DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL JAMNAGAR

E-NOTES
Grade: X Subject: Biology
Topic: Chapter 15 (Our Environment) Date: 16.07.2023
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Definitions:
1) Environment means anything that surrounds us.
Components of environment: Biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors
Biotic factors – The living components of the environment such as plants, animals
& Micro organisms
Abiotic factors - The nonliving components of the environment such as water, temperature,
soil and light that influence the composition and growth of an ecosystem.
2) The wastes generated by the various human activities may be biodegradable or non-
biodegradable.
3) Biodegradable substances: Substances that are broken down by living organisms with the
help of enzymes present in the body of decomposers.
4) Non- biodegradable substances – Substances that are not broken down by biological
Processes or living organisms. Examples: Plastic and synthetic pesticides.
They persist in the environment for a long duration and may harm its biotic factors.
5) Ecosystem – An area or place where biotic and abiotic components of environment interect
with each other.
Types of an ecosystem may be natural (like lakes and forests) or artificial (like crop fields
and aquarium).
6) The biotic factors may be classified as producers, consumers and decomposers depending on
their mode of nutrition.
7) Producers- Organisms like plants and blue green algae that produce complex organic
compounds from simple inorganic molecules using energy from sunlight in presence of
chlorophyll.
8) Consumers - Organisms that feed directly or indirectly on producers and cannot synthesize
their own food from inorganic sources.
Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and parasites are the various types of consumers.
9) Decomposers – Organisms that feed on the dead and decaying remains of organisms
and helps in nutrient recycling by breaking down the complex organic materials into simple
inorganic ones.
10) Herbivore - An animal that feeds chiefly on plants.
11) Carnivores – Organisms that mainly feed on the flesh or meat of animals.
12) Omnivore - An animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances.
13) Parasite - An organism that lives on or inside the body of another organism (host), obtaining
nourishment and protection while offering no benefit in return .
14) Food chain – Graphical representation of relationship between who eats whom.
15) Trophic level – Each step or level of the food chain.
16) Food web - Complex network of many interconnected food chains and feeding relationships.
17) Biological magnification – A progressive increase or accumulation in the concentrations of
a harmful non biodegradable substance in successively higher levels of the food chain.
18) Ozone: composed of three oxygen atoms, is a toxic chemical. It is formed by the
combination of free oxygen atom with molecular oxygen.

Ecosystem
All the interacting organisms in an area together with the non-living constituents of
the environment form an ecosystem. E.g., forest, pond etc.
Types of ecosystem: It is of two types:
(a) Natural ecosystem: The ecosystem which exist in nature on its own.
E.g., forest, lake, ocean.
(b) Artificial ecosystem: Man-made ecosystems are called artificial ecosystem.
E.g., crop field, aquarium, garden.
Components of an ecosystem
An ecosystem consists of two main components: biotic components and abiotic components.
(a) Abiotic Components: All the non-living components such as air, water, land, light,
temperature etc. form the abiotic components.
(b) Biotic Components: All the living components such as plants, animals, bacteria, fungi
etc. form the biotic component.
Biotic Components
The biotic components are the living components of an ecosystem. They constitute the food-
obtaining steps or trophic levels of the ecosystem.
First Trophic level  They produce food through the process of photosynthesis
(Green plants/Autotrophs)  These include trees, grass and Cynobacteria
Second Trophic level  They directly eat plants or their products such as leaves,
(Herbivores/ Primary grains, etc. for food or suck plant sap from their leaves
consumers) or stems.
 These include animals such as deer, rabbits, rats, pigeons,
parrots, grasshoppers, bees etc.
Third Trophic level  They capture their prey and eat it.
(Carnivores/  These include tigers, wolves, snakes, lizards, certain birds
Secondary consumers) etc.
Fourth Trophic level  They capture smaller carnivores and eat them.
(Large carnivores/  These include peacock, eagle etc.
Tertiary consumers)
Parasites  They live inside or on the body surface of another
organism, called the host, and obtain their food or
nourishment from the host
 Worms which live in the guts of animals and fleas which
live on the body of animals such as dogs are examples of
parasites
Decomposers/  They breakdown the complex organic compounds
Detritivores present in these dead organisms into simpler substances
 These include certain bacteria and fungi, vultures, kites,
crows, some insects etc
 Abiotic Components
The abiotic components are the non-living components of an ecosystem.
Sunlight  The energy obtained from sunlight is essential for the production of
food by photosynthesis.
Air  Oxygen from the air is essential to animals for respiration.
 Carbon dioxide is useful to plants for photosynthesis.
Water  Water is the chief constituent of protoplasm in cells.
 It is required for various biochemical reactions which occur in
organisms.
Temperature  Temperature affects the distribution of living organisms in the
environment.
 It affects the enzymatic activities in organisms.
Soil  Soil provides the substratum for the growth of plants.
 It contains water and mineral nutrients

On the basis of nutrition biotic components are further divided into:

(a) Producers: All green plants and blue-green algae can produce their own food using
abiotic components (photosynthesis), hence called producers.
(b) Consumers: Include all animals which depend on producers directly or indirectly for
their food. Consumers are further divided into:
(i) Herbivores: Plant eaters e.g., goat, deer.
(ii) Carnivores: Flash eaters e.g., tiger, crocodile.
(iii) Omnivores: Eats both plants and animals e.g., human.
(iv) Parasites: Live on the body of host and take food from it e.g., lice, cuscuta.
(c) Decomposers: Include organisms which decompose the dead plants and animals e.g.,
bacteria, fungi.
 They help in the recycling of nutrients
 keeping environment clean
 Making soil fertile

15.2.1 (Food Chain and Food Web):

Food Chain
 A food chain is a simple representation of transfer of energy from the sun to
different biotic components of an ecosystem
 The sequential process of eating and being eaten is called a food chain
 A food chain represents the unidirectional transfer of energy
Importance of Food Chain
 Food chain maintains a check on the population and a balance in the ecosystem.
 Energy in the form of food is continuously transferred between different food chains.
This helps to maintain the equilibrium in an ecosystem
 Food chains help us to understand the interaction and the interdependence of different
organisms in an area
Different types of food chains:
 Aquatic food chain: Phytoplanktons →Zooplanktons →Small Fish→ Big Fish
 Grassland food chain: Grass →Grasshopper →Frog → Snake
 Terrestrial food chain: Plant → Deer → Lion

Food Web
 A network of interconnecting food chains in a natural community of different
organisms is called a food web
 In any ecosystem, there can be many food chains which are interlinked at various levels.
Thus, many food chains form a network which is called food web

Importance of Food Web

 Food webs permit alternative foods.
 They ensure a better chance of survival for an organism if any of its food sources is
scarce.

 Sun is the ultimate source of energy. Green plants convert solar energy into chemical
energy during photosynthesis. When an animal takes food, this energy is supplied to the
animal and the process goes on.
 Producers always occupy the first level of food chain.
 Each step or level in the food chain is called a trophic level.
 A simple food chain can be shown as follows:
Producer → Primary Consumer → Secondary Consumer → Tertiary Consumer
Balance in the Ecosystem:
 There is a delicate balance in an ecosystem; as far as number of organisms at a
particular trophic level is concerned. An increase or decrease in population of any
organism can disturb this balance.
 Let us take a hypothetical example to understand this.
Food chain: Grass ----Deer-----Lion
(A) If all the deer are killed in a jungle, the lions would be left with no food. This would
endanger the existence of lions (Due to Starvation). Once the lions and deer would be
finished, it would result in population explosion of green plants. Causes ecological
imbalance.
(B) If all the lions die in a jungle, it would create another problem. Since no lion would be
left to kill the deer, the population of deer would increase substantially. This will
finish off all the green plants and finally even the deer would be left with no food
for them. Causes ecological imbalance.
(C) If all grass (Plants: producer) is removed their will be no flow of energy in any
ecosystem as plants are the only one which can convert the radiant energy of the Sun
into the chemical energy of food for the utilization of living organisms. Causes
ecological imbalance.

Transfer of Energy through a food chain:

 Each step in the food chain is called trophic level.

 In all ecosystems, energy enters the system as sunlight.
 Solar energy is transformed into chemical energy by producers during the process of
photosynthesis, and is stored in plant tissue and then utilized for various metabolic
activities and growth.
 Producers trap about 1% of the sun's energy in photosynthesis. This energy then passes
on to the other consumers like herbivores, carnivores and omnivores.
 Large amount of energy is lost as heat at each trophic level. As the energy passed
progressively through the various trophic levels, Energy decreases
 Out of the energy consumed by an organism at a particular trophic level, 90% is utilized
for its own need and rest 10% is left for the organism to pass to the next trophic level.
So, very little energy is left for the organism which is at the tertiary level. That’s why,
in nature food chains of only 4-5 trophic level are found as after that very les energy
is left which is not sufficient for survival of organisms
 Energy flows through an ecosystem is in a linear, unidirectional manner. - As the energy
moves progressively through the various trophic levels, it is no longer available to the
previous level
 Let us assume that a green plant makes 100% energy in the form of chemical energy.
90% of this energy would be utilized for its own purpose. This would leave just 10%
energy for the primary consumer. Now, primary consumer shall also utilize 90% of
energy which was consumed by it. This would leave just 1% energy for (10% of 10 = 1)
for the secondary consumer. By this logic, the tertiary consumer would get just 0.1% of
energy which was originally made by the green plant
 This explains why the population of producers is always the largest in an ecosystem
and they have maximum amount of energy in them followed by the population of
herbivores and then that of carnivores. Moreover, an herbivore needs to eat many
plants in its lifetime to fulfill its energy need. Similarly, a carnivore needs to eat many
herbivores in its lifetime

BIOLOGICAL MAGNIFICATION:
 The process by which the harmful and toxic substances (Non-biodegradable) enter the
food chain and get concentrated in the body of living organisms at each successive level
in food chain is called biological magnification
 By this process the harmful & toxic substances increases in the tissues of organisms at
higher levels in a food chain.
 0rganisms occupying the higher/Top trophic levels(tertiary consumers) have maximum
amount of chemicals in their body and First trophic level(Producers) has minimum amount
of chemicals in their body.
 Example : In the food chain,
Grass ----> Grasshopper ----> Frog ----> Snake ---->Peacock
Since peacock occurs at the highest trophic level (Tertiary consumer), therefore,
peacock will have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in its body and grass
(Producers) have minimum.
 As humans occupy top of the food chain, are at a greater risk of damage due to
biomagnification.
 These substances are taken up by the organisms through the food they consume. When
the organisms in the higher food chain feed on the organisms in the lower food chain
containing these toxins, these toxins get accumulated in the higher organisms.
 The agricultural pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers and fungicides are very toxic and
are released into the soil, rivers, lakes, and seas. These substances contain small
amounts of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, copper, lead and cadmium. These
cause health issues in aquatic organisms and humans
 The level of toxicity is increased. These toxic substances are absorbed by the aquatic
organisms higher in the food chain
 It tend to have a higher risk of developing certain:-Cancers ,Liver failure, Birth defects
, Brain damage ,heart disease
 The toxins responsible for these health problems include:- Mercury ,Lead ,Chromium ,
Cobalt , DDT
5.3.1 (Ozone Layer and how it is getting depleted)
Ozone:
 It is a molecule formed by three atoms of oxygen.
 It is an deadly poison but in upper atmosphere it forms layer known as ozone layer which
performs a very important function.

Ozone Layer:
“The ozone layer is a region in the earth’s stratosphere that contains high concentrations
of ozone (O3) and protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiations of the sun.”
Where is Ozone Layer located?
The ozone layer is found in the upper portion of the earth’s atmosphere (Near stratosphere).
Functions of Ozone layer:
 This layer has the potential to absorb around 97-99% of the harmful ultraviolet
radiations coming from the sun that can damage life on earth.
 It performs a very important function of protecting us from harmful Ultra violet
radiations from the Sun. These radiations can cause eye infections & skin cancers.
 When ultraviolet radiations act on oxygen, the oxygen gets converted into ozone by
series of reactions.

Ozone Layer Depletion

“Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer in the upper
atmosphere caused due to release of chemical compounds containing gaseous bromine or
chlorine from industries or other human activities.”
Causes of Ozone depletion:
The main reasons for the ozone hole are chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride.
What will happen if Ozone layer is destroyed?
 The atmospheric ozone layer prevents the entry of solar ultraviolet rays and thus
protects all organisms on Earth
 Use of chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons has greatly depleted the atmospheric ozone
layer, which could endanger the environment.
 If the ozone layer was absent, millions of people would develop skin diseases and
weakened immune systems.
  Scientists have discovered a hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. This has
focused their concern on various environmental issues and steps to control them.

Effect of CFCs:
 Use of CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbon) has damaged the ozone layer.
 As a result, the ozone layer has become thinner at certain parts.
 In 1987, the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) succeeded in forging an
agreement among different nations to freeze the CFC production at 1986 level.
Later, an agreement was signed among different nations to phase out CFCs. It is
important to note that CFC is used in refrigerators and aerosol spray. India is also a
signatory of that agreement and thanks to the efforts by the United Nations and
different environmentalists, the CFC emission has been put under some control.

Biodegradable Wastes:
• They can be broken down into non- poisonous substances by the action of microorganisms.
• They change their form and structure over time and become harmless.
• They do not pollute the environment.
• Examples: Spoilt food, vegetable peels, paper, leather etc.

Non-biodegradable Wastes:
• They cannot be broken down into harmless substances by any biological processes as
living organisms are not having any enzymes to break them.
• They remain unchanged over a long period of time (persistent)
• They continue to pollute the environment.
Examples: Glass bottles, metal cans, polythene bags, synthetic fibres etc

Management or Disposal of Wastes

 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.
 Disposal of waste means to get rid of waste.
 Recycling
 Solid wastes such as paper, plastic and metals can be sent to paper mills, plastic
processing factories and metal industries respectively.
 They can be recycled and used again.
Composting
 Household garbage such as fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, waste food, tea leaves
as well as farmland wastes such as dried leaves, husk and parts of crop plants from
fields after harvesting can all be converted into useful compost by rotting.
 The use of compost improves the fertility of soil as it provides nutrients to the soil.
Incineration
 Hazardous bio-medical wastes such as discarded medicines, toxic drugs, human
anatomical wastes, blood and pus, microbiological and biotechnological wastes are
usually disposed of by incineration by burning at very high temperatures.
 Electricity can be generated from the heat released during burning.
Landfills
 Large-scale disposal of solid waste can be done by putting it in low areas of the ground and
then covering it with Earth.

Sewage Treatment
 Waste water or sewage from houses, offices and hospitals enters a channel of
pipelines which finally reach the wastewater treatment plant.
 Physical, biological and chemical processes are carried out for the treatment of sewage.

Role of an Individual in Management of Waste

In order to save our environment and maintain ecological balance in nature, the 3 R’s
approach should be implemented while using resources (3R’s - reduce, reuse and recycle).

Reduce
• We have to reduce the excess use of resources, when not required, in order to
avoid their wastage.

Reuse
• We have to use the same resources again and again so that the demand for
new resources is reduced and it will also conserve the resources.

Recycle
• We have to recycle the used resources rather than throwing them away.
Points to remember:
 Flow of energy between the various trophic levels and it is unidirectional and cannot be
utilized by the previous trophic levels
 Producers convert solar energy into chemical energy of food, which is then utilized by the
consumers and decomposers
 About 1% of solar energy falling on leaves is utilized by plants in photosynthesis to produce
Food
 A large amount of energy loss occurs when the organisms of the higher trophic level feeds
on the lower trophic level organisms
 There is only 10% flow of energy from one trophic level to the next higher level. Due to
this energy loss, only 4 or 5 trophic levels are present in each food chain
 The number of individuals in a trophic level decreases as we go up the food chain
 Food webs, consisting of several interconnected food chains, are more common in nature.
 Human activities can cause several environmental problems like ozone layer depletion and
waste disposal
 The disposal of large amounts of garbage produced in any human settlement, especially in
cities and towns is causing major environmental problems.

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