Unit 1 (Part-1)

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Lecture 1

Unit 1 – Introduction
• Environmental studies – importance and scope,
multidisciplinary nature; Concept of sustainability and
sustainable development
• Ecosystems – Concept, structure and function; Pond
ecosystem, forest ecosystem; Food chain, food webs;
Concept of ecological succession
• Bio- geographical zones of India; Levels of biological
diversity- Genetic, species and ecosystem; Biodiversity
Hotspots with special reference to India; Threats to
biodiversity
• Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ;
Endangered and endemic species – Concept;
Afforestation – Social forestry, Agroforestry, green belt
Environmental studies:
Environment is derived from the French word Environner,
which mean encircle or surrounding. Environment is a
complex of many variables, which surrounds man as well as
the living organisms. Environmental studies describe the
interrelationships among organisms, the environment and all
the factors, which influence life on earth, including
atmospheric conditions, food chains, the water cycle, etc. It is
a basic science about our earth and its daily activities, and
therefore, this science is important for one and all.

Multidisciplinary nature of Environmental Science:


Since, the environment is complex and actually made up of
many different environments, including natural, constructed
and cultural environments, environmental studies is the
interdisciplinary examination of how biology, geology,
politics, policy, studies, law, religion, engineering, chemistry
and economics combine to inform the consideration of
humanity’s effects on the natural world.
It is essentially a multi-disciplinary approach and its
components include Biology, Geology, Chemistry, Physics,
Engineering, Sociology, Medical Sciences, Anthropology,
Economics, Statistics, Philosophy etc. Role of different
branches can be summarized as:
• Physics: To understand the change of material and
energy interaction and to make mathematical models of
environment.
• Chemistry: To understand the molecular interactions in
the system.
• Biology: To describe the effects within the plant and
animal kingdom and their diversity.
• Atmospheric Science: To examine the phenomenology
of the Earth’s gaseous outer layer. It comprises
meteorological studies, greenhouse effect, airborne
contaminants, sound propagation phenomena related to
noise pollution, and even, light pollution.
• Ecology: To analyse the dynamics among an interrelated
set of populations, or a population and some aspects of
its environment. These studies could be on endangered
species, predator interactions, effects upon populations
by environmental contaminants etc.
• Environmental Chemistry: To study the chemical
alterations in the environment. Principal areas of study
include soil contamination and water pollution. The
topics of analysis involve chemical degradation in the
environment, multi-phase transport of chemicals and
chemical effects upon biota.
• Geo-science: It includes environmental geology,
environmental soil science, volcanic phenomena and
evolution of the earth’s crust.
• Mathematics and Computer Science: Used in
environmental modelling and analysis of environment
related data.
• Economics: It deals with economical aspects of various
components of environment.
• Law: It helps in framing of environment related laws,
acts, rules and their monitoring.
• Social Science: It helps in dealing with population and
health related issues.

Scope of Environmental studies:


Environmental studies discipline has multiple and multilevel
scopes. This study is important and necessary not only for
children but also for everyone. The scopes are summarized as
follows:
1. The study creates awareness among the people to know
about various renewable and non-renewable resources of the
region.
2. It provides the knowledge about ecological systems and
cause and effect relationships.
3. It provides necessary information about biodiversity
richness and the potential dangers to the species of plants,
animals and microorganisms in the environment.
4. The study enables one to understand the causes and
consequences due to natural and main induced disasters
(flood, earthquake, landslide, cyclones etc.,) and pollutions
and measures to minimize the effects.
5. It enables one to evaluate alternative responses to
environmental issues before deciding an alternative course of
action.
6. The study enables environmentally literate citizens (by
knowing the environmental acts, rights, rules, legislations,
etc.) to make appropriate judgments and decisions for the
protection and improvement of the earth.
7. The study exposes the problems of over population,
health, hygiene, etc. and the role of arts, science and
technology in eliminating/ minimizing the evils from the
society.
8. The study tries to identify and develop appropriate and
indigenous eco-friendly skills and technologies to various
environmental issues.
9. It teaches the citizens the need for sustainable utilization
of resources as these resources are inherited from our
ancestors to the younger generation without deteriorating
their quality.
10. The study enables theoretical knowledge into practice
and the multiple uses of environment.

Importance of Environmental studies:


Environmental study is based upon a comprehensive view of
various environmental systems. It aims to make the citizens
competent to do scientific work and to find out practical
solutions to current environmental problems. The citizens
acquire the ability to analyse the environmental parameters
like the aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric systems and their
interactions with the biosphere and Anthro sphere. The
following includes;
1. World population is increasing at an alarming rate
especially in developing countries.
2. The natural resources endowment in the earth is
limited.
3. The methods and techniques of exploiting natural
resources are advanced.
4. The resources are over-exploited and there is no
foresight of leaving the resources to the future
generations.
5. The unplanned exploitation of natural resources leads to
pollution of all types and at all levels.
6. The pollution and degraded environment seriously affect
the health of all living things on earth including man.
7. The people should take a combined responsibility for the
deteriorating environment and begin to take appropriate
actions to space the earth.
8. Education and training are needed to save the
biodiversity and species extinction.
9. The urban area, coupled with industries, is major
sources of pollution.

Concept of Sustainability and sustainable development:


Sustainability is derived from the Latin word sustinere i.e., to
hold and sustain. Sustain is to maintain. It is related to the
quality of life in a community – whether the economic, social
and environmental systems that make up the community are
providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all
community residents, present and future.
Sustainability can be defined as the practice of maintaining
processes of productivity (natural or human made)
indefinitely by replacing resources used with resources of
equal or greater value without degrading or endangering
natural biotic systems.
Sustainable development:
The concept of sustainable development has two related
concepts, i.e., the right to develop and the need to sustain
the environment, which need to be balanced for achieving
future development in a sustainable manner. It is the practice
of developing land and construction projects in a manner that
reduces their impact on the environment by creating energy
efficient models. This can take the form of installing solar
panels or wind generators on factory sites, using geothermal
heating techniques or even participating in cap-and-trade
agreements. The biggest criticism of sustainable development
is that it does not do enough to conserve the environment in
the present and is based on the belief that the harm done in
one area of the world can be counter balanced by creating
environmental protections in the other. According to
Brundtland Commission in its 1987 report “Our Common
Future”. Sustainable development has three goals: to
minimize the depletion of natural resources, to promote
development without causing harm to the environment and
to make use of environmentally friendly practices. So, to
achieve true sustainability we need to balance economic,
social and environmental sustainability factors in equal
harmony. These may be defined as:
Environmental Sustainability: The environment supports our
life system. The human behaviour impacts the environment
and we either nurture or mistreat it. The harsh fact is that
humans continue to consume natural resources at a
destructive pace. To live in true environmental sustainability,
we need to ensure that we are consuming our natural
resources, such as materials, energy fuels, land, water etc., at
a sustainable rate. Presently, the exhaustible resources are
over utilized rapidly. The speed of exploitation of renewable
resources is faster than their regenerative capacity. This
results in problem for present as well as future generations.
Economic Sustainability: Economic sustainability requires
that a business or country uses its resources efficiently and
responsibly so that it can operate in a sustainable manner to
consistently produce an operational profit. An economically
sustainable system must also be able to produce goods and
services on a continuing basis, to maintain manageable levels
of government and external debt, and to avoid extreme
sectoral imbalances which damage agricultural or industrial
production.
Social Sustainability: A socially sustainable system must
achieve fairness in distribution and opportunity, adequate
provision of social services including health and education,
gender equity, and political accountability and participation.
Achieving social sustainability ensures that the social well-
being of a country, an organisation, or a community can be
maintained in the long term.
Causes of Unsustainability:
The causes of unsustainability are:
• Population explosion and discrepancy in population and
distribution of natural resources.
• Higher per capita environmental demand and excessive
demand of natural resources like oil, coal, wood etc. and
reduction in biodiversity.
• Political and economic mismanagement and greedy
desire to exploit nature.

Essential Conditions for Achieving Sustainable


Development:
The essential requirements of facilitating overall sustainable
development are:
• The human needs should not be beyond the capacity of
environment to support it.
• Reduce poverty and ensure equality of opportunity and
equitable distribution of assets. Invest in health and
education.
• Participation of indigenous communities, women, tribes
etc. in development process.
• Effective waste management and pollution control and
access to clean energy produced in a sustainable
manner.
• Preserve marine life from ill effects of pollution and
climate change. Resilience to natural disasters and
control use of hazardous materials.

Symptoms of Unsustainability:
The symptoms of unsustainability are:
• Ecological Symptom: Depletion of ozone layer, global
warming, acid rain, extinction of species and declining
forest cover etc.
• Economic Symptom: Economic tension, intra-
generational and inter-generational inequities.
• Social Symptom: Wars and social disturbances resulting
in mass destruction.
Ecosystem
• The term ecosystem was coined by AG Tansley in 1935.
• An ecosystem can be defined as a structural and
functional unit of biosphere or segment of nature
consisting of community of living beings and the physical
environment, both interacting and exchanging materials
between them.
• It is a biological community where living and non-living
components of the planet interact with each other.

Structure of Ecosystem
The structure of an ecosystem is made of two main
components: biotic and abiotic components. The biotic
component interacts with the abiotic components to
maintain the flow of energy. The energy is distributed in the
environment. The ecosystem includes 2 main components for
a working ecosystem:
• Biotic Component
• Abiotic Component
Biotic component – Plants, animals, microorganisms, aquatic
plants, and all other living creatures are the biotic
components of the ecosystem. These biotic components can
be classified into:
Producers: All autotrophs like plants, phytoplankton, etc. that
can produce their food using sources like sun, water, carbon
dioxide, or any other chemical elements belong to this
category.
Consumers: All heterotrophs, primarily animals, that are
dependent on the producers or other organisms are called
consumers. These consumers are subdivided into the
following groups:
• Primary consumers (Herbivores): such living organisms
which obtain food directly from plants such as cows,
goats, rabbits, and sheep, are considered primary
consumers.
• Secondary consumers (Carnivores): Animals which feed
upon primary consumers and obtain food are known as
secondary consumers. The secondary consumer can be
omnivores or carnivores. Examples Dog, cat, snake etc.
• Top consumers (Top carnivores): Those animals which
kill other animals and eat them, they are not killed and
eaten by other animals in the nature. Example lion,
Hawk, Man, etc.

Decomposers: All microorganisms, such as bacteria and


fungi, that depend on decaying and dead matter for food fall
under this category. It contributes to environmental cleanup
and ecosystem nutrient recycling. These nutrients support
plant development and subsequently ecosystem
maintenance.

Abiotic component –
Abiotic components of an ecosystem are the non-living
factors that influence and shape the environment. These
components play crucial roles in determining the types of
organisms that can survive and thrive in a particular
ecosystem. Some of the key abiotic components include:
Climate: Factors such as temperature, precipitation, humidity,
and wind patterns significantly impact ecosystems. They
determine the overall weather conditions and seasonal
variations that organisms must adapt to.
Topography: The physical features of the land, including its
elevation, slope, and relief, influence factors like drainage
patterns, soil formation, and microclimates within an
ecosystem.
Geology: The underlying geological structure and
composition of the land affect soil fertility, mineral
availability, and the presence of natural resources. Different
types of rocks and their weathering processes also contribute
to shaping the landscape.
Soil: Soil properties such as texture, pH, nutrient content, and
water retention capacity play a critical role in determining the
types of plants that can grow in an area. Soil fertility is crucial
for supporting plant growth and, consequently, the entire
food web.
Water: Availability of water, whether in the form of
freshwater bodies (such as rivers, lakes, and ponds) or marine
environments (oceans and seas), is essential for the survival
of all organisms. Water quality and its chemical composition
are also vital factors.
Light: Sunlight is the primary source of energy for most
ecosystems. Light availability and intensity influence
photosynthesis rates in plants and algae, which form the base
of the food chain.

Functions of Ecosystem:
The function of an ecosystem is governed by natural
conditions and are not influenced by man-made activities.
There are two main functions of ecosystem i.e. energy flow
and nutrient cycling.
Energy flow
• Energy flow in an ecosystem is defined as the movement
or transfer of energy from one trophic level to another
in an ecosystem. The energy that is passed is in the form
of chemical energy.
• Energy is one of the two most important components of
ecosystem; it is a must for the existence of the living
beings.
• The energy is in the form of fixed energy and radiant
energy (fixed energy – stored in objects and substance
as chemical energy; radiant energy – comes from
electromagnetic waves/ sun, i.e. light)
• The flow of energy is unidirectional i.e. energy can only
flow from producer to carnivores.
• Radiant energy is trapped by autotrophic plants or
primarily producers during photosynthesis to convert
radiant energy into chemical energy in the form of
glucose.
• From there the energy is transferred to consumers and
decomposers.
• Energy is lost during its transfer from one trophic level
to the next. Only 10% of the energy available is transfer
to the next trophic level. Organisms use the energy in
respiration, excretion and other metabolic activities.
Food chain
• A food chain refers to the order of events in an
ecosystem, where one living organism eats another
organism, and later that organism is consumed by
another larger organism.
• The flow of nutrients and energy from one organism to
another at different trophic levels forms a food chain.
• The food chain also explains the feeding pattern or
relationship between living organisms.
Food webs
• A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection
of food chains and a graphical representation (usually an
image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community
• In a food web, a single organism is consumed by many
predators or it consumes several other organisms.
• Due to this, many trophic levels get interconnected, and
the food chain fails to showcase the flow of energy in
the right way.
• But the food web is able to show the proper
representation of energy flow, as it displays the
interactions between different organisms.
• When there are more cross interactions between
different food chains, the food web gets more complex.
• This complexity in a food web leads to a more
sustainable ecosystem.
Nutrient cycling
The nutrient cycle, also known as the biogeochemical cycle,
refers to the movement and exchange of organic and
inorganic matter necessary for life within ecosystems. These
cycles are essential for maintaining the balance of nutrients
in the environment and ensuring the sustainability of life on
Earth.
Here are the key components and processes involved in
nutrient cycles:
1. Carbon Cycle:
• Involves the movement of carbon between the
atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms.
• Processes include photosynthesis (carbon uptake by
plants), respiration (release of carbon dioxide by
organisms), decomposition, and combustion.

2. Nitrogen Cycle:
• Nitrogen is a crucial component of proteins and nucleic
acids.
• Processes include nitrogen fixation (conversion of
atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia), nitrification,
assimilation (incorporation of nitrogen into organic
compounds), ammonification (conversion of organic
nitrogen to ammonia), and denitrification (return of
nitrogen to the atmosphere).
3. Phosphorus Cycle:
• Phosphorus is essential for DNA, RNA, and ATP.
• Involves weathering of rocks, uptake by plants, and
cycling through the soil and water.
• Unlike carbon and nitrogen, phosphorus does not have a
significant atmospheric component and primarily cycles
through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

4. Water Cycle:
• Involves the continuous movement of water between
the atmosphere, land, and oceans.
• Processes include evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and transpiration
(water loss from plants).

5. Sulphur Cycle:
• Involves the global circulation of sulphur between the
lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
• Processes include weathering of rocks, volcanic
eruptions, bacterial processes in soil, and human
activities such as burning fossil fuels.

6. Oxygen Cycle:
• Involves the circulation of oxygen within the biosphere
and atmosphere.
• Generated mainly through photosynthesis and
consumed through respiration and combustion.

These cycles are interconnected, as nutrients move through


living organisms, soils, water, and the atmosphere. Human
activities, such as agriculture, industry, and urbanization, can
significantly impact nutrient cycles, leading to disruptions and
environmental challenges like nutrient runoff, eutrophication,
and climate change. Therefore, understanding and managing
these cycles are crucial for sustainable development and the
preservation of ecosystems.
Ecological succession
• Ecological succession is the gradual process by which
ecosystems change and develop over time.
• It refers to the sequence of biotic (living) and abiotic
(non-living) changes that occur in an ecosystem
following a disturbance or the initial colonization of a
new habitat.
Stages of ecological succession
Primary Succession:
Primary succession occurs in environments where no soil
exists initially, such as on bare rock surfaces, volcanic lava
flows, or areas exposed by retreating glaciers. The process
unfolds as follows:
• Pioneer Species Colonization: Hardy pioneer species,
such as lichens and mosses, begin to colonize the barren
substrate. These organisms are capable of surviving
harsh conditions and often contribute to soil formation
through their decomposition.
• Soil Formation: As pioneer species grow and die, they
break down the rock surface, contributing organic
matter that begins to accumulate. Over time, this leads
to the formation of soil, enabling more complex plants
with deeper root systems to establish themselves.
• Intermediate Succession: Grasses, shrubs, and small
trees gradually replace the pioneer species. These
species are better adapted to the developing soil
conditions and compete more effectively for light and
nutrients.
• Climax Community: Eventually, a stable and self-
sustaining community of plants and animals, known as a
climax community, becomes established. This
community is in equilibrium with the prevailing
environmental conditions and persists until disrupted by
a new disturbance.

Secondary Succession:
Secondary succession occurs in environments that have been
disturbed, but where soil remains intact. Examples include
abandoned agricultural fields, areas recovering from forest
fires, or areas following human-induced disturbances like
logging. The process unfolds as follows:
• Pioneer Species Colonization: Initially, fast-growing and
shade-intolerant plants, such as grasses and annual
plants, colonize the disturbed area. These species rapidly
exploit available resources.
• Soil Development: As pioneer species grow and die, they
enrich the soil with organic matter, enhancing its fertility
and structure. This enables the establishment of larger
plants like shrubs and young trees.
• Climax Community: Over time, the community
transitions through a series of stages with increasingly
complex vegetation. Eventually, it reaches a climax
community similar to the one that existed before the
disturbance. The composition of the climax community
depends on factors such as climate, soil conditions, and
regional biogeography.

Key Concepts and Significance


• Facilitation: Early colonizers modify environmental
conditions, making it more favourable for subsequent
species to become established.
• Tolerance: As succession progresses, species that are
better adapted to the established environment replace
those less suited to the prevailing conditions.
• Inhibition: Some species hinder the establishment of
others by competing for resources or modifying the
environment in ways that inhibit colonization,
representing the endpoint of succession under specific
environmental conditions.
• Pioneer and Climax Communities: Pioneer species are
adapted to harsh conditions and pave the way for more
complex communities. Climax communities are stable
and diverse, representing the endpoint of succession
under specific environmental conditions.

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