Environmental Science

Unit 1

THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE

OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

DEFINITION, SCOPE & IMPORTANC

 1. Introduction
This course on the environment is unlike
any other. It is not only a collection of facts
or information about the environment. It is
about the way we all should live. It is
expected to give you information about the
environment that will lead to a concern for
your own environment. When you develop
this concern, you will begin to act at your
own level to protect the environment we all
live in. This is the objective of the course
and the syllabus is a framework on which
we must all realign our lives.
 2. DEFINITION
The sum total of all surroundings of a
living organism, including natural forces
and other living things, which provide
conditions for development and growth as
well as of danger and damage.

‫به همه محيط‌هايي که در آن‌ها‬ ‫محيط زيست‬

‫زندگي جريان دارد گفته‬
‫مجموعه‌اي از عوامل فيزيکي‬ .‫مي‌شود‬
‫خارجي و موجودات زنده که با هم در کنش‬
‫هستند محيط زيست را تشکيل مي‌دهند و بر‬
‫رشد و نمو و رفتار موجودات تأثير‬
.‫مي‌گذارند‬
3. 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
Continue
Our dependence on nature is so
great that we cannot continue to live
without protecting the earth’s
environmental resources.

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, wood, etc. Nonrenewable
resources, such as minerals and oil are those which
will be exhausted in the 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 regrowth
or rainfall
Continue
Activity 1:
Take any article that you use in daily life
– a bucket full of water, or an item of
food, a table, or a book. Trace its
components journey backwards from
your home to their origins as natural
resources in our environment. How
many of these components are
renewable resources and how many non-
renewable?
What is the rarity of the resource and where does it
originate?

• Who uses it most intensively and how?

• How is it being overused or misused?

• Who is responsible for its improper use – the

resource collector, the middleman, the end user?

• How can we help to conserve it and prevent its

unsustainable use?
Continue
Activity 2:

Try to answer the questions bellow for

one of the components in the article you
chose in Activity 1. Then answer the
following questions:

Are you using that resource unsustainably?

• In what ways could you reduce, reuse and recycle

that resource?

• Is there an unequal distribution of this resource so

that you are more fortunate than many others who
have less access to it?
54. 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.
 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 to develop
thousands of new products in the future.

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.
Aesthetic/Recreational
value of nature

The aesthetic and recreational values

that nature possesses enlivens(‫انو روح‬H‫ج‬
‫خشیدن‬HHH‫ )ب‬our existence on earth. This is
created by developing National Parks and
Wildlife Sanctuaries(H‫ناهگاه‬HHH‫ )پ‬in 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 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
generation
 NEED FOR PUBLIC
AWARENESS
Join a group to study nature

Begin reading newspaper articles and

periodicals such as ‘Down to Earth’ that will
tell you more about our environment. There
are also several environmental websites

Lobby for conserving resources by taking up

the cause of environmental issues during
discussions with friends and relatives

Practice and promote issues such as saving

paper, saving water, reducing use of
plastics, practicing the 3Rs principle of
reduce, reuse, recycle, and proper waste
disposal
 NEED FOR PUBLIC
AWARENESS
Join local movements that support activities
such as saving trees in your area, go on
nature treks, recycle waste, buy
environmentally friendly products.

Practice and promote good civic sense such

as no spitting or tobacco chewing, no
throwing garbage on the road, no smoking
in public places, no urinating or defecating
in public places.

Take part in events organized on World

Environment Day, Wildlife Week, etc.

Visit a National Park or Sanctuary, or spend

time in whatever nature you have near your
home.
UNIT 2

Natural Resources
• Earth’s Resources and Man
1. Atmosphere
• Oxygen for human
respiration (metabolic
requirements).
• Oxygen for wild fauna in
natural ecosystems and
domestic animals used by
man as food.
• Oxygen as a part of carbon
dioxide, used for the growth
of plants (in turn are used by
man).
• The atmosphere forms a protective shell
over the earth. The lowest layer, the
troposphere, the only part warm enough
for us to survive in, is only 12 kilometers
thick. The stratosphere is 50 kilometers
thick and contains a layer of sulphates
which is important for the formation of
rain. It also contains a layer of ozone,
which absorbs ultra-violet light known to
cause cancer and without which, no life
could exist on earth. The atmosphere is
not uniformly warmed by the sun. This
leads to air flows and variations in
climate, temperature and rainfall in
different parts of the earth. It is a
complex dynamic system. If its nature is
disrupted it affects all mankind. Most air
pollutants have both global and regional
effects
• Troposphere
The troposphere starts at the Earth's surface and extends 8
to 14.5 kilometers high (5 to 9 miles). This part of the
atmosphere is the most dense. Almost all weather is in this
region.
• Stratosphere
The stratosphere starts just above the troposphere and extends to
50 kilometers (31 miles) high. The ozone layer, which absorbs and
scatters the solar ultraviolet radiation, is in this layer.
• Mesosphere
The mesosphere starts just above the stratosphere and
extends to 85 kilometers (53 miles) high. Meteors burn up in
this layer
• Thermosphere
The thermosphere starts just above the mesosphere and
extends to 600 kilometers (372 miles) high. Aurora and satellites
occur in this layer.
• Ionosphere
The ionosphere is an abundant layer of electrons and ionized
atoms and molecules that stretches from about 48 kilometers
(30 miles) above the surface to the edge of space at about 965
km (600 mi), overlapping into the mesosphere and
thermosphere. This dynamic region grows and shrinks based on
solar conditions and divides further into the sub-regions: D, E
and F; based on what wavelength of solar radiation is absorbed.
The ionosphere is a critical link in the chain of Sun-Earth
interactions. This region is what makes radio communications
possible.
Exosphere
This is the upper limit of our atmosphere. It extends from the
top of the thermosphere up to 10,000 km (6,200 mi).
2. Hydrosphere
• Clean water for drinking (a
metabolic requirement for living
processes).
• Water for washing and cooking. •
Water used in agriculture and
industry.
• Food resources from the sea,
including fish, crustacean, sea
weed, etc.
• Food from fresh water sources,
including fish, crustacean and
aquatic plants.
• Water flowing down from mountain
ranges harnessed to generate
electricity in hydroelectric projects.
3. Lithosphere
• Soil, the basis for agriculture to provide
us with food.
• Stone, sand and gravel, used for
construction.
• Micronutrients in soil, essential for
plant growth.
• Microscopic flora, small soil fauna and
fungi in soil, important living organisms
of the lithosphere, which break down
plant litter as well as animal wastes to
provide nutrients for plants.
• A large number of minerals on which
our industries are based.
• Oil, coal and gas, extracted from
underground sources. It provides
power for vehicles, agricultural
machinery, industry, and for our homes
4. Biosphere
• Food, from crops and domestic
animals, providing human metabolic
requirements.
• Food, for all forms of life which live
as interdependent species in a
community and form food chains in
nature on which man is dependent.
• Energy needs: Biomass fuel wood
collected from forests and
plantations, along with other forms
of organic matter, used as a source
of energy.
• Timber and other construction
materials.
Activity 1:
Observe a nearby pond in different
seasons and document the seasonal
changes in it. One can also observe
changes in a river or the seasonal
changes in a forest or grassland.
Activity 2:
Take a simple object in daily use and
track its components back to each of
its spheres.
Eg: this textbook: paper from wood –
biosphere Water for pulping –
hydrosphere Bleach to whiten paper –
a mineral from lithosphere
 RENEWABLE & NON-
RENEWABLE
RESOURCES
The need for sustainable lifestyles: The
quality of human life and the quality of
ecosystems on earth are indicators of the
sustainable use of resources. There are
clear indicators of sustainable lifestyles in
human life.
• Increased longevity
• An increase in knowledge
• An enhancement of income.
These three together are known as the
‘Human development index’.
The quality of the ecosystems have
indicators that are more difficult to
assess.
• A stabilized population.
• The long term conservation of
biodiversity.
• The careful long-term use of natural
resources.
• The prevention of degradation and
pollution of the environment
 Non-renewable
resources
These are minerals that have been formed
in the lithosphere over millions of years
and constitute a closed system. These non-
renewable resources, once used, remain
on earth in a different form and, unless
recycled, become waste material.

Non-renewable resources include fossil

fuels such as oil and coal, which if
extracted at the present rate, will soon be
totally used up. The end products of fossil
fuels are in the form of heat and
mechanical energy and chemical
compounds, which cannot be reconstituted
as a resource.
 Renewable resources
Fresh water (even after being used) is
evaporated by the sun’s energy, forms water
vapor and is reformed in clouds and falls to
earth as rain. However, water sources can be
overused or wasted to such an extent that
they locally run dry. Water sources can be so
heavily polluted by sewage and toxic
substances that it becomes impossible to use
the water

Forests, once destroyed take thousands of

years to regrow into fully developed natural
ecosystems with their full complement of
species. Forests thus can be said to behave
like non-renewable resources if overused.
 Renewable resources
Fish are today being over-harvested until the
catch has become a fraction of the original
resource and the fish are incapable of
breeding successfully to replenish the
population.

The output of agricultural land if mismanaged

drops drastically.

When the population of a species of plant or

animal is reduced by human activities, until it
cannot reproduce fast enough to maintain a
viable number, the species becomes extinct

Many species are probably becoming extinct

without us even knowing, and other linked
species are affected by their loss.
Forest Resources
FOREST FUNCTIONS

Watershed protection:

• Reduce the rate of surface run-off of water.

• Prevent flash floods and soil erosion.

• Produces prolonged gradual run-off and

thus prevent effects of drought.

Atmospheric regulation:

• Absorption of solar heat during evapo-

transpiration.

• Maintaining carbon dioxide levels for plant

growth.

• Maintaining the local climatic conditions

Forest Resources
FOREST FUNCTIONS

Erosion control:

• Holding soil (by preventing rain from directly

washing soil away).

Land bank:

• Maintenance of soil nutrients and structure.

Local use - Consumption of forest produce
by local people who collect it for subsistence
– (Consumptive use)

• Food - gathering plants, fishing, hunting

from the forest. (In the past when wildlife was
plentiful, people could hunt and kill animals
for food. Now that populations of most wildlife
species have diminished, continued hunting
would lead to extinction.)

• Fodder - for cattle.

• Fuel wood and charcoal for cooking,

heating.

• Poles - building homes especially in rural

and wilderness areas.

• Timber – household articles and

construction.

• for new modern drugs.

Fiber - weaving of baskets, ropes, nets,
string, etc.

• Sericulture – for silk. • Apiculture - bees

for honey, forest bees also pollinate crops.

• Medicinal plants - traditionally used

medicines, investigating them as potential
source
Market use - (Productive use)

• Most of the above products used for

consumptive purposes are also sold as a
source of income for supporting the
livelihoods of forest dwelling people.

• Minor forest produce - (non-wood products):

Fuel wood, fruit, gum, fiber, etc. which are
collected and sold in local markets as a
source of income for forest dwellers.

• Major timber extraction - construction,

industrial uses, paper pulp, etc. Timber
extraction is done in India by the Forest
Department, but illegal logging continues in
many of the forests of India and the world.
 14.Water
A Magnificent
Resources
Mountain
The water cycle, through
Landscape
evaporation and precipitation,
maintains hydrological systems
which form rivers and lakes and
supportThein apristine
varietycharacter
of aquaticof the
ecosystems. Wetlands are
mountain environment must be largely
intermediate forms between
preserved,
terrestrial in terms
and of biological
aquatic ecosystems diversity,
recreational
and value, and
contain species of plants and
natural that
animals and cultural assets.
are highly Activities
moisture
dependent.
in mountainAll aquatic
areas must respect these
ecosystems are used
values and assets, byaaview
with largeto
number of people for their daily
promoting sustainable development.
needs such as drinking water,
Particularly
washing, valuable
cooking, areas must be
watering
protected
animals, from
and encroachment
irrigating fields. and other
disturbance.
 14.WaterA Magnificent
Resources
Mountain
The world depends on a limited quantity of
fresh water. Water covers 70% of the earth’s
Landscape
surface but only 3% of this is fresh water. Of
this, 2% is in polar ice caps and only 1% is
usable water in rivers, lakes and subsoil
aquifers. Only a fraction of this can be actually
used. AtThe pristine
a global character
level of the is used for
70% of water
agriculture about 25% formust
mountain environment industry and only 5%
be largely
for domestic use. However this varies in
preserved, in terms of biological diversity,
different countries and industrialized countries
recreational
use value, and for industry. India
a greater percentage
natural
uses 90%and
for cultural assets.
agriculture, 7% Activities
for industry and
3%in for domestic
mountain use.must respect these
areas
One of the
values greatest
and assets,challenges
with a viewfacing
to the world
inpromoting
this century is the need
sustainable to rethink the overall
development.
management of water resources. The world
Particularly
population valuable
has passedareas
the 6 must
billionbemark.
protected
Based from
on the encroachment
proportion of youngandpeople
other in
developing
disturbance.countries, this will continue to
increase significantly during the next few
decades
 Overutilization and pollution of
14. A Magnificent
surface and groundwater
Mountain
With the growth of human population there is
an increasing need for larger amounts of water
Landscape
to fulfill a variety of basic needs. Today in
many areas this requirement cannot be met.
Overutilization of water occurs at various
levels. Most people use more water than they
The pristine character of the
really need.
mountain environment
Agriculture also pollutesmust be largely
surface water and
underground
preserved, inwater
termsstores by the excessive
of biological diversity,
use of chemical
recreational fertilizers
value, and and pesticides.
Industry
natural tends to maximise
and cultural assets.short-term
Activities
economic gains by not bothering about its
in mountain areas must respect these
liquid waste and releasing it into streams,
values
rivers andand
theassets,
sea. with a view to
promoting
CASE STUDY sustainable development.
Particularly
Water valuable
pollution - Nepalareas must be
protected
The from
Narayani encroachment
River of Nepal hasand other
been polluted
bydisturbance.
factories located on its bank. This has
endangered fish, dolphins, crocodiles and
other flora and fauna of the region
 Global climate change
14. A Magnificent
Changes in climate at a global level caused by

Mountain
increasing air pollution have now begun to affect
our climate. In some regions global warming and

Landscape
the El Nino winds have created unprecedented
storms. In other areas, they lead to long droughts.
Everywhere the ‘greenhouse effect’ due to
atmospheric pollution is leading to increasingly
erratic and
Theunpredictable climatic
pristine character effects. This
of the
has seriously affected regional hydrological
mountain environment must be largely
conditions.
preserved, in terms of biological diversity,
Floods:
recreational value, and
Floods
naturalhave been a assets.
and cultural seriousActivities
environmental
hazard for centuries.
in mountain However,
areas must respect the havoc
these
raised by rivers overflowing their banks has
values and assets, with a view to
become progressively more damaging, as
promoting
people havesustainable
deforesteddevelopment.
catchments and
Particularlyuse
intensified valuable areas
of river must
flood be that once
plains
protected
acted from encroachment
as safety valves. Wetlandsand in
other
flood plains
are nature’s flood control systems into which
disturbance.
overfilled rivers could spill and act like a
temporary sponge holding the water, and
preventing fast flowing water from damaging
surrounding land.
Drought
In most arid regions of the world the
rains are unpredictable. This leads to
periods when there is a serious
scarcity of water to drink, use in
farms, or provide for urban and
industrial use. Drought prone areas
are thus faced with irregular periods
of famine. Agriculturists have no
income in these bad years, and as
they have no steady income, they
have a constant fear of droughts.
Activity 4:
How much water is needed by one
person? Several international
agencies and experts have proposed
that 50 liters per person per day
covers basic human water
requirements for drinking, sanitation,
bathing and food preparation.
Estimate your average daily
consumption.
Mineral Resources

A mineral is a naturally occurring

substance of definite chemical
composition and identifiable physical
properties. An ore is a mineral or
combination of minerals from which a
useful substance, such as a metal, can
be extracted and used to manufacture a
useful product

Minerals are formed over a period of

millions of years in the earth’s crust.
Iron, aluminum, zinc, manganese and
copper are important raw materials for
industrial use.
Mineral Resources
Important non-metal resources
include coal, salt, clay, cement and
silica. Stone used for building
material, such as granite, marble,
limestone, constitute another
category of minerals. Minerals with
special properties that humans value
for their aesthetic and ornamental
value are gems such as diamonds,
emeralds, rubies. The luster of gold,
silver and platinum is used for
ornaments. Minerals in the form of
oil, gas and coal were formed when
ancient plants and animals were
converted into underground fossil
fuels.
 Mineral Resources
Minerals and their ores need to be
extracted from the earth’s interior so
that they can be used. This process is
known as mining. Mining operations
generally progress through four stages:
1.Prospecting: Searching for minerals.
2.Exploration: Assessing the size,
shape, location, and economic value of
the deposit.
3.Development: Work of preparing
access to the deposit so that the
minerals can be extracted from it.
4.Exploitation: Extracting the minerals
from the mines.
 Mineral Resources
Mines are of two types – surface (open
cut or strip mines) or deep or shaft
mines. Coal, metals and non-
metalliferous minerals are all mined
differently depending on the above
criteria. The method chosen for mining
will ultimately depend on how maximum
yield may be obtained under existing
conditions at a minimum cost, with the
least danger to the mining personnel.
 Mine safety
Mining is a hazardous occupation, and
the safety of mine workers is an
important environmental consideration
of the industry. Surface mining is less
hazardous than underground mining.
Metal mining is less hazardous than
coal mining.
 Environmental
Problems
Mining operations are considered one of
the main sources of environmental
degradation. The extraction of all these
products from the lithosphere has a
variety of side effects. Depletion of
available land due to mining, waste from
industries, conversion of land to industry
and pollution of land, water and air by
industrial wastes, are environmental side
effects of the use of these non-renewable
resources.
Public awareness of this problem is of a
global nature and government actions to stem
the damage to the natural environment have
led to numerous international agreements and
laws directed toward the prevention of
activities and events that may adversely affect
the environment.
16. A Rich Diversity
of Plant and
Animal Life
Biological diversity must be preserved
and used sustainably for the benefit
of present and future generations. Species
habitats and ecosystems and their functions
and processes must be safeguarded.
Species must be able to survive in long-term
viable populations with sufficient genetic
variation. Finally, people must have access
to a good natural and cultural environment
rich in biological diversity, as a basis for
health, quality of life and well-being.