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Componentsof Environment

The environment encompasses all living and nonliving components surrounding us, including biological, physical, and cultural elements. Biological components consist of living organisms, while physical components include non-living factors like air, water, and soil, which are further classified into atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Cultural components shape how societies interact with their environment, highlighting the importance of protecting our surroundings for the sustenance of life on Earth.

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16 views

Componentsof Environment

The environment encompasses all living and nonliving components surrounding us, including biological, physical, and cultural elements. Biological components consist of living organisms, while physical components include non-living factors like air, water, and soil, which are further classified into atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Cultural components shape how societies interact with their environment, highlighting the importance of protecting our surroundings for the sustenance of life on Earth.

Uploaded by

haseebali7608
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Components of environment

What is the Environment?


An Environment is everything that is around us, which includes both living and
nonliving things such as soil, water, animals and plants, which adapt themselves to
their surroundings. It is nature’s gift that helps in nourishing life on Earth.

The environment plays an important role in the existence of life on the planet earth.
The word Environment is derived from the French word “Environ” which means
“surrounding.” An ecosystem refers to all the living and non-living things present in
the environment and it is a foundation of the Biosphere, which determines the health
of the entire planet earth.

Components of environment:
In general, the environment consists of the following major components.

 Biological components
 Physical components
 Cultural components

Biological Components
The biological component of the environment, as the name indicates, includes all
living things. Hence, it is also called as the biotic component of the ecosystem.
Animals, plants and microorganisms interact with the abiotic components, and these
form various ecosystems. Moreover, organisms in these ecosystems are classified
into groups – such as producers, consumers and decomposers. They also
occupy various trophic levels on the food chain. For instance, all autotrophs are
producers and occupy the lowest levels on a food chain.

Note: Add detail from previous lecture about biotic components.

Physical Components
The physical component refers to the non-living part of the environment. These are
also called abiotic factors and include air, water, soil, climate etc.

Note: Add detail from previous lecture about abiotic components.

Physical components can be broadly classified into 3 groups – Atmosphere,


Hydrosphere and Lithosphere. Additionally, scientists also use the term “biosphere”
to describe the zone of life (or the worldwide sum of ecosystems).
BS 4 semester Basic Science
 Lithosphere is derived from the word "sphere," combined with the Greek word
"lithos" which means rock. The lithosphere is the solid outer section of Earth which
includes Earth's crust (the "skin" of rock on the outer layer of planet Earth), as well
as the underlying cool, dense, and fairly rigid upper part of the upper mantle. The
lithosphere extends from the surface of Earth to a depth of about 44-62 mi (70-100
km). The main component of lithosphere is earth’s tectonic plates.
 Hydrosphere comprises of all forms of water bodies on earth including marine
(oceans, seas) freshwater (rivers, lakes, ponds, streams) and groundwater
resources etc. It covers 71% of earth’s surface. 97% of water found on Earth is in
the oceans in the form of salt water. Only 3 % of water on Earth is freshwater. Out of
this, 30.8% is available as groundwater and 68.9% is in frozen forms as in glaciers.
Amount of 0.3% is available in rivers, reservoirs and lakes and is easily accessible
to man.
 Atmosphere is gaseous layer enveloping the Earth. The atmosphere with oxygen
in abundance is unique to Earth and sustains life. It mainly comprises 78.08%
nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, and traces of
hydrogen, helium, and noble gases. The amount of water vapor present is variable
(0-3%).Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits.
Moving upward from ground level, these layers are named the troposphere,
stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. The troposphere is the
lowest layer of our atmosphere. Starting at ground level, it extends upward to about
11 km (about 33,000 feet) above sea level. The next layer up is called the
stratosphere. The stratosphere extends from the top of the troposphere to about 52
km (32 miles) above the ground. The infamous ozone layer is found within the
stratosphere. Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light
from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. Above the stratosphere is the
mesosphere. It extends upward to a height of about 85 km (53 miles) above our
planet. Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere. The layer of very rare air above
the mesosphere is called the thermosphere. Highenergy X-rays and UV radiation
from the Sun are absorbed in the thermosphere, raising its temperature to hundreds
or at times thousands of degrees. Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can
range from about 500° C (932° F) to 2,000° C (3,632° F) or higher. The outermost
layer of the earth which is located above the thermosphere in the atmosphere is
referred to as the exosphere. It thins out and merges with the interplanetary space.
Thus, the exosphere is around 10,000 km or 6,200 miles thick or about as wide as
Earth. It is extended about halfway towards the moon. It is the first layer to shield the
Earth from meteors, asteroids, and cosmic rays.

BS 4 semester Basic Science


 Biosphere refers to all the regions on Earth where life exists. The ecosystems
that support life could be in soil, air, water or land. The term Biosphere was coined
by Geologist Edward Suess who used this term for place on Earth where life can be
found. Biosphere refers to the sum total of all living matter, the biomass or biota. It
extends from the polar ice caps to the equator, with each region harboring some life
form suitable to the conditions there.

Cultural components

The cultural components of an environment include elements like language, beliefs,


values, customs, traditions, religion, social norms, art forms, and even the way a
society perceives and interacts with the natural world, essentially shaping how
people within a community understand and engage with their surroundings based on
their cultural background.

BS 4 semester Basic Science


Importance of Environment
Environment plays an important role in healthy living and the existence of life on
planet earth. Earth is a home for different living species and we all are dependent on
the environment for food, air, water, and other needs. Therefore, it is important for
every individual to save and protect our environment.

BS 4 semester Basic Science

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