ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Module 1
Define Environment

The term environment has its origin from the French word ‘environmer’ which means
surroundings. Everything which surrounds us whether living or non living is a component of our
environment. It can be anything like the air we breathe, the water we use, the soil we cultivate,
the flora and fauna etc. The term environment is defined as “the sum of all external conditions
affecting the life developments and survival of an organism”.
Environment includes both biotic and abiotic factors; it is a sum total of biotic and physical
conditions.
Biotic refers to the flora, fauna or any microbiological organisms.
Abiotic refers to water, air, soil, climate, heat, light, noise, debris etc.

Ecology and Ecosystem

Ecology is a relationship between organisms and its environment
Ecosystem is an ecological unit which includes all the organisms living in a particular area and
all the abiotic features of the local environment.

Environment issues Ecology issues

pollution population

deforestation diversity

global warming distribution of organisms

Components of the Environment

a) Hydrosphere: part of the earth where water is available
b) Lithosphere: It is the mantle rocks constituting the upper part of the earth. It is very
important because it provides soil texture.
c) Atmosphere: is the mixture of gases that envelops the earth water and land mass up to a
height of several kilometres.
{ layers of the atmosphere
Troposphere ( 8- 20 kilometre)
Stratosphere ( 20- 50 kilometre)
Mesosphere (50- 85 kilometre)
Thermosphere (85-500 kilometer)
Ionosphere
Exosphere}
d) Biosphere: It is the part of the earth with overlies the atmosphere where natural life is
possible.
Classification of environment
1. physical or natural environment (biotic and abiotic)
2. cultural environment social environment: it includes man made setting like railways,
population density, cultural background of the people, government policies,
transportation etc.

History of Environmental Studies

Environment and education do not appear to have been used in conjunction with each other until
the mid 1960’s. It incorporated thoughts of the 18th and 19th century thinkers, writers and
educators notably; Goethe, Rousseau, Humboldt Haeckel, Dewey, and Montessori. Sir Patrick
Geddes, Scottish Professor of Botany is regarded by many as being the first to make link
between education and environment.
1892: he opened an outlook tower in Edinburgh (still a field Study Centre.)
1902: School Nature Study Union was founded
1940: area of study was broadened into rural studies
It is from this rural studies movement, the term ‘environmental studies’ evolved. By 1940 the
term environmental studies was in use and it was a mixture of geography, history and local
nature study.
1960: National Rural environmental studies Association was formed which later became
National Rural and environmental studies Association
1970’s: from 1978 came to be known as National Association for Environmental education in
UK
The first recorded use of the term ‘environmental education’ in Britain may be traced to a
conference held in 1965 at Keele University, Staffordshire.
This led to the establishment of Council for Environmental Education (CEE) which first met in
1968.
1970: UNESCO/IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) tried to Define the term
Environmental education in the meeting ‘International working meeting on environmental
education in the school curriculum.’ This was the greatest landmark in the field of
environmental studies. NAEE Act was passed in the USA. Several conferences were held in
1972 and 1975 by UNESCO.
1977: UNESCO's first intergovernmental conference on ‘environmental education’ in USSR
1987 UNESCO and UNEP jointly organised educational Congress on environmental education
and training called as ‘tbilisi + 10’in Moscow.
1988: A resolution was passed in Europe for Environmental education and played a critical role
in the adoption of environmental education as a part of the curriculum in England in the 1990's.
1992: UN conference on environment and development- The Earth Summit was held in Brazil.
1993: Global forum on environmental education for sustainable development was held at Delhi.
Environmental education was proposed to be included for higher education in the UK.
1996: Publication of government strategy for Environmental education was done in England.
2017: Environmental education was made compulsory for higher education in India as per the
directives of the Supreme Court.

Scope, Importance, and Need for Environmental Studies

a) Scope
As we look around our surroundings, we can see rivers, forest, mountains, seas or a
combination of all these. ie; we live in the original landscape. and all these have been
modified by human beings. We are also dependent on this natural landscape for
livelihood and life (farming, fishing etc.)Even if we look at people living in cities they
also get food supplies from surrounding villages and these villages are in turn dependent
on natural landscape such as forest, grasslands, rivers etc. for resources such as water,
agriculture, fish, fuel, wood etc. Our daily lives are linked with our surroundings and our
lives affect them. 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 environment. When we look at most of
the traditions (Indian or African or American), we consider the environment as ‘Mother
Nature’ respecting nature as vital for sustenance. This led to many cultural practices that
help traditional societies protect and preserve nature. Eg: nature gods.

Later these traditions changed especially when we look at the past 200 years. Modern
science incorporated technology in mass production for feeding the needs of humans.
This led human progress but, the ill effect of these developments led to the degradation of
the environment. Industrial development and intensive agriculture that provide goods for
our increasing consumer oriented society used up large amounts of natural resources like,
water, petroleum products, wood, minerals etc.

Two Types of Resources

Renewable (which are re- generated by natural process- water) and non-renewable
(which will be exhausted in future)
These renewable resources too will be depleted if we continue to use them much more
than the production of it from nature.
E.g. Timber: Removal of timber and firewood from forest is faster than growth and
regeneration of trees.
The loss of forest cover not only depletes its resources but also affects the water
resources because they act as a sponge which holds water and releases it slowly.
Deforestation leads to floods in the monsoon and dry rivers once the rain stops. So
removal of resources from forest has multiple effects on the environment hence, we need
 to analyse routine human activities if we need resources in the long term. Our natural
resources can be compared with money in a bank; if we use it rapidly the amount will be
reduced to zero balance on the other hand; if we use only the interest it will sustain us
over longer term. This is called Sustainable Utilisation or Development.
Understanding and awareness of our environmental assets and it's problems are not
enough. Each of us must be concerned about our environment and change the way in
which we use its resources. UN sustainable utilisation can result from overuse of
resources because of :

a) population increase
b) overuse of resources
c) wasteful behaviour patterns

Thus, for all our actions in order to be environmentally positive we need to look from a news
perspective at how to use the resources. Minimalism has to be given utmost importance.

b) Importance

Environment is not a single subject. It is an integration of science and social studies to

understand different aspects of our environment. We need to study biology, physics, chemistry,
geography, economics etc. Thus, the scope of environmental studies is extremely wide. We live
in a world where natural resources are limited and without them life is impossible. In other
words, we can say that all the resources are a part of our life support system. We need to
understand three values in order to understand its importance.
1) Productive value of nature
Subjects like biotechnology give us this understanding that world species contain an
incredible and uncountable number of complex chemicals. We get raw materials for
developing new medicines and Industrial Products. This means that all flowering plants
and insects are vital for the future development of man. if we degrade the habitat these
species will become extinct. so we have the responsibility to get them. Once they are
lost, we won't be able to bring them back. We can report to the authorities if we see any
environmentally destructive activities like destruction of forests, wildlife, wetland etc.
creating awareness about the importance of the environment is also essential.

2) Aesthetic/ recreational value of nature

It is these values that nature possesses that enliven our existence on earth. The beauty of
nature encompasses every aspect of the living and nonliving part of our Earth. The
magnificent mountains, the beauty of the sea, the resourceful forest and the vast expanse
of deserts are few among them. The natural with stars and the diversity of flora and
fauna led to the development of many philosophies. They also inspired writers, poets and
 visual artists like painters, cinematographers etc. Eco tourism, adventure tourism also has
exceptional recreational values.

3) Option values of nature

We can either use goods and services greedily and destroy its integrity and long-term
values. or we can use the resources sustainably and reduce impacts on the environment.
The option value allows us to use its resources sustainably and preserve its goods and
services for the future.

c) Need for Environmental Studies

● Need to create public awareness
● equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyles
● to know about people and institutions in environment
We all know that natural resources are dwindling and our environment is increasingly degraded
by human activities. In such a scenario there has to be awareness. Often, we feel that these are
the responsibility of the government. But the government cannot do anything alone, rather every
individual matters. Individuals have to preserve nature by reducing or wasting natural resources.
We should also act as watchdogs that inform the government about sources that lead to
environmental degradation. Mass media can create strong influence among people. It is also
important to join a study group that focuses on nature. Reading articles and periodicals such as
Down to Earth, Nature etc. can also be helpful. Lobbying for conserving resources by taking up
the cause of environmental issues during discussions with friends and family can also be another
method. Practice and promote issues such as save water, save paper, reduce plastic, reuse
resources and recycling. Joining local movements that support activities such as nature trekking,
saving trees, recycling waste can also be helpful. Practice and promote civic sense, such as no
spitting on public roads, no throwing garbage and no smoking. Each individual should be able to
spend time with nature.

Institutions that promote the development of Environment

There have been several government and non-government organisations that have led to
environmental protection in our country.
a) Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS, Mumbai)
b) World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-1) New Delhi.
c) Centre for science and Environment (CSE) New Delhi.
d) Centre for Environmental Education (CEE) Ahmedabad.
e) BharatiVidyapeeth Institute of Environmental Education and Research (BVIEER) Pune.
f) Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) Coimbatore.
g) Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun.
h) Uttarakhand Sera Nidhi (UKSN) Almora.
i) Botanical Survey of India (BST)
 j) Zoological Survey of India
k) Kalpavriksh, Pune- NGO
People in Environment
Charles Darwin
Ralph Emerson
Henry Thoreau
Rachel Carson
E O Wilson
Salim Ali
Indira Gandhi
S P Godrej
M S Swaminath
Madhav Gadgil
Sunderlal Bahugano

Interdisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies

Environmental Science is multidisciplinary in their composition and in their pedagogy, but it is
interdisciplinary in outlook and method.
Multi disciplinary draws on knowledge from different disciplines but stays within their
boundaries whereas interdisciplinarity analyses synthesizers and harmonizers links between
disciplines into a coordinator and coherent whole.
According to R D Braddock, those who are apt to perform best in interdisciplinary settings are
strong disciplinarians.

Renewable and Nonrenewable resources

Ecosystems act as resource producers and processors. Solar energy is the main driving force of
ecological systems; they provide energy for the growth of plants in forest, grassland and aquatic
ecosystems. This is to say that the cycle of growth and decay is dependent on solar energy .
Non renewable resources
These are minerals formed in the lithosphere over millions of years. It includes fossil fuels such
as oil and coal. These resources once used remain on the earth surface in a different form
otherwise we should recycle it; for example unrefined petroleum to petrol, diesel etc. The end
products of oil or cold are heat and mechanical energy and chemical compounds. This cannot be
reconstituted as a resource. Non renewable resources constitute a closed system unlike renewable
resources.
Renewable resources
Forest resources, Water resources, Mineral resources (Iron, aluminium, zinc copper etc), food
resources (animal husbandry, agriculture, fishing marine and freshwater) Energy resources such
as (wind, hydropower, solar power, biomass energy, tidal power, geothermal energy) Land
resources such as hills, valleys, plains, river basins, wetlands etc
Forest Resources

India should have 33% of its land under forest but we have only 12%. So,we need to increase the
forest cover.
The water we use, furniture, our homes, paper ect. are a few things made of wood from forests.
Medicines
Oxygen
Deforestation during colonial times and then after independence especially till the 1970s.
Functions of the forest
1. Watershed protection
2. atmospheric regulation
3. erosion control
4. land Bank- maintenance of soil
5. local use (consumptive uses of nutrients and structure by forest dwellers and local
people
6. market use ( selling products in market for livelihood)

Water resources

Main water bodies are rivers lakes, sea etc

Wetlands are intermediate forms between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and contain species
of plants and animals that are highly moisture dependent. Water covers 70% of earth surface but
only 3% is fresh water, out of which 2% is polar ice caps and only 1% is usable water in rivers,
lakes and subsoil aquifers. This means we can use only a fraction of this water. 70% is used in
agriculture, 25% industry and 5% for domestic use. Studies indicate that a person only 20 to 40
litres a day for drinking and sanitation. More than 1 billion people have no access to clean water.
India is expected to face critical water stress by 2025. Therefore we need to rethink the overall
management of water resources.

Mineral resources

A mineral is a naturally occurring substance of definite chemical composition and identifiable

physical properties. Non metal resources are clay, salt, cement, silica, etc. Stones such as granite,
marble, limestone, diamond, emeralds, rubies, gold, silver etc also come under metal resources.
Minerals and their ores are extracted from earth interior and this process is known as mining.
There are two types of mining: surface mining and deep mining. Surface mining is less
hazardous than deep mining.

Food resources
Our food resources can be almost entirely from agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries.
India is self sufficient in food production, but it is unsustainable which pollutes our environment
with excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides. FAO defines sustainable agriculture “as that
which conserves land, water and plants and animals genetic resources which does not degrade
the environment and it is economically viable and socially acceptable”. Traditionally we have
crop rotation which is better than mono culture. And we use traditional crop varieties too.
Integrated crop management is an alternative to inorganic fertilizers and pesticides for farming.

World food crisis

64 out of 105 developing countries lag behind in their food production. India is self sufficient but
our scientific methods caused many issues like:
● Loss of fertility of soil
● conversion of forest, grasslands to agricultural land
● fish resources are reducing
● Lack of availability of nutritious food especially among certain communities.

Globally around 18 million people die each year due to starvation or malnutrition. 5 to 7 million
hectares of farmland is degraded each year. These issues have to be an eye opener to each
individual.

Energy Resources

Sun is the primary source of energy

Types of energy are renewable, non renewable and nuclear energy.
Renewable energy systems use resources that are constantly replaced and are usually less
polluting. Example hydro power, solar, wind, biofuel, geothermal, tidal and biomass energy.
Renewable energy technologies will improve the efficiency and cost of energy systems. In the
near future will no longer rely on fast food fuel energy but will have to switch completely to
renewable energy. Eg. Solar power photovoltaic cells at home & institutions (Cochin airport is
an example for this.) Hydroelectric power in Idukki, biogas plants in houses, wind power: the
earliest energy sources used for transportation of ships. Later on, this technology was used in
China, Afghanistan, Persia etc. Denmark and Canada produce electricity through wind energy.
India is the third largest wind energy producer in the world. Geothermal Energy is the energy
that is stored within the earth. It starts with molten rock ( magma) deep inside the Earth which
surfaces at some parts of the earth crust. and the heat rising from Magma warms underground
pools of water known as geothermal reservoirs. Geothermal Energy is used for industrial use,
Electricity production etc. Though it is cheaper it contains minerals that are polluting. Wave
power: the largest concentration of wave energy is located between 40 to 60 degree latitude in
both Northern and Southern hemisphere, where wind blows strongly.

Land resources
Landforms such as hills, valleys, plains river basins and wetlands include different resource
generating areas that the people living in them depend on. If land is utilised carefully it can be
considered a renewable resource. Many traditional societies have their ways of preserving areas
from which they use resources. Eg. simple rituals for asking permission to cut a tree or to extract
a resource.

Conservation of Natural Resources

We have to look at this in two ways:

Role of individuals in conservation of natural Equitable use of resources for sustainable
resources. lifestyle.
● “No natural resources are limitless”- ● Our environment provides us with a
the modern man started thinking to variety of goods and services for our
preserve or conserve the environment daily life; but soil, water, climate and
from this revelation or understanding Solar Energy are not distributed
of the issues. evenly throughout the world or within
● There are mainly two factors that led the country.
to the depletion of natural resources. ● The unequal use of resources is one of
They are consumerism and population the factors that led to the depletion of
growth. natural resources.
● We need a global order or natural
order whereby natural resources are
distributed equally without affecting
nature.
● In order to adopt a sustainable
lifestyle, we need to care and respect
nature.

Concept of an Ecosystem
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a region with a specific and recognisable landscape form such as forest,
grassland, desert, wetland or coastal area. Nature of ecosystem is based on its geographical
features such as Hills, Valleys, mountains, plains, rivers, lakes, coastal areas or islands .An
ecosystem is controlled by three factors: a) amount of Sunlight b) temperature c) rainfall in the
region. Abiotic components are geographical characteristics, climatic characteristics, and
characteristics of soil. All these features create conditions that support a community of plants
and animals to live in these specific conditions. The living part of the ecosystem is referred to as
biotic components. Therefore we can define the ecosystem as “ the living community of plants
and animals in any area together with the non living components of the environment such as soil,
air and water, constitutes an ecosystem.

Types of ecosystem
● Terrestrial or land ecosystem
● aquatic ecosystem
Types of ecosystem: terrestrial and aquatic

Terrestrial Aquatic

Forest Pond

grassland lake

semi arid areas wetland

Deserts river

Mountains delta

Islands marines

These two form the major Habitat conditions for living organisms on earth. At a global level the
entire area can be called as biosphere. Sub global level, this is divided into bio geographical
realms such as:
● Eurasia- Palaeartic realm
● south and South East Asia- Oriental realm
● North America- Nearctic realm
● South America- Neo tropical realm
● Africa- Ethiopian realm
● Australia- Australian realm
At a national level, this forms biogeographic regions in India:
● Himalayas
● Gangetic plains
● Highlands of Central India
● Western and Eastern Ghats
● Semi arid desert in the West
● Deccan Plateau
● Coastal belts
● Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Functions of an ecosystem
What are the structural aspects of an ecosystem?
components that make up the structural aspects of an ecosystem include
1. Inorganic components- Nitrogen Carbon, Carbon dioxide, Water
2. Organic compounds- Protein, Carbohydrates etc.
3. Climatic regimes- temperature, moisture, light and Topography
4. Producers- plants
 5. Macro consumers- Phagotrophs
6. micro consumers- Saprotrophs ( organism that feed on decaying organic matter)

Functional aspects of ecosystem

● energy cycles
● food chains
● diversity- interlinkages between organisms
● nutrient cycles- biogeochemical cycles
● evolution

Energy cycles
Every ecosystem has several interrelated mechanism that affect human life. These are: water
cycle, carbon cycle, Oxygen cycle, nitrogen cycle, energy cycle.
Every ecosystem is controlled by these cycles. The energy cycle is based on the flow of energy
through the ecosystem. Energy from sunlight is converted by plants for their growth, since plants
can grow by converting the sun's energy directly into their tissues, they are known as producers
in the ecosystem. Plants are used by Herbivorous animals as food for energy. Carnivorous
depends on Herbivorous animals for energy needs. Micro consumers: When animals defecate,
the waste is broken down by worms and insects mostly ants and beetles. These ‘soil animals’
break the waste material into small a bit on which microscopic organisms such as bacteria, fungi
etc can act. The waste material is broken down further into nutrients that plant can absorb and
use for their growth.

Food Chains
Different animals and plants species are linked to one another through food chains. Each food
chain has 3 or 4 links. Each plant or animal can be linked to several other plants or animals
through many different linkages, these interlinked chains can be depicted as a complex food web.
The energy in the ecosystem can be depicted in the form of a food pyramid for energy pyramid
Cycles are part of global life processes. These biogeochemical cycles have specific features in
each of the ecosystems and they are linked to those of adjacent ecosystems. Their characteristics
are specific to the plant and animal communities in the region. It is related to the geographical
features of the area, the climate and soil.

Ecological succession
Ecological succession is the process through which ecosystems tend to change over a period of
time. Succession can be related to seasonal environmental changes, which in turn create changes
in the community of plants and animals in the ecosystem. Some changes take several decades.
eg. An open area will first change into a grassland, a shrubland and a Woodland and later into a
forest. This happens only if there is no human interference. The final stage will be more or less
stable or in other words we can say that there is a tendency for succession to produce a more or
less stable state at the end of the successive stages. Therefore we can understand that there are
developmental changes in an ecosystem. First stage being the pioneer stage, second is serel stage
where a series of changes takes place and the third stage is the climax stage. And all these stages
are related to the way in which energy flows. The most frequent example of succession change
is a pond ecosystem. It fluctuates from dry Terrestrial Habitat to the early colonization stage
where we can see small aquatic species after the monsoon- this gradually passes through to a
mature aquatic ecosystem, and then revert back to the dry state in summer where aquatic life
remains dormant.