Unit: V Our Environment

Environment: It is derived from French word ‘environ’ meaning to encircle or to

surround. It is defined as the physical and biological world where we live. It includes
everything around the organism i,e both living and non – living. This interdependent
interaction among organisms as well as with the abiotic components maintains a
balance in nature.

Ecosystem: The term ecosystem was proposed by A.G Tansley in 1935. The term
ecosystem comprises of two words ‘Eco’ and ‘system’. Eco means environment and
system meaning a particular way. Thus ecosystem means the particular way in
which the environmental components are related to one another.

Ecosystem may be defined as structural and functional unit of biosphere

comprising living and their non-living environment that interact by means of food
chains and chemical cycles resulting in energy flow, biotic diversity and material
cycling to form a stable self-supporting system.

Components of Ecosystem: The ecosystem comprises of two major components:

1. Abiotic component: These are non-living physio-chemical components of an

ecosystem. These components not only affect the distribution and structure of
organisms but also their behavior and inter-relationships. These factors are of
tree types:
a. Organic compounds: These are present in dead organic matter and include
carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids etc.
b. Inorganic materials: They are involved in biogeochemical cycles e.g. Carbon,
Nitrogen, oxygen, water etc.
c. Climatic and edaphic factors: Climatic factors include physical factors of
environment. E.g. light, temperature, wind etc. the edaphic factors are soil
factors.
2. Biotic component: The biotic component of an ecosystem is a community of living
organisms. The biotic community of an ecosystem includes the organisms that
fall into following nutritional groups:
 a. Producers: These are green plants having chlorophyll which are capable of
manufacturing their own food by the process of photosynthesis.
b. Consumers: All the animals which directly or indirectly depend upon plants
for their food are called consumers. Consumers are of three types:
 Primary consumers: These are herbivorous animals. These feed on
green plants e.g. deer, sheep etc.
 Secondary consumers: These are carnivorous animals. These feed on
primary consumers e.g. lion, tiger etc.
 Tertiary consumers: These feed on both primary and secondary
consumers. E.g vultures, hawks etc.
 Decomposers: These decompose the dead bodies of plants and animals
by feeding upon them. They bring about the degradation of the
complex compounds of dead protoplasm into simpler abiotic
components. E.g bacteria, fungi etc.
 Transformers: Some bacteria and fungi bring about the transformation
of decomposed products into basic abiotic substances such as C, N, O,
P, Fe etc. These elements are utilized by producers.
Functions of Ecosystem
Ecosystem regulates the equilibrium of the nature by maintaining a cyclical
pathway for exchange of materials as:
1. Solar energy is trapped by autotrophic organisms.
2. Autotrophs prepare organic food constituents with the help of solar energy
by taking raw materials from the environment.
3. These organic materials are used by heterotrophs as food.
4. Some of the materials are returned to the environment in the form of
excreta while the rest is returned to the environment when they die.
5. The dead body of an organism is decomposed by certain group of
organisms known as decomposers.
Food chain: In an ecosystem the transfer of food from its ultimate source( green
plants) through a serious of organisms each of which eats the preceding and is
eaten by the following is called a food chain. Thus food chain is a nutritional
sequence in an ecosystem in which a series of organisms exists through which
food is transferred. Each organism of the series feeds upon the preceding one.
Thus the food chain appears to be simple linear series. But in nature it do not
happen so. There are many circuits and connects of food chain.
Solar energy

Producers

Primary Consumers

Secondary Consumers

Tertiary Consumers

Top Consumers

Length of food chains: In ecosystems, different food chains may have two, three,
four or five trophic levels. Accordingly a food chain may end at the herbivore/Pry.
carnivore/Sec. carnivore/Tertiary carnivore level. First trophic level in all of these
food chains will be the producers.

Types of food chains:

1. Grazing food chain/Predator food chain: It begins at the producer level

and extends up to top carnivores. Usually the size of the consumer is
comparatively large at successive levels. In the forest
Grasses Aphids Birds
In the garden
Grasses Grasshoppers Frogs Snakes Vultures
2. Parasitic food chain: It also begins with the producer level. Unlike the
producer food chain, here the consumer is smaller in size. Passing of food
 energy from larger to smaller organisms is the characteristic feature of this
food chain. A larger organism from which food is derived is called the host.
Smaller organism which obtains the food is called the parasite.
3. Saprophytic food chain: Some animals regarded as top carnivores like
hawk, lion, vulture etc have no natural food enemy. They are seldom killed
for eating yet their dead bodies are acted upon by decomposers. The
transfer of food energy from dead organic matter of decaying animal and
plant bodies to micro- organisms is known as saprophytic food chain.
Characteristics of food chain:
1. A food chain involves a nutritive interaction between the living organisms
of an ecosystem. In a food chain there occurs repeated eating I,e each
group and subsequently is eaten by some other group of organisms.
2. A food chain is always straight and proceeds in a progressive straight line.
3. There is unidirectional flow of energy from sun to producers and
subsequently to series of different types of consumers.
4. Usually there are 3 or 4 trophic levels in a food chain. In a food chain there
may be maximum of 5 trophic levels.
5. Some organisms are omnivores. These occupy different trophic positions in
different food chains.
6. At each transfer generally 80-90% of energy is lost as heat in accordance
with second law of thermodynamics.
Food web: food web may be defined as a network of food chains which become
interconnected at various trophic so as to form a number of feeding connections
among different organisms of a biotic community. In a food web one organism
may occupy position in more than one food chain. An organism can obtain its
food from different sources and in turn may be eaten up by different types of
organisms. E.g., a rat may be consumed by a snake or an eagle. Similarly a
grasshopper may be consumed by a frog, an eagle or a bigger insect.
Characteristics of food web:
1. Food webs are never straight. Instead each food web is formed by
interlinking of food chains.
2. A food web provides alternative pathways of food availability.
 3. Greater alternative available in a food web makes the ecosystem more
stable.
4. They check the overpopulations of highly fecundive species of plants and
animals.
5. They help in ecosystem development.
Flow of energy in an ecosystem: Each organism needs energy to carry on vital
activities and for building up and repairing the body tissues.
 The ultimate source of entire energy used by living organisms is the sun.
 Of the total solar radiations falling on earth only about 1% are captured by
green plants in a terrestrial ecosystem and converted into food energy by
photosynthesis. This energy is stored as chemical energy of food. The
plants utilize part of this stored energy for their metabolic activities such
as respiration, growth etc. During metabolic activities some energy is
released in the env. as unusable heat energy.
 Since amount of available energy goes on decreasing at each trophic level,
food chains usually consist of only 3-4 steps and rarely maximum of 5
steps.
 In an ecosystem generally the producers are max. in number. As we move
along the chain the no. of individuals at each trophic level decreases.
In an ecosystem energy flow follows Lindeman’s 10% law. The law states
that during transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next level, only
about 10% energy is available to the higher trophic level and the remaining
90% is lost in respiration and heat. Thus according to this law transfer of
energy from one trophic level to another trophic level is never 100%. On
an average about 10% of energy is actually available to the next trophic
level.
Ozone layer and its depletion
Ozone is form of oxygen. It is triatomic molecule made up of three atoms of
oxygen (O3). It is highly poisonous. Very little quantity of O3 is present in the lower
part of atmosphere called troposphere some 18-50 km above poles. Though O 3 is
present throughout the stratosphere. This rich zone of O3 in the stratosphere is
called ozone shield. In the stratosphere O3 is being photo dissociated and
generated simultaneously by the absorption of harmful UV radiations coming
from sun.

O3 O2 + [O]

ozone oxygen molecule oxygen atom

The two reactions (photodissociation of O3 and its generation) are in equilibrium,
thereby maintaining steady concentration of O3 in the stratosphere some 18-50
km above sea level. Ozone layer in the stratosphere acts as a protective shield to
protect all types of life from the harmful effects of UV radiations.
Ozone depletion: The thinning of ozone layer is commonly called ozone
depletion. Ozone is being depleted by air pollutants. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
are air pollutants that are mainly responsible for the depletion of ozone layer in
the stratosphere. Besides, methane and oxides of nitrogen also cause destruction
of ozone.
Ozone hole: Decline in thickness of ozone layer over a restricted area is called
ozone hole. Ozone hole was first discovered over Antarctica in 1985.
Ozone depleting substances (ODS): These are the substances which react with
the ozone layer in the stratosphere and destroy it. The main ODS are CFC’S,
halons, methane nitrous oxide carbon tetrachloride and chlorine. Of these, CFC’s
are the principal ODS. Jet and rockets release some ODS in the stratosphere while
others slowly enter from the troposphere into the stratosphere.
Effects of O3 depletion: The thinning of ozone layer allows more UV radiations to
pass through it which then strike the earth. These cause following harmful effects
on man, animals and plants:
1. Cancers: UV radiations increase incidences of skin cancer and herpes.
2. Eye sight: UV radiations cause damage to eyes resulting in dimming of
eyesight, photo burning as well as increased incidences of cataract in eyes.
3. Immune system: UV radiations cause damage to immune system and
hence lowering the body’s resistance to disease.
4. Global warming: Decreased photosynthesis would result in increase in the
concentration of CO2. This will result in global warming.
 5. Photosynthesis: UV radiations would result in 10-25% decline of
photosynthesis in plants.
How do our activities affect the environment?
The human beings are an integral part of environment. Changes in the
environment affect human beings and human activities to bring changes or create
problems in the environment around them. These problems are solid wastes and
their disposal and depletion of the ozone layer.
Solid wastes: They generally come from residences, vegetables and fruit markets,
agricultural fields and many other places. They include peelings of fruits and
vegetables, other kitchen wastes, cow dung, human excreta, glass, plastics,
leather, metal objects etc.
Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable solid wastes: Solid wastes that
accumulate in the environment due to human activities can be categorized into
two types:
1. Biodegradable wastes: These include substances such as household
garbage, human urine and faecel matter, agricultural residues, cattle dung,
wood, paper, cloth, hay, cotton, plant waste, and industrial waste. All these
substances can easily be degraded by natural means (by bacteria and fungi)
into simpler, harmless substances in due course of time. Micro-organisms
such as bacteria and fungi present in our environment secrete specific
enzymes which breakdown complex organic substances into simpler easily
dissolvable substances. The latter reach the reservoir pool and are again
available to autotrophs for photosynthesis.
Harmful effects of Biodegradable wastes:
1. Biodegradable substances act as pollutants only when their quantity
becomes large and they are not broken down into simpler substances by
the action of microbes at the right time.
2. These affect the human life in different ways:
 Decomposition of biodegradable wastes results in the production of
foul smell which spreads to surrounding areas and makes the life
miserable.
 Huge heaps of biodegradable wastes act as breeding place for flies
which carry germs and spread disease such as typhoid, cholera etc.
  Dumping of industrial wastes reduces the fertility of the soil leading
to reduction in crop yields.
Non- biodegradable wastes: Wastes that cannot be degraded by natural
means I,e by the action of microbes into simpler harmless substances in
due course of time. Only physical processes such as heat and pressure can
affect such type of waste substances. Some familiar non- biodegradable
waste substances are plastic objects, ball point pen refill, synthetic fibres,
glass objects, pesticides, industrial chemicals and heavy metals, metal
articles, radioactive wastes, polythene bags etc. these non-biodegradable
substances may occur in the environment in gaseous, liquid and solid form.
Harmful effects of non-biodegradable wastes:
1. Some of the non-biodegradable wastes such as pesticides (e.g. DDT)
industrial chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive wastes are very
harmful. This is so because these enter the food chains and their
concentration goes on increasing from one trophic level to the next.
Human beings occupy the top level in any food chain, the maximum
concentration of these chemicals get accumulated in our bodies. As a
result of biomagnification these result in many harmful effects in human
beings and other animals.
2. Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides and dumping of industrial
wastes affects the soil fertility and subsequently reduces the crop yield.
The soil may become acidic or alkaline.
Biological magnification/Biomagnification: Unknowingly some harmful chemicals
enter our body through the food chain such as pesticides, weedicides etc. these
chemicals are taken up from the soil by the plants along with water and thus
enter the food chain. As these chemicals are non- degradable, these chemicals get
concentrated at each trophic levels, thus is known as biomagnification. The levels
of magnifications will be different at different trophic levels of the ecosystem. The
animals at the highest trophic level of the food chain have the maximum
concentration in the body.
Managing the garbage we produce: Waste disposal literally means getting rid of
the wastes. Disposal of wastes should be done scientifically. The method of waste
disposal depends upon the nature of waste. Some prominent methods of waste
disposal are:
1. Land fills: In urban areas majority of the soil wastes are buried in low lying
areas to level the uneven surface of land. This method is called land fills.
2. Recycling of wastes: No. of solid wastes can be recycled by sending them to
respective recycling units. Like paper is sent for recycling into special paper
mills. Industrial wastes are treated in special plants where valuable wastes
are recycled.
3. Preparation of compost: household waste such as peeling of fruits and
vegetables, left over food, dead leaves, etc can be converted into compost
and used as manure.
4. Incineration: Incineration is the process of burning of substances at high
temperature (10000C) and ultimately converting them into ashes. It is
carried out in an incinerator. Household wastes, hospital wastes and
chemical waste are generally disposed of by incineration process. In fact
bulk of waste is removed by this technique. Burning of wastes at high
temperature generates Co2 and water vapours which escape into the
environment and only the ash is left behind. This ash can be disposed of by
land fills.
5. Pyrolysis: Destructive distillation of the combustible constituents of solid
wastes at high temperature (650-10000C) so as to recover the chemical
constituents and chemical energy of organic wastes.