Environmental Science - CHY1002 Module-1: Environment and Ecosystem
Environmental Science - CHY1002 Module-1: Environment and Ecosystem
Environmental Science - CHY1002 Module-1: Environment and Ecosystem
Reference: Benny Joseph; Kaushik and Kaushik; S. Kannappan and Erach Bharucha,
Google, wikipedia
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Our lives and economies depend on Sun’s energy and on the natural resources and
services (natural capital) provided by the Earth.
It means living off the Earth’s natural income without consuming or degrading
the natural capital that supplies it.
2. Why do we have environmental problems?
Due to excessive population growth and its associated pollution and poverty
issues.
Wasteful/unsustainable use of Earth’s resources.
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• Biological species adapt to their surrounding physical and chemical
structure of earth
• Interaction between biological species and their environment
• Interacting with themselves as well as with non-living (sand, water etc) things.
• What are the interactions and why do they need these interactions?
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What are the interactions?
Take a grassland region in Africa where we find Lions
• How are lions surviving in grasslands? – They do not eat Grass!!
and
• Reproduction and population regulations
• And various adaptations to the abiotic components.
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Why are these interactions needed?
• Through these interactions nature exists for ever.
• Do all animals need to interact with each and every other animal and every non-
living thing?
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What is ecosystem?
• “An ecosystem is the smallest self-sustaining natural unit
consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms (biotic
factors) in an area functioning together with all of the non-
living physical and chemical (abiotic) factors of the
environment.
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Examples for ecosystems
• Those on land:
• Grasslands
• Forests
• Desserts
• Those in water
• River
• Pond, lake
• Ocean
• Estuary
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Biomes
• A biome is a large area with similar flora, fauna and micro-
organisms and similar non-living components
Examples
• Mountains
• Tundras
• Rainforests
• Deserts
• Grasslands
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Structure of Ecosystem
It has an orderly structure and definite functions.
• Biotic components are biological species and abiotic components are non-living
physical and chemical components with which biotic species interact.
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