grows.
• Atmospheric movements in the form of wind, break down rocks into soil.
• The most sensitive and complex linkages are those between the
atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the lithosphere on the one hand, with
the millions of living organisms in the biosphere on the other.
• All living organisms which exist on earth live only in the relatively thin
layer of the lithosphere and hydrosphere that is present on the
surface of land and in the water.
• The biosphere which they form has countless associations with
different parts of the three other ‘spheres’.
Natural Resources
• A natural resource is defined as a form of energy and/or matter which is essential for the
functioning of organisms, populations and ecosystems.
• In the case of humans, a natural resource, in his words, refers to any form of energy or matter
essential for the fulfillment of physiological, socio-economic and cultural needs, both at the
individual level and that of the community. Life on our planet earth depends upon a large number
of things and services provided by the nature, which are known as natural resources.
• Water, air, soil, minerals, coal, forests, crops and wild life are all the examples of natural
resources.
Following are some examples of the major natural
resources:
• Forest resources
• Water resources
• Mineral resources
• Food resources
• Energy resources
• Land resources
FOREST RESOURCES
• It is a dense growth of trees, together with other plants, covering a large area of land.
• Forests are one of the most natural resources on this earth. Covering the earth like a green
blanket these forests not only produce innumerable material goods, but also provide several
environmental services which are essential for life.
• About 1/3rd of the world’s land area is forested which includes closed as well as open forests.
• But it is a matter of concern that almost everywhere the cover of the natural forests has declined
over the years.
• The greatest loss occurred in tropical Asia where one third of the forests resources have been
destroyed
USES OF FORESTS: Commercial Uses
• Forests provide us a large number of commercial goods which include timber, firewood,
pulpwood, food items, gum, resins, non-edible oils, rubber, fibers, lac, bamboo canes, fodder,
medicine, drugs and many more items, the total of which is estimated to be more than $ 300
billion per year.
• Half of the timber cut each year is used as fuel for heating and cooking.
• One third of the wood harvest is used for building materials as lumber, plywood and hardwood,
particle board and chipboard.
• One sixth of the wood harvest is converted into pulp and used for paper industry.
• Many forest lands are used for mining, agriculture, grazing, and recreation and for development
of dams.
 Ecological uses
• While a typical tree produces commercial goods worth about $590 it provides
environmental services worth nearly $ 196 to $ 250.The ecological services provided
by our forests may be summed up as follows:

• Production of oxygen : The trees produce oxygen by photosynthesis which is so vital for life on this earth.
They are rightly called as earth’s lungs.
• Reducing global warming : The main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2)is absorbed by the forests as a
raw material.
• Wild life habitat : Forests are the homes of millions of wild animals and plants. About 7 million species are
found in the tropical forests alone.
• Regulation of hydrological cycle : Forested watersheds act like giant sponges, absorbing the rainfall,
slowing down the runoff and slowly releasing the water for recharge of springs. About 50-80% of the
moisture in the air above tropical forests comes from their transpiration which helps in bringing rains.
• Soil Conservation : Forests bind the soil particles tightly in their roots and prevent soil erosion. They also
act as windbreaks.
• Pollution moderators : Forests can absorb many toxic gases and can help in keeping the air pure and clean.
They have also been reported to absorb noise and thus help in preventing air and noise pollution.
 OVER EXPLOITATION OF FORESTS:

• Since time immemorial, humans have depended heavily on forests for food,
medicine, shelter, wood and fuel.
• With growing civilization the demands for raw material like timber, pulp, minerals,
fuel wood etc. shooted up resulting in large scale logging, mining, road-building and
clearing of forests.
• Our forests contribute substantially to the national economy. The international
timber trade alone is worth over US $ 40 billion per year.
• Excessive use of fuel wood and charcoal, expansion of urban, agricultural and
industrial areas and overgrazing have together led to over exploitation of our forests
leading to their rapid degradation.
 DEFORESTAT
ION
• The total forest area of the world in 1900 was estimated to be 7000 million hectares which was reduced
to 2890 million hectares in 1975 and fell down to just 2300 million hectares by 2000.
• Deforestation rate is relatively less intemperate countries, but it is very alarming in tropical countries
where it is as high as 40-50 percent and at the present rate is it estimated that in the next 60years we
would lose more than 90 percent of our tropical forests.
• The forested area in India seems to have stabilized since 1982 with about 0.04%decline annually
between 1982-90. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organizatioin of United Nations) (1983) estimated that
about 1.44 mhectares of land were brought under afforestation during this period leading to
stabilization.
• As per FAO estimates, the deforestation rate per unit population in India is the lowest among the major
tropical countries, despite the fact that we have a huge population size and very low per capita forest
area (0.075 ha per capita). However, we are still far behind the target of achieving 33% forest areas, as
per our National Forest Policy, as we are still having only 19.27% of our land area (63.38m ha) covered
by forests based on satellite data (MoFF, 1998).
 Major causes of Deforestation:
• Shifting cultivation
• There are an estimated 300 million people living as shifting cultivators who practice slash and
burn agriculture and are supported so clear more than 5 lakh ha of forests for shifting cultivation
annually. In India, we have this practice of North-East and to some extent in Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar and M.P. which contribute to nearly half of the forest clearing annually
• Fuel requirements
• Increasing demands for fuel wood by the growing population in India alone has shooted up to
300-500 million tons in 2001 as compared to just 65 million tons during independence, thereby
increasing the pressure on forests
• Raw materials for industrial use
• Wood for making boxes, furniture, railway-sleepers, plywood, match boxes, pulp for paper
industry etc. have exerted tremendous pressure on forests. Plywood is in great demand for
packing tea for Tea industry of Assam while fir tree wood is exploited greatly for packing apples in
J&K
• Development projects
• Massive destruction of forests occur for various development projects like hydroelectric projects,
big dams, road construction, mining etc
• Growing food needs
• In developing countries this is the main reason for deforestation. To meet the demands of rapidly
growing population, agricultural lands and settlements are created permanently by clearing
forests
• Overgrazing
• The poor in the tropics mainly rely on wood as a source of fuel leading to loss of tree cover and
the cleared lands are turned into the grazing lands. Overgrazing by the cattle leads to further
degradation of these lands
Major consequences of deforestation

• It threatens the existence of many wild life species due

to destruction of their natural habitat.
• Biodiversity is lost and along with that genetic diversity
is eroded.
• Hydrological cycle gets affected, thereby influencing
rainfall.
• Problems of soil erosion and loss of soil fertility
increase.
• In hilly areas it often leads to landslides
 Major activities in Forests:
• Timber Extraction:
• Logging for valuable timber, such as teak and Mahogany not only involves a few large trees per hectare
but about a dozen more trees since they are strongly interlocked with each other a by vines etc. Also
road construction for making approach to the trees causes further damage to the forests.
• Mining:
• Mining operations for extracting minerals and fossil fuels like coal often involves vast forest areas.
• Mining from shallow deposits is done by surface mining while that from deep deposits is done by sub-
surface mining.
• More than 80000 ha of land of the country is presently under the stress of mining activities.
• Mining and its associated activities require removal of vegetation along with underlying soil mantle and
overlying rock masses.
• This results in defacing the topography and destruction of the landscape in the area.
• Large scale deforestation has been reported in Mussorie and Dehradun valley due to indiscriminating
mining of various minerals over a length of about 40 Km.
• The forested area has declined at an average rate of 33% and the increase in non-forest area due to
mining activities has resulted in relatively unstable zones leading to landslides.
• Indiscriminate mining in forests of Goa since 1961 has destroyed more than 50000 ha of forest land.
• Coal mining in Jharia, Raniganj and Singrauli areas has caused extensive deforestation in Jharkhand.
• Mining of magnesite and soap –stones have destroyed 14 ha of forest in hill slopes of Khirakot, Kosi
valley,Almora.
• Mining of radioactive minerals in Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka are posing similar threats of
deforestation.
• The rich forests of Western Ghats are also facing the same threat due to mining projects for excavation
of copper, chromite, bauxite and magnetite.
 WATER RESOURCES
• Water is an indispensable natural resource on this earth on which all life depends.
About 97% of the earth’s surface is covered by water and most of the animals and
plants have 60-65% water in their body. Water is characterized by certain unique
features which make it a marvelous resource:

• It exists as a liquid over a wide range of temperature i.e. from 0 to 100 C.

• It has the highest specific heat, due to which it warms up and cools down very slowly without
causing shocks of temperature jerks to the aquatic life.
• It has high latent heat of vaporization. Hence, it takes huge amount energy for getting vaporized.
That’s why it produces a cooling effect as it evaporates.
• It is in an excellent solvent for several nutrients. Thus, it can serve as a very good carrier of
nutrients, including oxygen, which are essential for life. But it can also easily dissolve various
pollutants and become a carrier of pathogenic microorganisms.
• Due to high surface tension and cohesion it can only easily rise through great heights through the
trunk even in the tallest of the trees like Sequoia.
• It has anomalous expansion behaviour i.e. as it freezes; it expands instead of contracting and thus
becomes lighter. It is because of this property that even in extreme cold, the lakes freeze only on
the surface. Being lighter the ice keeps floating, whereas the bottom waters remain at a higher
temperature and therefore, can sustain aquatic organisms even in extreme cold. The water we use
keeps on cycling endlessly through the environment, which we call as Hydrological Cycle.
• We have enormous resources of water on earth amounting to 1404
million km³.
• The water from various moist surfaces evaporates and fall again on
the earth in the form of rain or snow and passes through living
organisms and ultimately returns to oceans.
• Every year about 1.4inch thick layer of water evaporates from the
oceans more than 90% of which returns to the oceans through the
hydrological cycle.
• Solar energy drives the water cycle by evaporating it from various
bodies, which subsequently return through rainfall or snow.
• Plants too play a very vital role by absorbing the groundwater from
the soil and releasing it into the atmosphere by process
of transpiration.
• Global distribution of water resources is quite uneven depending
upon several geographic factors.
• Tropical rain forest areas receive maximum rainfall while the major
world deserts occur in zones of dry, descending air (20-40 N and S)
and receive very little rainfall.
WATER USE AND OVER-EXPLOITATION:
• Due to its unique properties water is of multiple uses for all living
organisms.
• Water is absolutely essential for life.
• Most of the life processes take place in water in water contained in the body.
Uptake of nutrients, their distribution in the body, regulation of temperature,
and removal of wastes are all mediated through water.
• Water use by humans is of two types
• Water withdrawal : taking water from groundwater or surface water resource
and
• Water consumption : the water which is taken up but not returned for reuse.
 Water: A precious Natural Resource:
• Although water is very abundant on this earth, yet it is very precious.
• Out of the total water reserves of the world, about 97% is salty water (marine) and only
3%is fresh water.
• Even this small fraction of fresh water is not available to us most of it is locked up in polar
ice caps and just 0.003% is readily available to us in the form of groundwater and surface
water.
• Overuse of groundwater for drinking, irrigation and domestic purposes has resulted in
rapid depletion of groundwater in various regions leading to lowering of water table and
drying of wells.
• Pollution of many of the groundwater aquifers has made of these wells unfit for
consumption.
• Rivers and streams have long been used for discharging the wastes. Most of the
civilizations have grown and flourished on the banks of rivers, but unfortunately, growth
in turn has been responsible for pollution of the rivers.
Groundwater:
• About 9.86% of the total fresh water resources is in the form
of groundwater and it is about 35-50 times that of surface water
supplies.
• Effects of groundwater usage:
• Susidence
• Lowering of water table
• Water logging
 Surface water:
• The water coming through precipitation (rainfall, snow) when does not percolate down into
the ground or does not return to the atmosphere as evaporation or transpiration loss,
assumes the form of streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands or artificial reservoirs known as surface
water.
• The surface water is largely used for irrigation, industrial use, public water supply, navigation
etc.
• A country’s economy is largely dependent upon its rivers.
• The problems arising out of water resources are floods, droughts.
• Apart from these there are conflicts over water. Indispensability of water and its unequal
distribution has often led to inter-state or international disputes. Issues related to sharing of
river water have been largely affecting our farmers and also shaking our governments. Some
major water conflicts are-
• Water conflict in the Middle East- countries involved as Sudan, Egypt, Turkey- it also affects countries
who are water starved viz. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, Israel and Jordan.
• The Indus Water treaty-is dispute between India and Pakistan,
• The Cauvery water dispute- involves two major southern states of India viz. Tamilnadu, Karnataka

• similarly The Satluj-Yamuna link canal Dispute also involves two Northern states viz. Punjab and
Haryana. Affected states also include UP, Rajasthan as well as Delhi.
• In traditional water management, innovative arrangements ensure equitable distribution of water,
which are democratically implemented. The ‘gram sabhas” approve these plans publicly.
• While water disputes between states and nations often resume battle like situations, our traditional
water managers in villages prove to be quite effective
 BIG DAMS- BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS
• Benefits
• River valley projects with big dams have usually been considered a key role in
the development process due to their multiple uses.
• India has the distinction of having the largest number of river valley projects.
• These dams are often regarded as a symbol of national development.
• There are hopes all over from every corner of the region where such dam is
planned to be constructed.
• Such projects result providing much employment of opportunities, raise in the
standard of living and improvement in quality of life.
• Such projects have tremendous potential for economic upliftment and growth.
• It can check floods and famines, generate electricity and reduce water and
power shortage, provide irrigation water to lower areas, provide drinking water
in remote areas and bring out overall development of the region
 Environmental problems
• The environmental impacts of big dams are also too many due to which very often big dams
become an issue of controversy. The impacts can be at the upstream as well as downstream
levels.
• Upstream problems:
• Displacement of tribal people
• Loss of forests, flora and fauna
• Changes in fisheries and the spawning grounds
• Siltation and sedimentation of reservoirs
• Loss of non-forest land
• Stagnation and water logging near reservoir
• Breeding of vectors and spread of vector-borne diseases
• Reservoir induced seismicity (RIS) causing earthquakes
• Growth of aquatic weeds
• Microclimatic changes
• Downstream impacts:
• Water logging and salinity due to over irrigation
• Micro-climatic changes
• Reduced water flow and silt deposition river
• Flash floods
• Salt water intrusion at river mouth
• Loss of land fertility along the river since the sediments carrying nutrients get deposited in the
reservoir
• Outbreak of vector-borne diseases like malaria Thus dams are built to serve the society with
multiple uses, but it has several serious side-effects. That it why now there is a shift towards
 MINERAL RESOURCES:
• Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline solids having definite
chemical composition and characteristic physical properties.
• There are thousands of minerals occurring in different parts of the world.
However, most of the rocks, we see everyday are just composed of few
common minerals like quartz, feldspar, biotite etc.
• These minerals in turn are composed of some elements like silicon, oxygen,
iron etc.
• Minerals are generally used for development of industrial plants, generation
of energy, construction, equipments and armament for defence, transportation
means, medical system, communication, jewellery- gold, silver etc.
• Environmental impacts of mineral extraction and use are de vegetation and
defacing of landscape, subsidence of land, groundwater contamination, surface
water pollution, air pollution, occupational health hazards etc. Remedial
measures include adoption of eco-friendly technology, microbial leaching
technique, restoration of mined areas by re-vegetating them with appropriate
plant species, stabilization of the mined lands, gradual restoration of flora etc.
FOOD RESOURCES:
• There are thousands of edible plants and animals over the world out of which only about three
dozen types constitute major food of humans.
• The main food resources include wheat, rice, maize, potato, barley, oats etc. about twenty or so
common fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, fish and seafood.
• World food problems:
• Every year food problem is killing as many people as were killed by the atomic bomb dropped on
Hiroshima during World War II.
• This shows that there is drastic need to increase food production, equitably distribute it and also
to control population growth.
• Although India is the third largest producer of staple crops, an estimated 300 million Indians are
still undernourished. India has only half as much land as USA, but it has nearly three times
population to feed.
• Our food problems are directly related to population. Because of
overgrazing the agricultural land gets affected as follows, it results into:
• Land degradation
• Soil erosion
• Loss of useful species
• Agriculture also makes impact on the usage of land generally as follows:
• Deforestation
• Soil Erosion
• Depletion of nutrients
• Impact of modern agriculture is as follows: There is
• Impact related to high yielding varieties (HYV)
• Fertilizers related problems include micronutrient imbalance, nitrite pollution,
eutrophication
• Pesticide related problems include creating resistance in pests and
producing new pests, death of non-target organisms, biological
magnification.
• Some other problems include water logging, salinity problems and such
others.
 ENERGY RESOURCES:
• Energy consumption of a nation is usually considered as an index of its development. This is because
almost all the development activities are directly or indirectly dependent upon energy.
• There are wide disparities in per capita energy use between developed and the developing nations.
• The very original form of energy technology probably was the fire, which produced heat and the early
man used it for cooking and heating purposes.
• Wind and hydropower has also been used. Invention of steam engineers replaced the burning of wood
by coal and coal was further replaced by oil.
• The oil producing have started twisting arms of the developed as well as developing countries by
dictating the prices of oil and other petroleum products.
• Energy resources are primarily divided into two categories viz. renewable and non-renewable sources.
• Renewable energy resources must be preferred over the non-renewable resources. This will seek to
end the energy crisis which the world is facing today. It is inevitable truth that now there is an urgent
need of thinking in terms of alternative sources of energy, which are also termed as non-conventional
energy sources which include: 1.
• solar energy- made up equipments such has solar heat collectors, solar cells, solar cooker, solar water heater,
solar furnace, solar power plants are must.
• Wind energy
• Hydropower, Tidal energy, ocean thermal energy, geothermal energy, biomass, biogas, biofuels etc.
• The non renewable energy sources include coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear energy.
 LAND RESOURCES: Land as a
resource:
• Land is a finite and valuable resource upon which we
depend for our food, fiber and fuel wood, the basic
amenities of life. Soil is also a valuable resource.
 Land Degradation:
• Because of increasing of population growth the demands for arable land for producing food and fuel wood is also
increasing. Hence there is more and more pressure on the limited land resources which are getting degraded due to
over-exploitation. Soil erosion, water logging, salinization and contamination of the soil with industrial wastes like fly-
ash, press mud or heavy metals all cause degradation of land.
• Soil Erosion:
• Soil erosion means wearing away of soil. It defined as the movement of soil components, especially surface-litter and top soil
from one place to another. It results in the loss of fertility. It basically of two types viz, normal erosion go geologic erosion and
accelerated erosion. The agents that cause such erosion are- climatic agents and water induced erosion, biotic agents. Wind is
also responsible for the land erosion through saltation, suspension and surface creep.
• In order to prevent soil erosion and conserve the soil the following conservation practices are employed:
• Conservational till farming.
• Contour farming
• Terracing
• Strip cropping
• Alley cropping
• Wind breaks or shelterbelts
• Water logging
• Landslides:
• Various anthropogenic activities like hydroelectric projects, large dams, reservoirs, construction of roads and railway lines,
construction of buildings, mining etc. are responsible for clearing of large forested areas.
• Desertification:
• Desertification is a process whereby the productive potential of arid or semiarid lands falls by ten percent or more. Desertification
is characterized by de vegetation and loss of vegetal over, depletion of groundwater, salinization and severe soil erosion.
Natural Resources and Associated Problems.
• Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, Timber
extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people
• Water resources: Use and over-utilization of surface and ground
water, floods, drought, conflicts over water, dams-benefits and
problems
• Mineral resources: Usage and exploitation, environmental effects of
extracting and using mineral resources
What is an ecosystem?
• All the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) parts of an
environment as well as the interactions among them
• Ecosystems may be aquatic (water) or terrestrial (land).
• Interactions may include:
- producers (obtain energy by making their own
food; plants -photosynthesis)
- consumers (obtain energy by consuming their
food)
- decomposers ( get energy by breaking down dead
organisms and the wastes of living things); bacteria,
fungi (mold, mushrooms,etc) , some worms, termites,
some beetles, etc.
Abiotic & Biotic Factors

• Abiotic Factors • Biotic Factors

(nonliving) (living)
-Food
-water - shelter - grass
-sunlight - soil - trees
-rocks - nutrients - animals, insects,
-oxygen/air, nitrogen - plants
-temperature/climate
-bacteria, fungi
-space, salinity, pH -http://www.arkive.org/fungi//
(The greatest
amount of energy
is available at the
producer level.)

(With producers and consumers, 90 % of the energy available at each level is

consumed/lost to the environment. Only 10% move up to the next trophic level.
 The sun provides energy
To sustain producers
which are the foundation
of all ecosystems.

Consumers

Only 10% of the energy moves

Produce food through up to the next trophic level.
photosynthesis

http://www.brainpop.com/games/foodchaingame/ “Food Chain Game”

Can you think of a situation where an organism
could be both a primary and secondary
consumer? (not shown on this food web)

1. What are the producers? primary consumers? secondary consumers? tertiary consumer?
2. What organisms are competing for the same abiotic and biotic resources?
Food Web Analysis Use the diagram to respond to each of
the following.

1. Identify the decomposer. What are the

benefits of decomposers?

2. What other decomposers may be in

every ecosystem but are not shown
on this diagram?

3. Identify the primary consumers.

Show what is being consumed.

4. Identify the tertiary consumer for

each food chain. What does this
consumer eat?

5. Is this a terrestrial or aquatic food

web? Explain.

6. What happens when two or more

organisms coexist in the same niche?

7.Draw an overlapping terrestrial/aquatic

Some worms are primary
food chain using at least one of the
consumers and others (in soil)
are decomposers.)
organisms shown on the diagram. Add
an organism not on this food web.
Ecosystem Organization
Organism (single one of species)
Mushrooms Polar Bears Snakes

Coyotes Prairie Dogs Elephants

Communities (many populations)
What communities are present in each of these ecosystems?
Marine (aquatic) Ecosystem Freshwater & Terrestrial Ecosystems

Terrestrial Ecosystem Aquatic (estuary) Ecosystems

Ecosystems make up the biosphere.

Earth is the only planet on which life exists. It consists of three components Lithosphere
(Land), Hydrosphere (Water) and Atmosphere (Air). The life supporting zone of the
earth where atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere meet, interact and make life possible,
is known as biosphere.
 Biodiversity
• A variety of species exist in all ecosystems.

What are examples of biodiversity in our area?

- plant biodiversity
- insect biodiversity
- animal biodiversity
- fungi biodiversity
- bacteria biodiversity
Population Density: measures the number of individual organisms living
in a defined space
High Population Density

China’s Qingdao Huiquan Beach

 Density – Dependent Factors

Competition
- food
- habitat/space
- water
- sunlight
- mating (Concerns relate to genetic mutations, and the number
of
individuals competing for a mate.)

Spread of Disease: Overcrowding increases the possibility of diseases being

spread in a population.

Predation: Overcrowding interferes with the natural predator/prey relationship

in an ecosystem. (Hunting the other ecosystem)

Parasitism: Overcrowding increases the possibility of parasites being spread.

(parasitism is a relationship between species, where one organism,
the parasite, lives on or in another organism, )
Density-independent Factors

• Limiting factors that occur regardless of how large the

population is and reduce the size of all populations in the
area; mostly abiotic

- weather changes
- temperature changes
- human activities (pollution, urban sprawl, etc.)
- natural disasters (volcanoes, fires, etc.)
Urban Sprawl

How may this affect:

• water quality (surface

and ground)
• habitats
• soil quality
• air quality
• noise pollution
Disruptions to Ecosystems: The Human Factor
Disruptions to Physical (nonliving/abiotic)
Components
* Volcanic eruptions * Pollution
* Hurricanes * Clear cutting
* Fires * Floods
* Drought * Nuclear Bomb
* Habitat depletion (human and natural)
- i.e. urban sprawl
How could these events change nutrients,
water, light, salinity, shelter, soil, temperature,
climate, etc. in an ecosystem?
Disruptions to Biological (living/biotic)
Components
* Volcanic eruptions * Pollution (land & water)
* Hurricanes * Urban Sprawl
* Fires * Clear Cutting
* Drought * Introduction of exotic
** Overharvesting (non native) species
* Habitat depletion (human and natural)

How could these events change the biological

(living/biotic) components in an ecosystem?
How may volcanoes disrupt ecosystems?

• Producers?

• Consumers?

• Biotic Factors?

• Abiotic Factors?
Impact of Clear Cutting
What are the impacts on biotic and abiotic factors?
Biodiversity
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
What do you think biodiversity
means?
 Biodiversity
What does “Bio” mean?

Bio =
 Biodiversity

What does “Diversity” mean?

Diversity = Variety
• Biodiversity is the variety of life on
Earth and the essential
interdependence of all living things
Scientists have identified more
than 1.4 million species. Tens of
millions -- remain unknown

•The tremendous variety of life on Earth

is made possible by complex
interactions among all living things
including micro-oganisms.
There are 3 components of
biodiversity
1. Diversity of genes
Chihuahuas, beagles, and rottweilers are all the same
species —but they're not the same because there is
variety in their genes.

Chihuahua Beagle
Rottweilers
 There are 3 components of
biodiversity
2. Diversity of number of species
For example, monkeys, dragonflies, and
meadow beauties are all different species.

Saki Monkey Golden Skimmer Meadow Beauty

 There are 3 components of
biodiversity
3. Variety of ecosystems

Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers are all Freshwater Ecosystems.

Rocky coast, Sand Dune, Estuary, Salt Marsh , Coral Reef

are all Marine Ecosystems.

So what’s an ECOSYSTEM???
What do we get from biodiversity?

Oxygen
Food
Clean Water
Medicine
Aesthetics
Ideas
Should we be concerned about biodiversity?
What we know:
The Earth is losing species at an alarming rate

• Some scientists estimate that as many as 3 species per hour are going
extinct and 20,000 extinctions occur each year.
• when species of plants and animals go extinct, many other species are
affected.
Threats to biodiversity

Habitat destruction
Pollution
Species Introductions
Global Climate Change
Exploitation
 ENDANGERED VS
THREATENED

Threatened: population low but extinction less imminent

Endangered: nos so low that extinction imminent

THE GREATEST THREAT
Objectives and advantages of biodiversity
conservation
• Conservation of biological diversity leads to conservation of essential
ecological diversity to preserve the continuity of food chains.
• The genetic diversity of plants and animals is preserved.
• It ensures the sustainable utilisation of life support systems on earth.
• It provides a vast knowledge of potential use to the scientific
community.
• A reservoir of wild animals and plants is preserved, thus enabling them
to be introduced, if need be, in the surrounding areas.
• Biological diversity provides immediate benefits to the society such as
recreation and tourism.
Ex situ conservation
• Conserving biodiversity outside the areas where they naturally occur
is known as ex situ conservation. Here, animals and plants are reared
or cultivated in areas like zoological or botanical parks.
• Reintroduction of an animal or plant into the habitat from where it
has become extinct is another form of ex situ conservation. For
example, the Gangetic gharial has been reintroduced in the rivers of
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where it had become
extinct.
• Seedbanks, botanical, horticultural and recreational gardens are
important centres for ex situ conservation.
In situ conservation
• Conserving the animals and plants in their natural habitats is known
as in situ conservation. This includes the establishment of
• National parks and sanctuaries
• Biosphere reserves
• Nature reserves
• Reserved and protected forests
• Preservation plots
• Reserved forests
Agrobiodiversity conservation

• After the introduction of cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, sunflower, soyabean and so

on, farmers became victims of monocultures in their greed for money. Therefore
many of the indigenous varieties of crops were lost. Moreover, the hybrid
varieties of fruits and vegetables (e.g. tomatoes), introduced for pulp are more
susceptible to disease and pests. Though hybrid varieties are preferred,
traditional wild varieties of the seeds should be conserved for future use in the
event of an epidemic which would completely wipe out the hybrids.
• Botanical gardens, agricultural departments, seed banks etc., alone should not
be given the responsibility of agrobiodiversity conservation. Every farmer,
gardener an cultivator should be aware of his role in preserving and conserving
agrobiodiversity.
The major causes for biodiversity loss
• Loss of biodiversity occurs when either the habitat essential for the
survival of a species is destroyed, or particular species are destroyed.
The former is more common as habitat destruction is a fallout of
development. The latter reason is encountered when particular
species are exploited for economical gain or hunted for sport or food.
• Extinction of species may also be due to environmental factors like
ecological substitutions, biological factors and pathological causes
which can be caused by nature or man.
Natural causes for the loss of biodiversity
• Natural causes include
• Floods
• earthquakes
• landslides,
• natural competition between species,
• lack of pollination and diseases.
Man-made causes for the loss of biodiversity
• Destruction of habitat in the wake of developmental activities like housing, agriculture, construction of dams,
reservoirs, roads, railway tracks, etc.
• Pollution, a gift of the industrial revolution can be given the pride of place for driving a variety of species in air, water
and land towards extinction.
• Motorcars, air-conditioners and refrigerators, the three symbols of a modern, affluent society, have been instrumental
in global warming and ozone depletion. They have drastically altered the climate with disastrous effects on the
various species. Factories and power stations spewing out poisonous gases and effluents have fouled up the
environment bringing death and disease to many species. Oil spills and discharge of sewage have ravaged the oceans
and coastal habitats.
• A large number of species are threatened by overhunting, poaching and illegal trade.
• Indiscriminate use of toxic chemicals and pesticides and overexploitation of wildlife resources for commercial
purposes are responsible for the rapid decline in the number of some species. The tiger for instance is hunted for its
claws and other parts believed to be effective cures for various ailments of man. Snakes and crocodiles are killed in
large numbers for their skin and minks, sable, ermine, etc., are in demand for the luxury and warmth of their fur.
• Genetic erosion arises from the loss (due to commercial and anthropogenic pressures) of habitats rich in biodiversity
and from the disappearance of the traditional conservation practices of wild species in their habitats by rural and
tribal people.
Projects to save threatended species
• Project Tiger
• Project Tiger was initiated as a Central Sector Scheme in 1973 with 9
tiger reserves located in different habitat types in 9 different states.
There are totally 18 Reserves in 13 states. At present tiger
Conservation has been viewed in India not only as an effort to save an
endangered species but, with equal importance, also as a means of
preserving biotypes of sizeable magnitude
• Crocodile Breeding Project
• The project was started in Orissa and then extended to several other
states in April 1975 with UNDP assistance. The main objective was to
protect the three endangered species of crocodiles namely - Gavialis
gangeticus, Crocodylus palustris and the salt water crocodile,
Crocodylus porosus.
Lesser Cats Project
• The project was launched in 1976
with the assistance of WWF in
India for conservation of four
species of lesser cats e.g. Felis
bengalensis Kerr, Felis marmorta
Martin, Felis lemruinki Vigors
Horsfield and Felis viverrina
Bennet, found in Sikkim and
Northern part of West Bengal.
The Manipur Brow-antlered Deer Project

• This was launched in 1981 in

Manipur to save the brow-
antlered deer (Cerevus eldi eldi)
which is on the verge of
extinction. The habitat includes
35 sq.km. of park and sanctuary.
The population of the deer has
increased from 18 to 27.
Project Elephant
• It was launched in 1991 to
protect the Asiatic elephant
which is also a highly
endangered species because of
large scale poaching.
Project Rhino
• It was launched in 1987 in
Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in
Assam to save the lesser one
horned rhinoceros from
extinction. It covers an area of
430 sq.km. and is the natural of
the dwindling rhino.
Himalayan musk deer project
• This was launched in 1981 to
save the endangered musk deer
which is facing extinction.
Captive breeding has yielded
good results.
1) What is environment ? what actions will you take to protect the Environment.?
2) Explain the Natural Resources available in the Environment
3) Explain Environmental Ecosystem (Any One)
4) What is Biodiversity ? Why we have to conserve the Biodiversity, Explain How we can conserve the biodiversity ?
5) Explain various types of Pollutions and Define the Role of an individual to prevent the pollution.
6) What is Disaster and Disaster Management? Explain any two types of Natural Disasters in detail. And also discuss Preventive
Measures can be taken to minimize the Disaster Effects.
7) India is second in the rank of population in the world. What are the reasons of rapid growth in population and the impact of
same on the environment – Discuss
8) Explain Renewable and Non Renewable sources of energy in detail.
9) Explain any Nuclear Accident with their side effects on society and environment as well.
10) What Problems do you observe in the Urban area related to environment what are your suggestions to solve those problems.
11) Explain Different Spheres of the Environment and discuss the role of Hydrological Cycle.
12) What are the cause and effects of Ozon Layer Depletion.
13) Explain Water Resources and Discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of the DAM.
14) What is environment ? what actions will you take to protect the Environment.?