LECTURE - 01

Unit 1 - The Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies

1.1DEFINITION, SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE
1.1.1 Definition
1.1.2 Scope
1.1.3 Importance
1.2 NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS
1.2.1 Institutions in Environment
1.2.2 People in Environment
The Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
1.1 DEFINITION, SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE
1.1.1 Definition
Environmental studies deals with every issue that affects an organism. It is
essentially a multidisciplinary approach that brings about an appreciation of our
natural world and human impacts on its integrity. It is an applied science as it’s
seeks practical answers to making human civilization sustainable on the earth’s
finite resources.
Its components include biology, geology, chemistry, physics, engineering,
sociology, health, anthropology, economics, statistics, computers and
philosophy.
1.1.2 Scope: As we look around at the area in which we live, we see that our
surroundings were originally a natural landscape such as a forest, a river, a
mountain, a desert, or a combination of these elements. Most of us live in
landscapes that have been heavily modified by human beings, in villages, towns
or cities. But even those of us who live in cities get our food supply from
surrounding villages and these in turn are dependent on natural landscapes such
as forests, grasslands, rivers, seashores, for resources such as water for
agriculture, fuel wood, fodder and fish. Thus our daily lives are linked with our
surroundings and inevitably affects them.
 We use water to drink and for other day-to-day activities. We breathe air,
we use resources from which food is made and we depend on the
community of living plants and animals which form a web of life, of
which we are also a part. Everything around us forms our environment
and our lives depend on keeping its vital systems as intact as possible.
 Our dependence on nature is so great that we cannot continue to live
without protecting the earth’s environmental resources. Thus most
traditions refer to our environment as ‘Mother Nature’ and most
traditional societies have learned that respecting nature is vital for their
livelihoods. This has led to many cultural practices that helped traditional
societies protect and preserve their natural resources.
 Respect for nature and all living creatures are not new to India. All our
traditions are based on these values. Emperor Ashoka’s edict proclaimed
that all forms of life are important for our well being in Fourth Century
BC.
 Over the past 200 years however, modern societies began to believe that
easy answers to the question of producing more resources could be
provided by means of technological innovations. For example, though
 growing more food by using fertilizers and pesticides, developing better
strains of domestic animals and crops, irrigating farmland through mega
dams and developing industry, led to rapid economic growth, the ill
effects of this type of development, led to environmental degradation.

 The industrial development and intensive agriculture that provides the

goods for our increasingly consumer oriented society uses up large
amounts of natural resources such as water, minerals, petroleum products
and wood etc. Non renewable resources, such as minerals and oil are
those which will be exhausted in the near future if we continue to extract
these without a thought for subsequent generations.
 Renewable resources, such as timber and water, are those which can be
used but can be regenerated by natural processes such as re-growth or
rainfall. But these too will be depleted if we continue to use them faster
than nature can replace them. For example, if the removal of timber and
firewood from a forest is faster than the re-growth and regeneration of
trees, it cannot replenish the supply. And loss of forest cover not only
depletes the forest and its resources, such as timber and other non-wood
 products, but affects our water resources because an intact natural forest
acts like a sponge which holds water and releases it slowly.
 Deforestation leads to floods in the monsoon and dry rivers once the rains
are over. Such multiple effects on the environment resulting from routine
human activities must be appreciated by each one of us, if it is to provide
us with the resources we need in the long-term. Our natural resources can
be compared with money in a bank. If we use it rapidly, the capital will
be reduced to zero. On the other hand, if we use only the interest, it can
sustain us over the longer term. This is called sustainable utilisation or
development.
1.1.3 Importance: Environment is not a single subject. It is an integration of
several subjects that include both Science and Social Studies. To
understand all the different aspects of our environment we need to
understand biology, chemistry, physics, geography, resource
management, economics and population issues. Thus the scope of
environmental studies is extremely wide and covers some aspects of
nearly every major discipline.
 We live in a world in which natural resources are limited. Water, air, soil,
minerals, oil and the products we get from forests, grasslands, oceans and
from agriculture and livestock, are all a part of our life support systems.
Without them, life itself would be impossible.
 As we keep increasing in numbers and the quantity of resources each of
us uses also increases, the earth’s resource base must inevitably shrink.
The earth cannot be expected to sustain this expanding level of utilization
of resources. Added to this it is misuse of resources. We waste or pollute
large amounts of nature’s clean water; we create more and more material
like plastic that we discard after a single use; and we waste huge amounts
of food, which is discarded as garbage.
 Manufacturing processes create solid waste by products that are
discarded, as well as chemicals that flow out as liquid waste and pollute
water, and gases that pollute the air. Increasing amounts of waste cannot
be managed by natural processes. These accumulate in our environment,
leading to a variety of diseases and other adverse environmental impacts
now seriously affecting all our lives.
 Air pollution leads to respiratory diseases, water pollution to gastro-
intestinal diseases, and many pollutants are known to cause cancer.
Improving this situation will only happen if each of us begins to take
actions in our daily lives that will help preserve our environmental
resources. We cannot expect Governments alone to manage the
safeguarding of the environment, nor can we expect other people to
prevent environmental damage. We need to do it ourselves. It is a
responsibility that each of us must take on as one’s own.
Values of Nature
1. Productive value of nature: As scientists make new advances in fields
such as biotechnology we begin to understand that the world’s species
contain an incredible and uncountable number of complex chemicals.
 These are the raw materials that are used for developing new medicines
and industrial products and are a storehouse from which we develop
thousands of new products in the future.

 The flowering plants and insects that form the most species rich groups of
living organisms are thus vital for the future development of man. If we
degrade their habitat these species will become extinct. If some
individuals are selling or using, a product that comes from an illegally
killed wild species, if we do not inform the authorities, we become party
to its extinction.
 Once they are lost, man cannot bring them back. When we permit the
destruction of a forest, wetland or other natural area and do not protest
 about it, future generations are being denied the use of these valuable
resources and will blame us for these rash and negligent actions towards
the environment. Thus the urgent need to protect all living species is a
concept that we need to understand and act upon.
 While individually, we perhaps cannot directly prevent the extinction of a
species, creating a strong public opinion to protect the National Parks and
Wildlife Sanctuaries in which wild species live is an importance aspect of
sustainable living. There is a close link between agriculture and the
forest, which illustrates its productive value. For crops to be successful,
the flowers of fruit trees and vegetables must be pollinated by insects,
bats and birds. Their life cycles however frequently require intact forests.
2. Aesthetic/Recreational value of nature: The aesthetic and recreational
values that nature possesses enliven our existence on earth. This is
created by developing National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in
relatively undisturbed areas.

 A true wilderness experience has not only recreational value but is an

incredible learning experience. It brings about an understanding of the
oneness of nature and the fact that we are entirely dependent upon the
intricate functioning of ecosystems.
 The beauty of nature encompasses every aspect of the living and non-
living part of our earth. One can appreciate the magnificence of a
mountain, the power of the sea, the beauty of a forest, and the vast
expanse of the desert. It is these natural vistas and their incredible
diversity of plant and animal life that has led to the development of
several philosophies of life. It has also inspired artists to develop visual
arts and writers and poets to create their works that vitalize our lives.
 A wilderness experience has exceptional recreational value. This has been
described as nature tourism, or wildlife tourism, and is also one aspect of
adventure tourism. These recreational facilities not only provide a
pleasurable experience but are intended to create a deep respect and love
for nature. They are also key tools in educating people about the
vulnerability of the environment and the need for sustainable lifestyles.
 In an urban setting, green spaces and gardens are vital to the
pschycological and physical health of city dwellers. It provides not only
an aesthetic and visual appeal but the ability to ensure that each
individual is able to access a certain amount of peace and calmness. Thus
urban environmental planners must ensure that these facilities are created
in growing urban complexes.
 Another important conservation education facility in urban settings
includes the need to set up well designed and properly managed
zoological parks and aquariums. These have got great value in sensitizing
school students to wildlife. Many young people who frequented zoos as
young children grow up to love wildlife and become conservationists.
 In the absence of access to a Protected Area, a botanical garden or a zoo,
one concept that can be developed is to create small nature awareness
areas with interpretation facilities at district and taluka levels.
 These areas can be developed to copy natural ecosystems even though
they could be relatively small in size. Such nature trails are invaluable
 assets for creating conservation education and awareness. They can be
developed in a small woodlot, a patch of grassland, a pond ecosystem, or
be situated along an undisturbed river or coastal area. This would bring
home to the visitors and the importance of protecting our dwindling
wilderness areas.
3. The option values of nature: While we utilise several goods and
services of nature and enjoy its benefits, we must recognize that every
activity that we do in our daily lives has an adverse impact on nature’s
integrity. Thus if we use up all our resources, kill off and let species of
plants and animals become extinct on earth, pollute our air and water,
degrade land, and create enormous quantities of waste, we as a generation
will leave nothing for future generations.

 Our present generation has developed its economies and lifestyles on

unsustainable patterns of life. However, nature provides us with various
options on how we utilize its goods and services. This is its option value.
 We can use up goods and services greedily and destroy its integrity and
long term values, or we can use its resources sustainably and reduce our
 impacts on the environment. The optional value allows us to use its
resources sustainably and preserve its goods and services for the future.
1.2 NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS: As the earth’s natural resources
are dwindling and our environment is being increasingly degraded by
human activities, it is evident that something needs to be done.
 We often feel that managing all this is something that the Government
should do. But if we go on endangering our environment, there is no way
in which the Government can perform all these clean-up functions.
 It is the prevention of environment degradation in which we must all take
part that must become a part of all our lives. Just as for any disease,
prevention is better than cure.
 To prevent ill-effects on our environment by our actions, is economically
more viable than cleaning up the environment once it is damaged.
Individually we can play a major role in environment management.
 We can reduce wasting natural resources and we can act as watchdogs
that inform the Government about sources that lead to pollution and
degradation of our environment.
 This can only be made possible through mass public awareness. Mass
media such as newspapers, radio, television, strongly influence public
opinion. However, someone has to bring this about. If each of us feels
strongly about the environment, the press and media will add to our
efforts.
 Politicians in a democracy always respond positively to a strong publicly
supported movement. Thus if you join an NGO that supports
conservation, politicians will make green policies. We are living on
spaceship earth with a limited supply of resources. Each of us is
responsible for spreading this message to as many people as possible.
1.2.1 Institutions in Environment: There have been several Government and
Nongovernment organizations that have led to environmental protection in our
country. They have led to a growing interest in environmental protection and
conservation of nature and natural resources. The traditional conservation
practices that were part of ancient India’s culture have however gradually
disappeared. Public awareness is thus a critical need to further environmental
protection. Among the large number of institutions that deal with environmental
protection and conservation, a few well-known organizations include
government organisations such as the BSI and ZSI, and NGOs such as BNHS,
WWF-I, etc.
1. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai: The BNHS began
as a small society of six members in 1883. It grew from a group of
shikaris and people from all walks of life into a major research
organisation that substantially influenced conservation policy in the
country.

 The influence on wildlife policy building, research, popular publications

and peoples action have been unique features of the multifaceted society.
 Undoubtedly its major contribution has been in the field of wildlife
research. It is India’s oldest conservation research based NGO and one
that has acted at the forefront of the battle for species and ecosystems.
 The BNHS publishes a popular magazine called Hornbill and also an
internationally well-known Journal on Natural History.
 Its other publications include the Salim Ali Handbook on birds, JC
Daniel’s book of Indian Reptiles, SH Prater’s book of Indian Mammals
and PV Bole’s book of Indian Trees.
 One of its greatest scientists was Dr. Salim Ali whose ornithological work
on the birds of the Indian subcontinent is world famous. The BNHS has
over the years helped Government to frame wildlife related laws and has
taken up battles such as the ‘Save the Silent Valley’ campaign.
2. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-I), New Delhi: The WWF-I was
initiated in 1969 in Mumbai after which the headquarters were shifted to
Delhi with several branch offices all over India.

 The early years focused attention on wildlife education and awareness. It

runs several programs including the Nature Clubs of India program for
school children and works as a think tank and lobby force for
environment and development issues.
3. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi:
 Activities of this Centre include organising campaigns, holding
workshops and conferences, and producing environment related
publications. It published a major document on the ‘State of India’s
Environment’, the first of its kind to be produced as a Citizen’s Report on
the Environ ment.
 The CSE also publishes a popular magazine, ‘Down to Earth’, which is a
Science and Environment fortnightly. It is involved in the publication of
 material in the form of books, posters, video films and also conducts
workshops and seminars on biodiversity related issues.
4. CPR Environmental Education Centre, Madras: The CPR EEC was
set up in 1988.
 It conducts a variety of programs to spread environmental awareness and
creates an interest in conservation among the general public. It focussed
attention on NGOs, teachers, women, youth and children to generally
promote conservation of nature and natural resources.
 Its programs include components on wildlife and biodiversity issues. CPR
EEC also produces a large number of publications.
5. Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad: The Centre
for Environment Education, Ahmadabad was initiated in 1989.
 It has a wide range of programs on the environment and produces a
variety of educational material. CEE’s Training in Environment
Education {TEE} program has trained many environment educators.
6. Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and
Research (BVIEER), Pune: This is part of the Bharati Vidyapeeth
Deemed University. The Institute has a PhD, a Masters and Bachelors
program in Environmental Sciences. It also offers an innovative Diploma
in Environment Education for in-service teachers.
 It implements a large outreach programme that has covered over 135
schools in which it trains teachers and conducts fortnightly Environment
Education Programs.
 Biodiversity Conservation is a major focus of its research initiatives. It
develops low cost Interpretation Centres for Natural and Architectural
sites that are highly locale specific as well as a large amount of
innovative environment educational material for a variety of target
groups. Its unique feature is that it conducts environment education from
primary school level to the postgraduate level.
 The BVIEER has produced several EE aids. It has developed a teacher’s
handbook linked to school curriculum, a textbook for UGC for its
undergraduate course on environment. Its Director has developed a CD
ROM on India’s biodiversity published by Mapin Publishers,
Ahmadabad.
7. Uttarkhand Seva Nidhi (UKSN), Almora: The Organisation is a Nodal
Agency which supports NGOs in need of funds for their environment
related activities.
 Its major program is organising and training school teachers to use its
locale specific Environment Education Workbook Program.
 The main targets are linked with sustainable resource use at the village
level through training school children. Its environment education program
covers about 500 schools.
8. Kalpavriksh, Pune: This NGO, initially Delhi based, is now working
from Pune and is active in several other parts of India.
 Kalpavriksh works on a variety of fronts: education and awareness;
investigation and research; direct action and lobbying; and litigation with
regard to environment and development issues. Its activities include talks
and audio-visuals in schools and colleges, nature walks and outstation
camps, organising student participation in ongoing campaigns including
street demonstrations, pushing for consumer awareness regarding organic
food, press statements, handling green alerts, and meetings with the city’s
administrators.
 It is involved with the preparation of site-specific, environmental manuals
for schoolteachers. Kalpavriksh was responsible for developing India’s
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in 2003.
9. Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON),
Coimbatore: This institution was Dr. Salim Ali’s dream that became a
 reality only after his demise. He wished to support a group of committed
conservation scientists on a permanent basis.
 Initially conceived as being a wing of the Bombay Natural History
Society (BNHS) it later evolved as an independent organisation based at
Coimbatore in 1990.
 It has instituted a variety of field programs that have added to the
country’s information on our threatened biodiversity.
10. Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun: This Institution was
established in 1982, as a major training establishment for Forest Officials
and Research in Wildlife Management.
 Its most significant publication has been ‘Planning A Wildlife Protected
Area Network for India’ (Rodgers and Panwar, 1988).
 The organisation has over the years added an enormous amount of
information on India’s biological wealth. It has trained a large number of
Forest Department Officials and Staff as Wildlife Managers. Its M.Sc.
Program has trained excellent wildlife scientists. It also has an
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) cell.
 It trains personnel in eco-development, wildlife biology, habitat
management and Nature interpretation.
11. Botanical Survey of India (BSI): The Botanical Survey of India (BSI)
was established in 1890 at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta.
 However it closed down for several years after 1939 and was reopened in
1954. In 1952 plans were made to reorganise the BSI and formulate its
objectives.
 By 1955 the BSI had its headquarters in Calcutta with Circle Offices at
Coimbatore, Shillong, Pune and Dehra Dun.
 Between 1962 and 1979, offices were established in Allahbad, Jodhpur,
Port Blair, Itanagar and Gangtok.
  The BSI currently has nine regional centres. It carries out surveys of plant
resources in different regions.
12. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI): The ZSI was established in1916. Its
mandate was to do a systematic survey of fauna in India.
 It has over the years collected ‘type specimens’ on the bases of which our
animal life has been studied over the years.
 Its origins were collections based at the Indian Museum at Calcutta,
which was established in 1875.
 Older collections of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, which were made
between 1814 and 1875, as well as those of the Indian Museum made
between 1875 and 1916 were then transferred to the ZSI.
 Today it has over a million specimens! This makes it one of the largest
collections in Asia. It has done an enormous amount of work on
taxonomy and ecology. It currently operates from 16 regional centres.
1.2.2 People in Environment: There are several internationally known
environmental thinkers. Among those who have made landmarks, the names
that are usually mentioned:
 Charles Darwin wrote the ‘Origin of Species’, which brought to light the
close relationship between habitats and species. It brought about a new
thinking of man’s relationship with other species that was based on
evolution. Alfred Wallace came to the same conclusions during his work.
 Ralph Emerson spoke of the dangers of commerce to our environment
way back in the 1840s.
 HenryThoreau in the 1860s wrote that the wilderness should be
preserved after he lived in the wild for a year. He felt that most people did
not care for nature and would sell it off for a small sum of money. John
Muir is remembered as having saved the great ancient sequoia trees in
California’a forests. In the 1890s he formed the Sierra club, which is a
major conservation NGO in the USA.
 Aldo Leopald was a forest official in the US in the 1920s. He designed
the early policies on wilderness conservation and wildlife management.
 In the 1960s Rachel Carson published several articles that caused
immediate worldwide concern on the effects of pesticides on nature and
mankind. She wrote a well known book called ‘Silent Spring’ which
eventually led to a change in Government policy and public awareness.
 EO Wilson is an entomologist who envisioned that biological diversity
was a key to human survival on earth. He wrote ‘Diversity of Life’ in
1993, which was awarded a prize for the best book published on
environmental issues. His writings brought home to the world the risks to
mankind due to manmade disturbances in natural ecosystems that are
leading to the rapid extinction of species at the global level.
 There have been a number of individuals who have been instrumental in
shaping the environmental history in our country. Some of the well-
known names in the last century include environmentalists, scientists,
administrators, legal experts, educationists and journalists.
 Salim Ali’s name is synonymous with ornithology in India and with the
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). He also wrote several great
books including the famous ‘Book of Indian Birds’. His autobiography,
‘Fall of a Sparrow’ should be read by every nature enthusiast. He was our
country’s leading conservation scientist and influenced environmental
policies in our country for over 50 years.
 Indira Gandhi as PM has played a highly significant role in the
preservation of India’s wildlife. It was during her period as PM, that the
network of PAs grew from 65 to 298! The Wildlife Protection Act was
formulated during the period when she was PM and the Indian Board for
Wildlife was extremely active as she personally chaired all its meetings.
India gained a name for itself by being a major player in CITES and other
International Environmental Treaties and Accords during her tenure.
 BNHS frequently used her good will to get conservation action initiated
by the Government.
 S P Godrej was one of India’s greatest supporters of wildlife
conservation and nature awareness programs. Between 1975 and 1999,
SP Godrej received 10 awards for his conservation activities. He was
awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1999. His friendship with people in
power combined with his deep commitment for conservation led to his
playing a major advocacy role for wildlife in India.
 M S Swaminathan is one of India’s foremost agricultural scientists and
has also been concerned with various aspects of biodiversity conservation
both of cultivars and wild biodiversity. He has founded the MS
Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai, which does work on the
conservation of biological diversity.
 Madhav Gadgil is a well known ecologist in India. His interests range
from broad ecological issues such as developing Community Biodiversity
Registers and conserving sacred groves to studies on the behaviour of
mammals, birds and insects. He has written several articles, published
papers in journals and is the author of 6 books.
 M C Mehta is undoubtedly India’s most famous environmental lawyer.
Since 1984, he has filed several Public Interest Litigations for supporting
the cause of environmental conservation. His most famous and long
drawn battles supported by the Supreme Court include protecting the Taj
Mahal, cleaning up the Ganges River, banning intensive shrimp farming
on the coast, initiating Government to implement environmental
education in schools and colleges, and a variety of other conservation
issues.
 Anil Agarwal was a journalist who wrote the first report on the ‘State of
India’s Environment’ in 1982. He founded the Centre for Science and
 Environment which is an active NGO that supports various
environmental issues.
 Medha Patkar is known as one of India’s champions who has supported
the cause of downtrodden tribal people whose environment is being
affected by the dams on the Narmada river.
 Sunderlal Bahugna’s Chipko Movement has become an internationally
well known example of a highly successful conservation action program
through the efforts of local people for guarding their forest resources. His
fight to prevent the construction of the Tehri Dam in a fragile earthquake
prone setting is a battle that he continues to wage. The Garhwal Hills will
always remember his dedication to the cause for which he has walked
over 20 thousand kilometres.
Components of Environment: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, and
Biosphere
Environment consists of mainly four components - lithosphere, hydrosphere,
biosphere and atmosphere. The understanding of '-sphere- in this situation
means 'to surround or encompass'.
The following help us understand the mean of the four spheres:
 Lithosphere - litho referring to rocks and minerals or land.
 Hydrosphere - hydro referring to water.
 Biosphere - bio referring to life.
 Atmosphere - Atmo referring to air.
1. Lithosphere (Land): It is believed the lithosphere evolved about 4.6
billion years ago. The lithosphere refers to the solid, rocky crust that
covers the entire planet.
 The lithosphere is made up of all the hard and solid land mass on the
earth’s surface, the semi-solid rocks (molten materials) underneath the
earth crust, and the liquid rocks in the inner core of the earth.
 The surface of the lithosphere is uneven as it is characterized by various
landform features. Some of the landforms include mountains like the
Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Vesuvius in Italy, deep valleys within the
mountain ranges, huge plains like the ones in Texas and Brazil, extensive
plateaus like Bolivian plateau in South America and the Colorado plateau
of the United States, and hills like the black hills.
 The liquid, semi-solid, and solid land components of the lithosphere form
layers that are chemically and physically different. This is why the
lithosphere is further divided into sub-spheres namely the crust, the
mantle, the outer core, and the inner core.
 The crust is made of loose soil and rocks. The mantle is made of dense
rock made up of nickel and iron in the form of silicate rocks and its lower
part is semi-solid (partially molten) rocks.
  The outer core is made up of liquid (purely molten) rock materials. The
inner core is the centre of the earth which is purely made of very hot and
liquid iron and nickel. The rock materials are divided into three primary
categories based on how they are formed namely igneous rocks,
sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks.
Igneous rocks – igneous rocks are formed by the cooling of hot molten rock
also known as magma. When the hot magma cools it begins to harden meaning
once it had fully cooled it create what is known to be an igneous rock.
Sedimentary rocks – sedimentary rocks are formed from pre-existing rocks.
When rocks erode and mix with other dirt, clay and particles then settle together
the mix together to form a sedimentary rock.
Metamorphic rocks – Metamorphic rocks are formed by heat and / or pressure
from pre-existing rocks.

The earth’s surface is composed into two types of lithospheres. There are
known as the oceanic and continental lithospheres.
 The oceanic lithosphere includes the uppermost layers of mantle which
is topped with a thin yet heavy oceanic crust. This is where the
hydrosphere and lithosphere meet.
 The continental lithosphere includes the uppermost layers of mantle
which is topped with a thick yet light continental crust. This is where the
atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere meet the lithosphere.
2. Hydrosphere (Water): The hydrosphere refers to the most important
resource which is water. The hydrosphere includes all forms of water i.e;
all the gaseous, liquid, and solid water of the planet earth.
 The hydrosphere stretches all the way from the Earth’s surface downward
numerous miles into the lithosphere and high above the crust into the
atmosphere.
 Most of the water in the atmosphere is in gaseous form and as it rises
higher into the atmosphere it condenses to form clouds which fall back on
earth as precipitation.
 All the water in the hydrosphere is always in motion just like the
atmospheric gases. The natural earth features depicting the hydrosphere
are the rivers, streams, lakes, seas, oceans and the water vapour.
 Glaciers, which are the slowly moving masses of ice, are also part of the
hydrosphere.
 Plant and animal organisms rely on the hydrosphere for their survival as
water is essential.
 The hydrosphere is also home to many plants and animals and it believed
that the hydrosphere covers approximately 70% of the earth’s surface.
97% of all earth’s water is salty.
 Oceans carry most of the salty water while the majority of lakes and
rivers carry fresh water. The earth’s temperature is highly influenced by
the hydrosphere. Very low temperatures are associated with icebergs,
glaciers or icecaps; low to moderate temperatures are associated with the
common types of precipitation like snow, rain, drizzle, sleet or hails; and
high temperatures are tied to dry and hot conditions and evaporation.
 The glaciers, icebergs, and icecaps are also categorically called the
cryosphere.
3. Biosphere (Living Things): All the living things in the planet are
categorized under the biosphere.
 In this view, the biosphere includes all of the animals, plants, and
microorganisms of earth. Humans as well belong to this group. Most of
the living organisms are found from up to three meters below ground to
thirty meters above it and also in the 200 meters of the ocean and seas.
 The entire ecological communities within the physical surrounding of the
earth are within the umbrella of living things (biosphere). The biosphere
could not survive if it wasn't for the other spheres as all organisms need
water from the hydrosphere, minerals for the lithosphere and gases from
the atmosphere. These ecological communities interact together with the
physical aspects of the earth including the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and
the atmosphere.
 Collectively, these ecological communities are made reference to as
biomes. Deserts, forests, grasslands, aquatic, tundra, and chaparral are the
six main biomes that are present in the biosphere.
 The living things on earth interact with each other in various ways, which
is well elaborated under the trophic levels of food chain – how energy is
transferred in ecological systems.

4. Atmosphere (Air): All the air in the atmosphere makes up the

atmosphere. The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen (about 78%),
oxygen (about 21%), and other gasses (about 1%) such as carbon dioxide
(0.039%), argon (0.93%) and the rest are trace gases (krypton, neon,
helium , and xenon).

 The higher the atmosphere, the thinner it becomes and this trait gradually
moves towards space. The atmosphere extends all the way from the
earth’s crust to more than 6200 miles (10,000 kilometres) above the
earth’s surface into space.
 The atmosphere is divided into four layer troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere and thermosphere.
 The bottom layer of the atmosphere is known as the troposphere. The
troposphere is where the weather happens. It is the warmest near the
Earth because of the heat rising from the earth’s surface but it becomes
colder with altitude. This layer is separated from the next by what is
known as tropopause.
 The tropopause is the point in which temperatures will begin to change
due to the increase of altitude. Above the tropopause is the stratosphere.
 The stratosphere is where there large concentration of ozone gas is found.
The ozone gasses are essential as they absorb a large percent of radiant
solar energy, protecting the earth from harmful ultra violet rays also
known as UV.
 The coldest of spheres is known as the mesosphere this is where the water
vapour often freezes to create clouds that are purely made of ice. The
mesosphere is separated from the thermosphere by the mesopause.
 The topmost layer is known as the thermosphere, this is where many
satellites circle the earth. Due to the thin air and proximity of the sun, the
temperatures in the thermosphere tend to rapidly increase and decrease.