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Environmental Science and Engineering

This document discusses key concepts in environmental science and ecosystems. It defines environmental science as the study of nature and environmental factors that surround humans. An ecosystem is defined as a natural unit comprising living organisms and their abiotic environment that interact. The main abiotic components of an ecosystem discussed are the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Within ecosystems, energy flows from primary producers like plants through photosynthesis up the food chain to primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, and decomposers break down organic matter.

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Srikanth Palaniswamy
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273 views

Environmental Science and Engineering

This document discusses key concepts in environmental science and ecosystems. It defines environmental science as the study of nature and environmental factors that surround humans. An ecosystem is defined as a natural unit comprising living organisms and their abiotic environment that interact. The main abiotic components of an ecosystem discussed are the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Within ecosystems, energy flows from primary producers like plants through photosynthesis up the food chain to primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, and decomposers break down organic matter.

Uploaded by

Srikanth Palaniswamy
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING GE2021

SRIKANTH.P VELAMMAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE

ENVIRONMENT
Environmental science is the study of nature and the facts about environment. Environment can be defined as all the social, economical, physical & chemical factors that surrounds man (or) all abiotic and biotic components around man-all living and non living things surrounds man.

Principles of environmental education:


Examine the major environmental issues Discover the root cause Develop problem solving skills Promote co-operation in solving problems Active participation in prevention and solution to problems.

Reasons for environmental Ignorance:


Science, technology and economics failed to integrate the knowledge on environmental Aspects in curriculum The decision makers do not process environmental Angle of decision making Consideration of economic growth, poverty eradication has lead to environmental Degradation

Need For Public Awareness:


The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held at Reo de Janeiro in 1992 (popularly known as Earth Summit) and world summit on sustainable development at Johannesburg in 2002, have highlighted the key issues of global environmental concern. They have attracted the attention of people.

Any government at its own cannot achieve the goals of clear environment until the public participate in action. Public participation is possible only when the public is aware about the ecological and environmental issues. Eg. Ban- the littering of polythene.

Methods to propagate environmental Awareness:


Among students through education introducing environmental studies in the curriculum. Among public through mass mediaenvironmental program through TV, radio etc. Among decision makers, planners, leaders etc.

Role of NGOs
Advise the government in interacting with ground level people Organize public meetings to create environmental awareness Eg. Recent report of centre for science and environment on permissible limits of pesticides in cola drinks.

Public awareness is needed in the area


Study of natural resources-conservation and management Ecology and biodiversity conservation Environmental Pollution and prevention Social issues related to development and environment Human population and environment.

Ecosystem:
An ecosystem is therefore defined as a natural functional ecological unit comprising of living organisms and their non-living environment that interact to form a stable self supporting system . Eg. Pond, lake, desert, grassland, forest, etc.

Structure of Ecosystem
Abiotic or non-living components or physical components Biotic or Living components Energy components.

Abiotic Components:
Abiotic components enter the body of living directly or indirectly take part in metabolic activities and return to environment.

Abiotic components are as follows


Atmosphere The cover of air that envelopes the earth is known as atmosphere. Compostion Nitrogen-78%, oxygen- 2%, other gases- 1% Lithosphere or Interior of Earth Solid Earth Radius 6371- density -5.5 Hydrosphere 97% earths water is in oceans Fresh water 3%.

Structure of Atmosphere
Troposphere lower portion extends from 0-18 kms, temperature Stratosphere -18- 50 kms- Temperature (-2C to -56C )- Ozone layer Mesosphere- extends from 50-85 kms- Temperature drops to (-95C) Ionosphere or Thermosphere extends up to 500 kms. Temperature raises up to 1200C Exosphere extends up to 1600 km- temperature very high due to solar radiation.

Functions of Atmosphere:
It maintains heat balance on the earth by absorbing IR radiation. Oxygen support life on living organism. Co2 - essential for photosynthetic activity of plants. N2 - essential nutrient for plant growth.

Interior of Earth or Lithosphere: Three major Zones


Crust top most layer- solid thickness 30 40 Km in continents and 5 6 km in oceans. Rocks of the earth crust 3 types Igneous , Sedimentary, Metamorphic. Mantle average density 3.3 Thickness 2860 density increases with depth. Core (outer core solid , inner core liquid). depth 2900 km from the surface of the earth density -12 not exact composition.

Functions of Lithosphere:
It is home for human beings and wild life. It is store house of minerals and organic matter.

FUNCTIONS OF ECOSYSTEMS
Producers Photosynthesis photoautotroph (auto self, photo- light) Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy to chemical energy and storing it in the bonds of sugar. This process occurs in plants and some algae (Kingdom Protista). Plants need only light energy, CO2, and H2O to make sugar

6CO2 + 6H2O (+ light energy) C6H12O6 + 6O2 This is the source of the O2 we breathe, and thus, a significant factor in the concerns about deforestation.

Chemotrops
An organism that manufactures its own food through chemosynthesis (the oxidation of inorganic chemical compounds) as opposed to photosynthesis. The sulphur-oxidizing bacteria found at deepsea hydrothermal vents and nitrifying bacteria in the soil are chemotrophs.

Consumers
feeding upon other organisms. An organism that generally obtains food by feeding on other organisms or organic matter due to lack of the ability to manufacture own food from inorganic sources; a heterotroph.

Herbivores
Plant eating animals primary consumers Eg ; rabbit

Carnivores
A carnivore is an animal that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging. Feed on consumers Secondary Consumers feed on other carnivores

Omnivores
An omnivore is a kind of animal that eats either other animals or plants. feed on both plants and animals eg. Humans, rat, fox.

Detritivores
Detritivores feed on dead on organisms or decomposed matter eg; beetles, termites,ants , crabs, earthworms.

Decomposers
Decomposers nutrition breaking down in to complex organic molecules to simpler organic organic compounds . bacteria and fungi.

Functional Attributes.
1. Food chain, Food web and trophic structure. 2. Energy flow 3. Cycling of Nutrients (Biogeochemical cycles) 4. Primary and secondary production 5. Ecosystem development programme

Food Chains
Sequence of eating and being eaten in an ecosystem. Plants by photosynthesis convert solar energy into protoplasm. Small herbivores consume the vegetable matter and convert into animal matter which in turn eaten by large carnivores. This sequence of eaten and being eaten , produces transfer of food energy known as food chain.

Food Web
The food relationship between various organisms is being depicted by linking all the possible prey and predators of different food level. In an ecosystem linking of feeding habit relations will provide a food web.

ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEM:


Energy is defined as the capacity to do work. For living organisms, it is the basic force responsible for running all the metabolic activities. The flow of energy from producer level to top consumer level is called energy flow.

The flow of energy in an ecosystem is unidirectional. It flows from producer level to consumer level and never in the reverse direction. The main source of energy in the ecosystem is sunlight.

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