Sem I (My Notes)
Sem I (My Notes)
Sem I (My Notes)
Components of Environment:
1. Atmosphere: The layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. It includes the air we
breathe and plays a critical role in climate and weather.
2. Hydrosphere: All the Earth's water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and
groundwater. Water is essential for life and is involved in various environmental
processes.
3. Lithosphere: The Earth's solid outer layer, including the land, soil, and minerals.
It provides habitat for many organisms and resources for human activities.
4. Biosphere: This is where all life on Earth exists, including plants, animals, and
microorganisms. It interacts with the other three components, and all living
organisms depend on these interactions for survival.
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Concept of Sustainability and Sustainable Development:
• Sustainability: This concept revolves around the idea of meeting the needs of
the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. It involves balancing economic, social, and
environmental factors.
• Sustainable Development: It's a broader approach to achieving sustainability.
Sustainable development seeks to improve the quality of life for all while
preserving natural resources and protecting the environment. It involves
economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection.
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Unit 2
Ecosystems
3. Functions of Ecosystem:
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4. Concepts of Productivity, Ecological Pyramids, and
Homeostasis:
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7. Ecosystem Services (Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural,
Supporting):
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Unit 3
Natural Resources
Land Resources:
• Minerals: These are naturally occurring substances found in the Earth's crust,
used for various industrial and economic purposes.
• Soil: The top layer of the Earth's surface, vital for agriculture and plant growth.
• Agricultural Crops: Plants cultivated for food, fiber, and other uses.
• Soil Erosion and Desertification: Soil erosion is the removal of the topsoil
layer, often due to human activities. Desertification is the process of land
becoming desert due to various factors like drought and deforestation.
• Causes of Deforestation: Deforestation is driven by logging, agriculture
expansion, infrastructure development, and human settlement.
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Water Resources:
• Natural and Man-Made Sources: Natural sources include rivers, lakes, and
groundwater. Man-made sources include reservoirs and canals.
• Uses of Water: Water is used for drinking, irrigation, industrial processes, and
recreation.
• Over-Exploitation of Surface and Groundwater Resources: Excessive
withdrawal of water can lead to depletion and aquifer damage.
• Floods and Droughts: Natural disasters caused by excessive rainfall (floods) or
prolonged lack of rain (droughts).
• International & Interstate Conflicts Over Water: Disputes between countries
or states over the sharing of water resources, such as rivers and lakes.
Energy Resources:
Case Studies:
• National Solar Mission: India's initiative to promote solar energy and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
• Cauvery River Water Conflict: A long-standing dispute between the Indian
states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the sharing of the Cauvery River's
waters.
• Sardar Sarovar Dam: A large dam on the Narmada River that has been
controversial due to its impacts on local communities and the environment.
• Chipko Movement: An environmental movement in India focused on the
conservation of forests.
• Appiko Movement: A similar movement to the Chipko Movement,
emphasizing the conservation of the Western Ghats.
• Tarun Bharat Sangh: An organization working on water conservation in
Rajasthan, India.
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Unit 4
Environmental Pollution
• Causes: Pollution results from the release of harmful substances into the
environment. Causes include industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, agricultural
runoff, and improper waste disposal.
• Effects: Pollution can lead to a wide range of negative effects, including
respiratory diseases from air pollution, waterborne diseases from contaminated
water, soil degradation, climate change (thermal pollution), and health
problems due to noise pollution.
• Controls: Pollution control measures involve reducing emissions, improving
waste management, setting regulations and standards, and promoting cleaner
technologies. These measures aim to mitigate the impact of pollution.
• Primary and Secondary Air Pollutants: Primary pollutants are directly emitted
into the atmosphere, such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) from industrial processes.
Secondary pollutants form in the atmosphere through chemical reactions, like
ground-level ozone.
• Air and Water Quality Standards: Governments and international
organizations establish standards to regulate the permissible levels of
pollutants in the air and water to protect human health and the environment.
• Nuclear hazards include the risk of accidents at nuclear power plants, nuclear
weapons testing, and improper disposal of radioactive waste.
• Human health risks from nuclear hazards involve exposure to ionizing
radiation, which can cause cancer, genetic mutations, and other health
problems. High-profile incidents like the Chernobyl disaster and Fukushima
nuclear accident have raised concerns about nuclear safety.
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Solid Waste Management:
• Control Measures for Various Types of Waste: This includes methods for the
proper handling, storage, and disposal of urban waste, industrial waste,
hazardous waste (potentially harmful to human health or the environment), and
e-waste (electronic waste).
• Waste Segregation and Disposal: Effective waste management involves
segregating waste into categories (e.g., recyclables, organic waste, hazardous
materials) and adopting appropriate disposal methods such as recycling,
composting, incineration, or landfilling.
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